Hey guys/gals! A few months back I picked up a used Mamiya 645 Pro system. It probably wouldn't have been my first choice as a jump into medium format, but it looked great and well cared-for, and the seller assured me it was in great working condition. It's one of those things - took a chance on an online used camera; you live, you learn - I've been lucky before, but next time for used gear I'll stick with something from a reputable dealer.
Anyways, a little background - I do have some experience with 120. I shot an older Mamiya 645 as well as a Yashica TLR in high school darkroom class, but just for a refresher, I checked the manual to make sure I was loading the film correctly. For the first roll, I had the power winder installed. Everything seemed ok until about frame 4, after which the winder kept running until I could hear the roll flapping around in the back. Did a little digging online, came to the conclusion it was probably a worn tire on one of the rollers in the insert, so I picked up a couple more inserts from KEH. Same issue. I also figured I'd remove the power winder to take one variable out of the equation. Same story with the manual winder - wound film to frame one, cool - frames 1-3 seemed normal, but after frame 3 it kept winding. Here's the thing, if I shoot/wind with the back open, the shutter seems to work and the winder advances normally. If I close the back with a spool in the bottom of the insert, it's back to the erratic winding thing where it works up the frame 3-5 and then just goes until the roll is wound completely. Anyone have any clues? I really like the feel of this system and want to make it work but man, I am frustrated and sick of wasting film or throwing more parts at it and ready to throw in the towel. Because everything seems to work smoothly while the back is open, I'm having a tough time trying to wrap my head around what part of the equation changes when the door is closed and there's film in the back. Admittedly this thing is a bit more complex mechanically than my Canon F-1 and Ftb, so if it sounds as though I've made any obvious noob mistakes, be gentle on me! Haha. Any help would be appreciated - I'm doing some backpacking around Colorado later this month and was really hoping to have a MF SLR for the trip.
Anyways, a little background - I do have some experience with 120. I shot an older Mamiya 645 as well as a Yashica TLR in high school darkroom class, but just for a refresher, I checked the manual to make sure I was loading the film correctly. For the first roll, I had the power winder installed. Everything seemed ok until about frame 4, after which the winder kept running until I could hear the roll flapping around in the back. Did a little digging online, came to the conclusion it was probably a worn tire on one of the rollers in the insert, so I picked up a couple more inserts from KEH. Same issue. I also figured I'd remove the power winder to take one variable out of the equation. Same story with the manual winder - wound film to frame one, cool - frames 1-3 seemed normal, but after frame 3 it kept winding. Here's the thing, if I shoot/wind with the back open, the shutter seems to work and the winder advances normally. If I close the back with a spool in the bottom of the insert, it's back to the erratic winding thing where it works up the frame 3-5 and then just goes until the roll is wound completely. Anyone have any clues? I really like the feel of this system and want to make it work but man, I am frustrated and sick of wasting film or throwing more parts at it and ready to throw in the towel. Because everything seems to work smoothly while the back is open, I'm having a tough time trying to wrap my head around what part of the equation changes when the door is closed and there's film in the back. Admittedly this thing is a bit more complex mechanically than my Canon F-1 and Ftb, so if it sounds as though I've made any obvious noob mistakes, be gentle on me! Haha. Any help would be appreciated - I'm doing some backpacking around Colorado later this month and was really hoping to have a MF SLR for the trip.
