film advance on an R4 quite difficult

[quixotic]

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...well certainly compared to my Nikon F3 and Olympus OM-4ti and any other 35mm camera that I ever recall playing around with.  Is the R4 a bit difficult?  Or did I just get a dud?  I've been thinking of getting an R8.  Are any of the R series noticeably better or worse in terms of film advance?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Evan

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[quixotic]

I should note that the film advance is remarkably smooth when there is no film in the camera.  It takes quite a bit of effort, perhaps due to the design of the shutter(?), but it is smooth.  Once I put a roll of film in, however (and I've tested it with both Ilford and Fuji), it really protests.  I've also tested it without the film pressure plate in, and it still protests.  Maybe it's just the extra little bit of friction from having to pull film out of the canister that is effectively the straw that breaks the camel's back.

[TomB_tx]

Something isn't right. I just happened to be using my R4 (which I've had since the '80s) and it doesn't seem stiffer than normal for a film camera (compared to Nikon, Canon, Pentax and others in my "user" collection). Wind mechanism designs do vary by lever length and length of stroke, which will affect the effort needed. The camera's history and technician adjustments can also affect the effort. I have 3 Leica IIIf knob-wind rangefinders, which very quite a bit on the winding effort, likely due to technicians over-tightening the shutter springs to compensate for stiff lube, instead of properly cleaning.

BTW, good check to try without the pressure-plate closed - I was going to suggest that.

Any chance the rewind knob shaft is binding? 

Edited April 15, 2018 by TomB_tx

[sandro]

In the past few days I had the first film in my newly acquired R4 (1981) and the film advance went quite smooth. There seems to be something wrong with the advance in your camera. I have a similar problem with and M6, where it is sometimes quite difficult to advance the film, and other times it is no problem at all. And as in your R4 without film there doesn't seem anything wrong. 

Lex

[quixotic]

 

Any chance the rewind knob shaft is binding? 

I finally finished the roll that was in there.  No, the rewind shaft is also silky smooth, so I'm not sure what is going on.  And I finally got a chance to pop a roll of film in my R8.  Everything very smooth on it (though a totally different beast, I know).

 

A shame, really, since I've fallen in love with the aesthetics of the R4s.  I can't think of another camera that looks quite as elegant as it does. Maybe I'll experiment with different film next (the roll that was in there was fuji superia).  

Edited May 4, 2018 by quixotic

[quixotic]

I just took an R8 out for a stroll.  Film advance as smooth as silk.  Unfortunately, its aesthetics are akin to Dame Edna Everage, compared to the Marilyn Monroe-esque R4s.

[masjah]

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I just took an R8 out for a stroll.  Film advance as smooth as silk.  Unfortunately, its aesthetics are akin to Dame Edna Everage, compared to the Marilyn Monroe-esque R4s.

 

 

Hmmmm. Some here might beg to differ with the comparison!

[quixotic]

Wow.  Finished my first roll with the R8, and not only is the film advance smooth as butter, but the rewind is the easiest and smoothest I've ever felt on a 35mm.  It'll be a tough decision to make on my next PA Curtagon holiday, whether It'll be with Marilyn or Dame Edna. 

[sandro]

Why don't you have your R4 get a CLA with special attention for this problem?

Lex

[quixotic]

After a few rolls of film, I finally found the answer.  The camera just needed a bit of exercise.  I suspect that months and/or years sitting behind a glass case in the store, and then possibly in a closet before then, made the thing a bit tough to work with.  But now it's almost as easy to crank over as my Nikon and my Olympus. Plus it's a bit smoother than either of them.  (None of them are a smooth as my R8, though)