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View Full Version : Blank frames- no idea why?


kennethcooke
18th June 2012, 08:06 PM
I have just put a roll of 120 FP4+ through my newly acquired jolly Rollei and processed it this evening, Rodinal 1-100 20mins @20 deg and I am very pleased with the out come apart from the last three frames on the roll are black/blank. I cannot for the life of me understand how this has happened so I thought I might pass it over the considerable knowledge base assembled here. best of luck. The camera seems great by the way

timor
19th June 2012, 12:25 AM
Hi Kenneth.
The frames are blank or black ? If blank; they didn't get any light, if black; they got all the light in the world. In both cases no image. What kind of Rollei is it ?

cesare
19th June 2012, 06:01 AM
If the first frames are blank, this implies a loading problem. Automats can sometimes miss the beginning of the film and wind on too far.

If it's the end of the film, then this implies some sort of shutter problem. Blank or Black frames would imply the shutter not firing or the shutter fixed open, maybe too slow shutter speed etc. I'd check the shutter at all speeds without a film in it. It's normally pretty obvious if it's misbehaving.

big paul
19th June 2012, 06:18 AM
this is what happened to me twice recently that's why I will never buy another camera again, I will be sticking to the cameras I have. did you use flash on the last two.
sorry to hear that you are having trouble ,I know how it feels .........

Richard Gould
19th June 2012, 06:27 AM
Kenneth,
Check the shutter, I have known a leaf shutter that appears to be firing fine at all shutter speeds but not opening so check that the shutter is actually opening if the frames are just clear, if the frames are dark then check that the shutter is closing, or not stuck on a slow speep, it is rare,but not unheard of, whatever is happening I would think it must be a shutter problem.
Richard

Richard Gould
19th June 2012, 06:33 AM
Just a final thought, could you have done something I, and many others have done, I am sure, and accidentaly had something over the taking lens, I did it the first time I used a TLR, and pulled my hair out trying to work out what happened.
Richard

Phil
19th June 2012, 07:59 AM
Obvious questions first:
Did it wind correctly through all twelve frames?
Are the first 9 frames correctly exposed and evenly spaced?
Are the black/blank ones actual square frames or a long strip of black/blank emulsion?
Sorry to be pedantic, but it needs to be narrowed down a bit more :D
Rolleis (like all cameras) like being used. When I first got my T I experienced a number of problems, because it had sat idle for quite a while.
Phil

kennethcooke
19th June 2012, 10:21 PM
Hi, I have worked it out now. There is a faint image on the 3 blank frames and I assume what happened is that the film jumped the track and came into contact with the rest of the roll denying it of chemicals. But thank you anyway

DavidH
20th June 2012, 06:32 PM
Just to confirm your diagnosis - are the frame markings at the film edges similarly faint?

kennethcooke
20th June 2012, 06:46 PM
Just to confirm your diagnosis - are the frame markings at the film edges similarly faint?Yes they are