Re: Spud sightings

[erker@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Greg Erker)]

>Thanks Joel and Greg for the warnings.  I sure didn't stay on
>that cloud very long!  ;)  I thought I once read something about
>220 not having the paper backing, when I first got the Ricohflex,
>but the local pro lab assured me there was no difference other
>than the length of the film.  With advice like that, good thing
>I didn't pay *their* price for the 220.

  220 only has paper at the start and end. That's
how they get twice as many exposures on the same
sized roll/spool.

>Well at $1.89 I guess I won't be too devastated to get
>a couple fewer shots.  My 120 film in my Ricohflex seems
>to invariably fog (much worse, actually) because somewhere
>along the way the camera back comes open.  The latch
>mechanism is not very secure.

  One word: tape.  :)

>>   Also the plane of focus won't be quite right,
>> since 120 with its paper backing is thicker than
>> the film-only 220.
>
>Gotta think about that one...you mean the absence of
>the paper will keep the pressure plate (if that's what
>a Spud has) from holding the film firmly enough to
>get it to the plane of focus?  Or is that not how
>a Spud is built?

  Rather than push the film against the film rails,
the back in most cameras pushes up against a pair
of rails outside the film path. This leaves a "correct"
sized gap for the film to slide through without too
much pressure.

  Thus perfect focus (in a Spud! ha!) is achieved at
some distance in front of the pressure plate. It is
calculated to be the paper thickness plus 1/2 the film
thickness (or whatever). So if you put in film without
the paper, the best focus will be behind the film.

  At small apertures this may not matter much.

  120/220 cameras normally have a switchable pressure
plate position to take this into account (Yashicamat
124's and Pentax 67's for ex)

>What about scratches?

  220 is more prone to scratches (I hear)
and more prone to spot from improper drying
since the film is so long many places hang
it to dry in a U shape, letting the last few
drops settle to the bottom of the U.

Greg