[Vicioustuna2012]

The manual calls it a "memo holder", and says you can tear the label off your film to remind you what speed your using. Is there any other purpose? I was looking into ordering some Cinestill 800, and they suggested if your camera has one of them, to cover it up.

[LesDMess]

That's it's intended purpose.

I suppose they suggest to cover it up to remind you there is film in the camera. if so, mark on it the film name and ISO.

[Swift1]

The manual calls it a "memo holder", and says you can tear the label off your film to remind you what speed your using. Is there any other purpose? I was looking into ordering some Cinestill 800, and they suggested if your camera has one of them, to cover it up.

The recommendation from Cinestill is probably only for the small clear windows where you can read the film canister while it's in the camera. These are common light leak spots on older cameras.
The thing on the ME Super film door is just for holding the film box top. I don't think you have anything to worry about.

[RGlasel]

says you can tear the label off your film to remind you what speed your using. Is there any other purpose?

You can put whatever you want back there, but the label that identifies the film you put in the camera 6 months ago is a great idea. A radioactive patch might not be a good idea, but as long as it doesn't make it more difficult to hold the camera,feel free to be creative if you don't need a reminder of what film is loaded in the camera.

they suggested if your camera has one of them, to cover it up

Aren't you referring to the metal frame attached to the outside of the camera back on the right side? What would be the purpose of covering it up?

---------- Post added 01-23-17 at 06:58 PM ----------

only for the small clear windows where you can read the film canister while it's in the camera

Sorry, I stepped away from my computer while I was typing my first post and didn't check when I returned to see if someone else had already replied.

[photoptimist]

Yes, most people put the box top from the film in there but you can put other things there, too.

Back in my film days, I made a spreadsheet of hyperfocal distances by focal length and f-stop, printed it to fit that window, laminated it, and put that in the memo holder.

[Not a Number]

Some of the film cameras had a small rectangular window over the film cassette so you could see the type and ISO (ASA) of the film. These are usually found on cameras that used the DX encoding on the film cassette to set the ISO and did not have a manual ISO setting dial. The window would have foam light seals around it which can leak light if the material is old.

The squarish frame in the middle of back of the film door is merely a frame, not a window.

Old 220 film cameras like the Kodak Brownies have a little round window on the back of the film door. These cameras had no film counter and shutter cocking mechanism on the film advance. You would advance the frame by centering the frame number on the paper film backing in the window.

[monochrome]

Yes, most people put the box top from the film in there but you can put other things there, too.

Back in my film days, I made a spreadsheet of hyperfocal distances by focal length and f-stop, printed it to fit that window, laminated it, and put that in the memo holder.

Neat idea. What font point size?

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Last edited by monochrome; 01-23-2017 at 07:15 PM.

[photoptimist]

Neat idea. What font point size?

Good question! I think it was 9 point but then I may adjusted the print settings to reduce it some % more to make it fit. I can't find the little card at the moment although I saw it quite recently whilst attempting to organize my old cameras.

[WPRESTO]

Neat idea. What font point size?

Just make sure the font is bigger than what is used to print warnings and instructions on bottles of medicine.

[Ontarian50]

Some of the film cameras had a small rectangular window over the film cassette so you could see the type and ISO (ASA) of the film. These are usually found on cameras that used the DX encoding on the film cassette to set the ISO and did not have a manual ISO setting dial. The window would have foam light seals around it which can leak light if the material is old.

The squarish frame in the middle of back of the film door is merely a frame, not a window.

Old 220 film cameras like the Kodak Brownies have a little round window on the back of the film door. These cameras had no film counter and shutter cocking mechanism on the film advance. You would advance the frame by centering the frame number on the paper film backing in the window.

Yes, I agree. That little window came along when films gained the "DX" coding checkerboard for reading of ISO and other things by the camera automatically. Film makers also agreed on putting the film type and length in the same uniform spot so it could be seen through that little window. If the foam seal rots away, they can be replaced.

BTW, 220 film was the one that didn't have the backing paper. 120, and 620 films used in box cameras like the Brownies had backing paper with numbers that could be seen through the "little red window".

Type 220 film was the same as 120, but longer and without the backing paper - so it could only be used in more advanced cameras like the Yashica Mat124 series, Mamiya C330, Hasselblad etc. (which also used 120 as well).

[WPRESTO]

And another tiny point. My father had, and I eventually took over a Zeiss Super Ikonta folding rangefinder camera, a beautiful piece of craftsmanship (wish I had kept it). It had two little red windows on the back and the camera came with an insert that could be installed to cut in half the frame size (so in normal orientation, the camera would be taking vertical frames. Your stopped each film number at the first, then the second window. The viewfinder had cropping lines for the reduced negative dimensions. Twice as many negatives per roll of 620 film. BTW: That 620 film killed the camera because it was discontinued in favor of 120, identical film but different spool size, possibly because there were more cameras using 120 (eg. Hasselblad and its imitators, rangefinder cameras from Fuji and Plaubel-Makina; film backs from Linhof and Graflex, etc).

[Arjay Bee]

This image is of my dad's first camera the Ansco Speedex folder which is now on my shelf.
He upgraded to a Miranda in the early sixties and then a Spotmatic in the late 60s.
The camera shown is made by Ansco and has a red plastic window on the back that showed the frame number hence my posting in this thread.
Also shown is the guide card in his own handwriting in fountain pen ink. It is glued to a piece of card and fits neatly into the leather case shown.
Notice for an ISO 100 film the Sunny 16 rule applied. possibly he had never heard the expression or the guideline.





I am not sure of when he bought the camera but it was first produced in 1940. My dad was in the NZ air force in WWII and served in the Pacific together with American servicemen. He may have obtained it at that time when he was about 18 or 19. When I received it from him about 8 years ago it had a half developed roll of 120 black and white film still loaded. I had this developed and there is an image of my mother and sister on it which I can date to about 1962 judging from my sister's size. The body of the camera is cracked and there were many images on that film double exposed which seems to have been an issue with this camera. The bellows seem to be in good shape but the lubricant in the lens assembly has gunked up and the shutter no longer operates. I still like it however for the place it has had in my fathers life. He has in his personal archives a few square images of his air force days in black and white so I am sure they were taken with this simple camera.

[g026r]

The body of the camera is cracked and there were many images on that film double exposed which seems to have been an issue with this camera.

Always an issue with red window cameras. Even with good discipline to shoot & then immediately advance the film, sometimes you just forget.

[Arjay Bee]

sometimes you just forget

No shutter lock, so knowing my Dad he probably advanced by habit and then bumped the shutter button. Lots of exposures were non distinguishable random garbage.