120 film rolled inside out?

[earthmanbuck]

I just finished a roll on my Mamiya 645—opened up the back to retrieve it, and the roll is inside out, so I can't seal it up (and I imagine there are no images on there anyway).

I would chalk this up to "I'm an idiot and must have loaded it wrong," except that this exact same thing happened with the last roll I put through there, about a month ago. I have loaded and shot with this camera before without any issues. I do not find the diagram on the film insert hard to understand, although I usually read the manual and/or watch a video tutorial when loading film into it anyway. The take-up spool only rotates one way. I loaded this roll immediately after discovering the error on my last roll, and was extra attentive that I was doing it properly. I am by no means claiming to be a Mamiya 645 expert, but I truly don't see any way I could have messed it up twice in a row.

Anyone have any specific idea what could be going wrong here? (Yes, I am reluctantly including user error in there.) Is it at all possible the film itself was...wound backwards or something? Is there any way to save or reuse this roll (I currently have an elastic band holding it together, in my sock drawer).

 

[Designer]

You should complain to the place where you bought it. They may have had other similar complaints, or even if not, they should know about the mistake.

 

[dxqcanada]

So, the question is ... has anyone ever had a roll of 120 film that was rolled in reverse from the factory production?

 

[earthmanbuck]

You should complain to the place where you bought it. They may have had other similar complaints, or even if not, they should know about the mistake.

It was a five-pack of Portra from B&H, both rolls definitely came out of the same box because I don't have any other Portra in 120. I think I'll maybe take a video of me loading a third roll, and another video of me unloading it so I can see if I did actually go wrong or not. Just kinda stinks because it's taking a while to finish a roll these days...my apartment can only be viewed from so many different angles.

So, the question is ... has anyone ever had a roll of 120 film that was rolled in reverse from the factory production?

Yes, and I guess a follow-up would be: does that even make sense? Seems to me that if they did somehow reverse the paper and the film it would be very obvious at a glance right out of the package, no? But I am stumped.

Then again what do I know, I'm just a guy who maybe can't even load a roll properly...

 

[dxqcanada]

Hmm, if the production was rolled reversed ... you would have seen the black side of the paper first.
If you see the printed side, then the film would have to to adhered to the wrong side of the paper.
Hmmm ...

 

[compur]

... the roll is inside out...

Define "inside out." Do you mean the film itself is on the outside instead of the paper backing?

 

[Original katomi]

Is it a case of under or over
As In loading the leading edge over the top of the roll or under the edge

One way will wind clock wise the other anti clockwise
Just finished playing with paper and cardboard roll if the film is put in upside down it will roll as you described
Look carefully at film is there a fold mark near the end of the film where it folded back on its self
You included the poss of user error, just exploring with no insult intended

 

[earthmanbuck]

Here's a picture of the roll in question (on the right). The left is a normal roll of the same film. The shiny black backing of the paper is the part showing.

I've never developed my own 120 film, so here's where I need your help understanding the mechanics of the film:

If I had wound the roll with the leader over top of the roll, the printed side of the paper would have been "exposed", the film itself would have been on the black shiny side, and if I were to unroll my roll, eventually the film would show on the outside, against the black shiny side, correct?

Whereas if I had wound the roll with the leader underneath, it should have ended up like the roll on the left.

I just took the roll into a dark closet and unwound it just enough to be able to feel the end of the film. The film was on the inside of the roll, which made me think maybe it was taped to the wrong side of the paper. But now that I'm thinking about it more, I guess I probably wouldn't be able to actually know unless I unwound right back to the beginning and felt the adhesive itself?

Another thing I should mention is that I checked my notebook where I keep track of what film I have in what camera, and the roll before this where I had the same issue was actually not the same film, it was Ektar. So it seems unlikely there is some problem with my whole box of Portra—if there is, it would actually be the roll that wound correctly that would be the messed up one.

I guess at this point my question is: is there any way to unwind this roll to either confirm which side of the backing paper the film was adhered to, or to just reload it and try shooting again? Would it work to tape the loose end of the film to the backing paper and just wind it back up by hand?

 

[compur]

So it seems unlikely there is some problem with my whole box of Portra—if there is, it would actually be the roll that wound correctly that would be the messed up one.

Kodak doesn't produce film that is wound incorrectly. Nobody does.

I suggest re-reading the manual for your camera or taking it to an experienced person who can show you on how to load it.

 

[earthmanbuck]

Alright, never mind everyone.

I tried to wind the shitty roll back onto an empty spool just to reshoot it. Halfway through it all came unravelled and I couldn't save it. But at least I have answers now, sort of. There was nothing wrong with the roll, the film was wound correctly and taped on the right side. I guess the only possible answer is that I loaded it wrong. I truly cannot comprehend how I did it wrong twice in a row, especially since—as I mentioned—I was going right out of the manual the second time around. But there's no other conclusion to come to here.

I will leave this thread up as a testament to my own stupidity.

 

[cgw]

That's pretty cheap tuition to learn how not to pull what my bitter half calls a "dumb man trick." I've paid much more.

 

[dxqcanada]

 

[webestang64]

I've done it a few times over the years at work. I remember the first time I did 4x5 copy work I had all the sheets facing the wrong way.

 

[Derrel]

"To err is human..."