Holga not exposing!!!

[nickey1671]

i just got a holga 120 N and the nearest place that sells 120 film is like 2 hours away, and its only black and white, so i got a 35mm adapter, but the film is not exposing, and im positive im taking the lens cap off, does anyone know why this is or is it happening to anyone else?
thanks.

[Xia_Ke]

HI nickey, welcome to PR Not exactly sure what could be causing it but, let's go through the process of elimination. With the back open, point the camera into the light. Can you see the shutter trip?

[nickey1671]

yes indeed i can

[another view]

I'm guessing the film isn't loaded correctly. I haven't played with a Holga for a couple of years but did you feel the "end" of the roll of film? With 35mm, after about the right number of exposures you should suddenly feel a lot of resistance as you try to wind it. That's the end of the film and would mean that the film was loaded correctly.

Is there anything at all on the negatives when you hold them up to light? Are they completely clear?

[nickey1671]

yeah i can feel the resistance
but they are clear when i hold them up to the light

[Xia_Ke]

So long as your shutter is tripping, than pretty the only thing it can be is like a_v mentioned, an issue with loading the film or the film you've chosen. I found a whole tutorial page on using 35mm in a Holga:

http://www.squarefrog.co.uk/holga-techniques-35mm.html

If you're negatives aren't completely clear, than it may be an issue with the film you've chosen. What film did you try shooting?

[Greg McCary]

Could the light leaks bad that bad? Are you taping it up at all?

[nickey1671]

well i tried kodak black and white 400cn and the back is completely sealed
see, when i take the film out, its as if i didnt even take an exposure

[Xia_Ke]

Are you referring to not seeing an exposure after immediatly taking the film out of the camera or do you mean after it gets developed?

[nickey1671]

when i went to get it developed i came back and they said there was no exposure on my film, so i took the crrent film out in a darkroom wound it up, then held what was supposed to be an exposure or two up to a light, and it was completely clear like a new roll

[Grandpaw]

I don't know anything about a Holga but if the part of the roll you pulled out to hook to the take-up reel is dark and exposed and the rest of the roll isn't then the film is NOT ADVANCING. You already checked the shutter and verified that it works so the film is not moving to the point that it can be exposed to light. Just my guess, Jeff

[nickey1671]

thanks but the film is advancing, there is no exposure anywhere

[Grandpaw]

thanks but the film is advancing, there is no exposure anywhere

Is the leader section dark and exsposed? When you look at the negatives is there a black strip deviding where each picture should be? If not the film is not advancing, Jeff

[nickey1671]

no it is not

[Grandpaw]

Are the negatives completly clear without any dark or light areas at all? Jeff

[nickey1671]

i mean the leader section isnt exposed

[nickey1671]

no sir there is not

[nickey1671]

yes they are completely clear

[Grandpaw]

Let me double check one more time and get you to hold the camera up with the back open and trip the shutter and tell me if you see light through the lens. Jeff

[nickey1671]

yeah i see it

[Greg McCary]

Then it sounds like the film was messed up in developing. Who developed it?

[Grandpaw]

Looking at the back of the camera, are you placing the film on the LEFT and pulling it across the camera to the empty take up reel on the RIGHT when you are loading film? After you shoot a roll of film the empty reel will be on the LEFT side of the camera and needs to be moved to the RIGHT side before you start loading film, Jeff

[nickey1671]

yeah im loading it correctly and i shot a roll to test it and waited a day and held it up to the light and there was no exposure so te problem isnt the developer im pretty sure, but i just went to a cvs

[Grandpaw]

You might want to take a look at the address below and double check how you are loading the film. If the film was exsposed it would not be clear, Jeff

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/pdf/HolgaManual.pdf

[nickey1671]

welp. thanks!