Re: Roundshot 220 VR takeup spool problems

[Jook Leung <jook@xxxxxxxx>]

Dear Jesse,

I just re-read your post from a while back and wanted to add my experiences
to this topic.
I've had a Roundshot 220VR for several months now and only had to deal with
a couple of film jams until lately.

The bulk of my shots with my camera were interiors and using 220 film and
slow drum speeds. Lately I found 120 film was not being taken up completely
as I open the camera only to find my film still wrapped on the drum. I also
found "Wind To End" never seems to work too. Thought this was broken :-(

Then when trying to use this camera outdoors in bright light with fast
spinning speeds and with exposure variations ON causing the camera head to
speed up suddenly because of the sun in the picture, I got horrible gear or
clutch grinding noises and the camera would loose track of completing its
pan. The film would not take-up properly.

I found out through running old film through the camera with the cover off
that 120 film with its paper backing will most likely start binding up at
faster speeds because the film is being fed faster by the rollers than the
paper. This doesn't happen with 220 film.

When 120 film with its paper backing is taken up loosely it will push
against a white circular sensor that will signal the camera to say "Film
Jam" or cause the "Wind To End" function to not work.  Once I pull the bad
120 film roll from the camera to release pressure on this sensor, the "Wind
To End" function works again. :-)  This kind of info should be included in
the back of the manual!

Now I know not to use settings that stress the camera's motors with sudden
high torque speeds and 120 film.

I also keep a changing bag nearby.

Do you use smaller slits for outdoor exposures? Neutral density filters?
What do you use for in-house scaning of your long films, negs?
Is the PowerLook IIIse best for the money?
Favorite lens? I thinking of getting the 28mm PC shift lens.

Thanks, Jook


>My Roundshot jams the film about 1 out of every 4 or 5 rolls.  It appears
>that the takeup spool doesn't take up the film fast enough or something and
>the film sometimes contiunues past the takeup spool and gets sucked into
>the film spool on the other side and starts to go around the drum again.
>It is a real mess!  It pretty much ruins the roll.  Anyone have any advice
>for me?...
>
>Also the function called "Wind To End" never seems to work.  If I am
>finished with a roll and all there is left is the paper and I need wind it
>up the rest of the way I press Wind To End and nothing happens.  I usually
>just keep pressing the Set New Film button until I hear it spinning inside.
>Does anyone know the correct way for this to work or do they have a similar
>problem??
>
>Thanks,
>Jesse

>	|        J e s s e    G o f f     P h o t o g r a p h y

---------------------------------------------------------------
Jook Leung    jook@xxxxxxxxx    http://360vr.com    201.894.5881
     360VR Photography - Immersive Imaging - Virtual Tours