120 vs 220 Film

[Tom Duffy]

I have the similar RB67 and have never had trouble with 220 backs and I have had it since the mid 1980s. There might be a fault with yours.

David.

Point taken. I no longer have the camera to check. My main point is that there is nothing inherent about the design of 220 film that will cause light leaks.
Take care,
Tom

[David Henderson]

"My main point is that there is nothing inherent about the design of 220 film that will cause light leaks."

I don't agree with that. 220 doesn't have backing paper and its strange that on my several Bronica 120 backs I never see leaks but on two (serviced) 220 backs I do. Equally I have had this issue on my Mamiya 7ii with 220 but never with 120. I think you'll find there's a lot of people with similar experience. I do think though that the issue can be minimised with careful management. I do not think that in general terms the ingress of light into the roll takes place inside the camera.

[jd callow]

Point taken. I no longer have the camera to check. My main point is that there is nothing inherent about the design of 220 film that will cause light leaks.
Take care,
Tom

I think it does require more care and that care is required because the film lacks the added protection of the backing paper. A loose 120 is less likely to leak than a loose 220.

[Tom Duffy]

A loose 120 is less likely to leak than a loose 220.

Well, I can't argue with that... I still think that a back or camera that creates the loose 220 roll is a deficient design; it not the fault of the film format. Both my Contax and Fuji produce rolls that are as tight as a drum.

Edit: and let's add that the superior film flatness of 220 against the pressure plate is very helpful when you are shooting at a wide aperture.

[jd callow]

Defective back or photographer... In my experience I think I have been mostly at fault when the roll is loose. If the roll isn't tight when loaded it isn't likely to be tight when you unload it -- but then that is pretty obvious.

[Woolliscroft]

I agree that film handling is more important with 220 because of the lack of backing paper over the film area itself. The rolls need to come out wound tight and I tend to put them into the foil package for the next roll when I change over and put them in a dark bag, so that they stay in the dark. As for fogging in camera, it might help that my films are rarely in the camera for more than a few minutes, we get through so much film in the air.

David.