Re: Realist 3.5 Film Guide

[P3D Gregory J. Wageman <gjw@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Chuck Hassen asks:

>(1) Is this problem a result of modern film having shorter half-width
>leaders than 1950's era film?

Yes.

>(2) How do others handle this challenge?  Does anyone out there actually cut
>the film leader so that the narrow segment is long enough to match the
>figures 12 and 13, which indicate that the leader is still at only half-
>width well to the left of the sprocket?  How many exposures does this
>eliminate from the roll?

I don't cut the leader.  If you're not loading in the dark, cutting (or
not cutting) the leader won't lose you any exposures, since the leader
is light-struck anyway.  The procedure described in the manual (and in
some cases inside the camera body) is intended to help you ensure that
you have advanced the film sufficiently after loading that you don't
lose the right image of your stereo pair (because you're still shooting
on the exposed leader).

If I'm loading in the light, I just thread the film under the clip with
the mechanism in the 'rewind' position, so the sprocket rotates freely.
I stick the leader in the take-up spool slot, turn the advance knob
to take up the slack and tension the film on the spool, and then put
the back on the camera.  Set the control to the 'advance' position, and
advance twice.  Don't count on getting the next shot.  If you want to be
sure, advance three times.

Whenever possible, I load in the dark.  You have to do this by touch, so
it takes a little practice.  Once I'm sure the film is advancing properly
(by feeling the rewind knob moving when I advance the film), I put the
back on and advance once.  Dark loading can get you two extra pairs.

>(3) On the top plate of my camera, where the camera in the manual has a
>single dot next to the rewind release, this camera has an "A" with a CCW
>arrow, just like the "R" CW arrow for the rewind postion.  I assume this
>stands for "A"dvance.  Is this older or newer than the simple double-dot
>arrangement?

Well, my 3.5 Realist (serial # in the 7 thousands) has the dots, and my
Olden 2.8 Realist has the letters, so I will risk a guess that the letters
are later.  One of the Realist historians on the list could probably tell
you at which serial number the changeover occurred. ;-)

	-Greg


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