Bronica Film Back Issue - HELP!!!

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Matt Thomas
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I bought a 120J back the other week and put some film in it just now

It was on S then wound the crack on the body to 1 as normal, but I just took about four photos and it's still on 1!!!!

No the mutiple lever is not down so what can it be?? Why has it just stuck on 1 and not advanced?

Can this be fixed or what is wrong as basically I have a 120J that I have no idea how many photos I've taken or left :(:(

Please help
 
You have wound on after each shot?
 
My 220 back did that when I first fitted it. It kicked in after four or five shots. Still haven't had the film developed to see what it's like.
 
I'm not familiar with Bronnies, but there's usually a little lever, or button on mag backs which you can press to disengage the drive if you want to wind a film on and take it out early. Worth checking that isn't sticking?
 
Well it from S to 1 fine so do you think it could be that it's come off the spool?

Yes I have wound on after each shot and I'm not sure on the button you mean CT :(
Well your Bronnie may not have the button I'm referring to - my RB 67 does.


I suppose it could have come off the take up spool, although I'd have thought if it had wound as far as 1, it would be secure by then.

It's really worth putting an old film through these cameras, even sacrificing a film just to make sure all is working well and familiarise yourself with the process..
 
Cherryrig

Check when crank the film leaver do you see the spool (little wind on at the bottom the film back) rotate?

If not then you may not have engaged the back correctly, dark slide in take off the attache again. With luck you might still be on the first exposure.

The Bronica does not havve the same button CT is refering to, once on as far as I know you cant take the film back out until you have finished it.

Don't know if you have one http://www.tamron.com/assets/pdfs/SQ-A.pdf here is a link to the a Manual for the SQ A, hope it helps
 
Yea that little crank on the film back at the bottom goes around when I have taken a photo then advanced it. Does that mean it's okay? I'm not goin to be shooting over the same neg again and again

I'll have a look at the manual as well, see if I can see anything to help me out there

I just don't see why it would work from S to 1 then doesn't move on. It might be that the whole counter thing is messed up inside when it fires it pushes a rod to the back to move the counter on, that might not be working right :(

Anyone know how to open a film back to get to the counter?
 
Well last night I shot the rest the roll but every so often open the back to check that it was goin around, which it seems to be. So basically it's just the counter stops at one for some reason and I don't know why :(

Anyone know how to fix this?
 
I had a problem with my Bronica back from the 2nd roll I put through it - not the same problem as you, though. The winder became stuck and wouldn't progress the film or the counter. I ended up sending it back to the shop I bought it from and they just sent me a new 120 back which works fine.

It may be worth abandoning this one and buying a new back - they're about £30 - £40.
 
Well that was a waste of film and developing stuff:bang::bang:

I wish I had never opened the back to check to make sure it was advancing :(

I might just try and get a new 6x4.5 back or forget it as it kind of works but it's a pain really that it's not 100%

Anyone know how to open up to get to counter bit???
 
there is a etr repair manual available online - not sure it mentions the backs but a quick googlee wuld have it in your eyeline.
 
Well that was a waste of film and developing stuff:bang::bang:

I wish I had never opened the back to check to make sure it was advancing :(

I might just try and get a new 6x4.5 back or forget it as it kind of works but it's a pain really that it's not 100%

Anyone know how to open up to get to counter bit???

It's gonna be a screwdriver job to do that, but why bother? You're never going to be happy with it and you'll never trust the back for any important shots, I'd get another back.
 
Nope nothing in the repair guide about backs

I see what you mean CT about the back and I thinking more along that way. Lets hope I find one that is just the right price and not way over the top!!
 
IIRC, its a million tiny screws to open a back.
I though you had an SQA, I've lost track of who has what, these threads just start with "my Bronica"....:shrug:
You opened the back film compartment to see if the film was transporting :cautious: ??

Well if it is transporting, its still usable, you just have to remember how many shots you took.
 
I've got a SQ-A and bought a 120J back for it so I can shoot 6x6 as well as 6x4.5

Yea as I wasn't sure it was going onto the take up spool as it was still on one. Silly thing but I wanted to check
 
Oh, I didn't know what a 120J back was.

Are you like...getting tight with buying film or something...:LOL:
Hardly seems worth it for 3 extra shots, and all of em blasphemously un-square :)
 
Well seeing as though my camera is even playing up now I'm really starting to get a bit mad with it all.

For some reason on the mirror it has the ME markings around the edge, even though the ME lever is not down. I just don't get it? I've tried messing around and getting it back to normal, but it seems to be stuck on that now. I can still use the camera but just the mirror has got that around it?

What the hell is going on/wrong?
 
Presumably by ME markings you mean Multiple Exposure?

Yet you say the film is actually advancing anyway. I'd suspect it's the exposure counter knackered in the mag back and some interlock between the mag back and the camera is putting up the ME warning.

I'd try another mag back before you start to suspect a problem with the camera. Other than that I can't really think of anything. :thinking:
 
This is why a different mag!!

It's something with the camera now, I've got two different issues

One is the 120J mag as the counter is not working
Two is now the body is always displaying the Multiple Exposure marks even if it's not set, yet the film advances like normal just appears to be stuck in ME marking on the mirrors

:) :LOL:
 
As has been suggested above it would appear that something in the back's mechanism that drives the frame counter has got stuck and in doing so has engaged the linkage to activate the multi exposure marker in the body which has now also got stuck.

There are a number of possible remedies for this which you can try:

Give all the linkages on the back and body a good blast with a rocket blower

Spool a backing paper so that it is the right way around and run it through the camera, respool and repeat five or six times.

Clean the linkages with a cotton bud dipped in isopropyl alcohol and blast with air again.

Run the backing paper through a few more times activating the multi exposure lever on alternate shots.

With luck and a following wind at some point during this rigmarole the problem will clear itself. Run the backing paper through a few more times to make sure that it has really been cured before loading with film.

As a general pointer, these sorts of issues tend to arise due to gear lying around unused and this is particularly the case with the more primitive clunky mechanical parts of MF and LF cameras. Get into the habit once a month of getting out any of your kit that hasn't been used and making sure that everything works as it should. Pay particular attention to darkslides as they had a nasty tendency to stick or refuse to go in and fire shutters a few times to keep them moving. This procedure is likely to cause howls of protest from domestic authorities who unreasonably assume that one's time can be better used on DIY projects and gardening but will reduce the probability of annoyances such as the ones you are experiencing.

A final word of advice: Opening a magazine to check that the film is advancing is probably not a good idea if you want to get any images from said film but then you have found that out for yourself and will probably not make the same mistake again!
 
The other day I was actaully running backing paper in the back and the counter moved!!!! It wasn't all the time, just on some times it would advance on!! I got it in the end up to 5 :)

I'll try what you said Nicos Rex and hopefully it'll sort out, seeing as the back looks like brand new seems werid, but I guess if you just leave it then it will stick and not work :( Ah well
 
I find the best way to fix things that are stuck is to hit them with a hammer. If that doesn't work use a bigger hammer.

HTH,
Kev
 
I find the best way to fix things that are stuck is to hit them with a hammer. If that doesn't work use a bigger hammer.

Remember never to refer to said hammer as such. I prefer to call it the 'gentle persuading tool'.

I.e. 'a quick tap with the gentle persuader' - belt it with the hammer :LOL:
 
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