Medium Format Film - Frame numbers?

Meysha · Jun 9, 2005

Helloooo peoples!
My last thread will be rather an urgent one as I'm furiously running round trying not to forget anything.

But I've just loaded my first roll of MF film into my Holga, Ilford B&W 400. (I had been using 35mm film up until now). I think I remember reading here somewhere that there are supposed to be numbers on the backing paper to show you the frame number. Is that true? Coz I wound it on a fair bit and well... no numbers yet. Or should I just start snapping away? and be careful of how much I wind it on.

Thanks all and make sure you behave yourself while I'm away! :hugs::

Vicky.

Hertz van Rental · Jun 9, 2005

There always used to be frame numbers on the back. There were several sequences in several positions - on Kodak anyway. This was for all the old roll film cameras with different formats.
Don't know if they have removed them.
The lead in on roll film is quite long - but you have to 'sync' the film. At the start of the roll is a big black arrow across the paper - this needs to be aligned with marks inside the back of the camera before closing the back. This ensures that the film markings match up with the observation window.
On 'pro' cameras this syncs up the frame wind-on.

Meysha · Jun 9, 2005

Ahhh Ok. Well I've already shut the back and taped it up and I never saw any big black arrows. :shock: But I did notice the leader was rather long. But I only unrolled it enough to go round the windy-on thing. So maybe I"ll just wind it on a bit more and see if I can see anything through the little window.

It's not that big a deal I didn't synch it up before I shut it... coz I can just wind it on manually and how much I want... ahhh don't ya just love a Holga.

Thanks Hertz.

ksmattfish · Jun 9, 2005

Keep winding. You will run into arrows or dots or something that indicates the numbers are just a few turns away.

Karalee · Jun 9, 2005

Yah it takes a while to get there, make sure you peep through the red window to see where your at, then recover the window with tape to prevent light leaks. If you dont youll end up overlapping your frames.

photo1 · Jun 9, 2005

Not knowing the camera you have I would say yes there should be #'s

I had an rb67 and used 120 and 220 film in it from kodak and there were always #'s.

Mumfandc · Jun 9, 2005

There are numbers on the back of the Ilford films...the problem is that they are VERY DIFFICULT to see. Esp. through that red window.

I used a Holga once, with Ilford film...I completely wound up the entire unexposed roll onto the take-up spool by accident. I kept telling myself "Where the heck are the numbers?!"

Meysha · Jun 10, 2005

Yay! I found the numbers! I was getting a bit worried I'd wound it on too far so I just started to take pictures, but then I found some weird dot things, so I wound on a bit further, then I found some more weird dots and then a big number 1 in one of the weird dotted circles. Yay! Now I've gotta go back and take the same photos again.