I've been shooting Tri-X 120 for a long time. About a year ago, I noticed that an occasional roll would come out of the camera with the adhesive tape caught underneath the paper, making it so I can't secure the roll tightly. In the last month or so, though, almost every roll is doing this. I've taken to carry rubber bands with me, which works OK, but it's pretty awkward at times. Anyone else having this problem? Anybody got any ideas? (This is happening with three different cameras--all Fujica 6x9s, one of them brand new--so I don't think the problem is mechanical.) Any and all suggestions welcome.

David Wharton

-- David Wharton (dwharton@olemiss.edu), July 19, 2000

Answers

I thought 120 always did that. You just carefully roll the end back a bit and you can grab the strip from underneath. You usually need to grab the paper end and tug anyway to tighten the roll. I guess I hold the whole roll tight while I roll the loose end back, now that I think about it. But that is normal.

-- E.L. (elperdido65@hotmail.com), July 19, 2000.

I too have this happen and it is not just on B/W film. I just retrieve the tape, lick it like always and put it on the roll. Never had an problems to date. Cheers

-- Scott Walton (scotlynn@shore.net), July 20, 2000.

Above suggestions to retrieve the tape are correct. My film always has come off like this. Think about when you've developed 120. The end of the film is a loooooooong way from the end of the paper.

-- Charlie Strack (charlie_strack@sti.com), July 20, 2000.

Worried about fogging the film by unwinding the end of the paper? I briefly used a lab (Ron Com in DC) for color film that kept fogging part of the last frame on the roll. Turns out they were unrollig the roll IN THE LIGHT until the end of the film showed to start loading it in their processor, then shutting a light tight door. They claimed it was my camera fogging the frame. As I said, I used them VERY briefly. Anyway, don't worry about unwinding a couple of inches of paper.

-- Tim Brown (brownt@ase.com), July 20, 2000.

I got TX rolls without the adhesive tape paper! Something is happening at kodak these days, and they seem to make their films cheaper to manufacture.

-- Patric (jenspatric@mail.bip.net), July 30, 2000.