Are IIIf and IIIg spools different?

[farnz]

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I've had and used a IIIf for some years and recently acquired a IIIg. My IIIg's spool has high tension and holds the film leader very tightly, which I don't like because there may be difficulty in getting it to release the leader when unloading the exposed film, so I swapped the spool from my IIIf into my IIIg.

 

This worked very well at first and I like the IIIg very much except that halfway through the first film I noticed slippage during wind-on and when I finished the 36-shot film the film counter had counted 48 shots. Uh-oh.

 

Are the spools from the IIIf and IIIg the same?

 

Pete.

[luigi bertolotti]

Time ago (but they were several years) I had at the same time IIIc IIIf IIIg, and remember that the spools were not identical... but of course I hadn't a definitive proof they were the ORIGINAL ones : I remember that on the IIIf I suffered some problem similar to yours (slippages at half length about.... the film leader was a bit loose...) end exchanged it with IIIc' one, all ok; didn't touch the IIIg spool because it was a Leicavit-equipped body (which I stupidly SOLD time later... ... the only occasion I succumbed to the temptation of some inflated prices.... now of course I still do miss the IIIg and have forgotten the pleasure of capital gain...)

[jc_braconi]

Pete, I think you must leave every spool in its body, may be the IIIf spool is lightly used or with different tolerance inside,.

On the IIIg you have no risk to open the camera when your film is already rewinded, the reminded part is already exposed when you first loaded the film.

You can next remove easily the pinched part of the film from the spool.

You can also try to release some tension from the spool blade retaining film.

[earleygallery]

Hi Pete,

 

I don't know if the spools are different but I agree with JC.

 

The 'clip' on my lllf's spool also holds the leader very tight - I think it's a good thing because I rewind until I feel the tension in the film then take out both the canister and spool (with film still attached). The benefit is that I never rewind the film fully into the canister and then have the 'fun' of opening it with a bottle opener inside a changing bag!

 

The obvious question is, does the lllg slip with its original spool? If so then there's a problem with the camera, not the spool.

[M9reno]

James, do you mean you load your reels directly inside the bag, without popping opening the disposable canister? Or perhaps you use FILCA or IXMOO?

[earleygallery]

James, do you mean you load your reels directly inside the bag, without popping opening the disposable canister? Or perhaps you use FILCA or IXMOO?

 

I usually thread the first inch or so of film onto the reel before popping it in the changing bag.

 

What I'm referring to above is the risk of fully rewinding your film into the canister, which then means having to open it up with a bottle opener to get at the film (I know there are gadgets to retrieve film leaders but I've found them fiddly).

[farnz]

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... On the IIIg you have no risk to open the camera when your film is already rewinded, the reminded part is already exposed when you first loaded the film. ....

JC and James,

 

Thanks for the good advice. It hadn't occurred to me stop rewinding when I feel the tension. I'm used to roll film where it makes sense to rewind it all the way back. I'll try the IIIg with its own spool and see how I get on.

 

Pete.

[TomB_tx]

I've always rewound fully and popped the end off the cassette in the darkroom. We thought this made for fewer chances of scratching the film from dust in the felt.

[earleygallery]

I've always rewound fully and popped the end off the cassette in the darkroom. We thought this made for fewer chances of scratching the film from dust in the felt.

 

Not saying it can't happen, but it's never happened to me! I am careful to keep used film in the plastic tub after exposing it.

[TomB_tx]

Yes, the IIIg spool seems to be different. Description for 14021 says for all Leicas before the IIIg.

[M9reno]

Not saying it can't happen, but it's never happened to me! I am careful to keep used film in the plastic tub after exposing it.

 

I'm too much of an idiot for that. A roll in a plastic tub with leader sticking out inevitably says "unexposed" to me. A few days ago I developed an FP4 taken with my IIIg this summer in Wetzlar -- turns out I left the leader out and double-exposed it over something a couple of months older! Oh, well... makes for some interesting pictures, and it fortunately wasn't the only roll I took there!

[giordano]

According to the 1968 catalogue, the "g" cameras use the same spool (14022, with a spring-loaded knob for pulling it off the spindle) as the M1/M2/M3/MD, while earlier Barnacks use a different one (14021, with a rigid knob).

 

This confirms my memory that the spools on the "a", "c" and "f" cameras were interchangeable while that on the IIIg was different.

[farnz]

Just to report back for others' future reference, I swapped the IIIg's spool back in and my IIIg works as expected now. So even though the IIIf's and IIIg's spools look quite similar they do not interchange.

 

Thank you for eveyone's help.

 

Pete.

[giordano]

I've looked at the IIIf and IIIg spare parts lists (c. 1962 and c. 1967 respectively). All the "c" and "f" models share the same "winding shaft" (Aufzugachse) assembly that the spool fits onto, but in the "g" the design is visibly different, as of course are the part numbers.

 

Oddly, the take-up spools don't seem to appear in the parts lists. I guess it's because they got lost often enough for replacements to earn a place in the sales catalogue.

[laffertyphotography]

Will the spool for the iii a c or f work with the Leica 1 Model A? Or is there a separate designated spool ?

 

John

[chris_livsey]

Oddly, the take-up spools don't seem to appear in the parts lists. I guess it's because they got lost often enough for replacements to earn a place in the sales catalogue.

 

Many photographers did, and some of us still do;), carry a couple of films ready threaded into the take-up spools. It does remove probably the longest re-loading step; orienting and fixing the leader. Ready threaded, with a small elastic band, I use a hair tie ( not my own ) to keep it together, a reload is very efficient. Hence definitely an accessory not a part

[giordano]

Will the spool for the iii a c or f work with the Leica 1 Model A? Or is there a separate designated spool ?

 

I'm away from home, but

(a) AFAIR the1968 catalogue says the 14021 spool is for "remaining" (übrige) models, implying that it fits all Barnacks except the IIIg and of course the "Reporters";

( many years ago when I used a IIIa and IIc side by side the spools seemed identical;

© there's no obvious reason why the design of the spool should have changed between the I (A) and the IIIa.

 

So if I were you I'd give it a try.

[chris_livsey]

My accessory catalogue says SPULM 1931-1953 Spare spool for all models up to date

 

SVOOP/14201 spare spool of improved type with spring loaded knob for all cameras prior to IIIg

 

SPOOM 14022 spare spool with spring loaded knob for Ig IIIg M1 M2 M3 ans MD

 

The up to date bit is a lift fro an earlier catalogue, but the dates are helpful but I read it that the there are two versions of the spring loaded spool.

[Aoresteen]

Yes there are two spring versions. I have them in my IIIf and If bodies. The IIIg one is different.

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[erl]

I'm too much of an idiot for that. A roll in a plastic tub with leader sticking out inevitably says "unexposed" to me. A few days ago I developed an FP4 taken with my IIIg this summer in Wetzlar -- turns out I left the leader out and double-exposed it over something a couple of months older! Oh, well... makes for some interesting pictures, and it fortunately wasn't the only roll I took there!

This has always been a possible error for any film camera user.

 

I solved it by having (yet another) absolute rule that immediately the exposed film is removed from the camera, I tear the leader off, thus preventing reloading. It is fool proof. Simply apply the thumb nail to the curved part of the leader where it starts to widen into the full film a and twist. Always be tidy and put the waste piece back in the bag or your pocket.