Is it Me Or Does it Not Fit?

Ilford HP5. It’s a high end black and white film. It’s supposed to be among the best there is. That’s how the Youtube Film Photography folks make it seem at least. It’s as good as it gets.

I have shot exactly zero rolls of it. All of my black and white experiences have been on the cheap-o end of things. Well, there was that one roll of Film Photography Project monster film (was it Frankenstein? I think so), but other than that it’s all been Kentmere, either the 400 or 100 speed films.

As it turns out, Kentmere and Ilford are made by the same company, Harman. I have also shot a few rolls of their one color film, which has only been around for a year or so, Harman Phoenix. I like shooting the Kentmere stuff. I’m not that big a fan of Phoenix which is interesting in that they have just announced Phoenix II which will replace the original. I’ll try it soon enough.

I’ve never shot a single roll of anything Ilford though. I have tried. Twice. I recently bought two rolls of HP5 in 120 format. I tried to load the first roll into my Lubitell 166 and… I don’t know why… weirdly… it didn’t fit. The spool was just a hair too big and it got stuck in the slot and would not turn at all so I could not unspool the film onto the take up reel. I didn’t get it. What the hell? How can the spool be the wrong size? It’s not like I bought a roll of 220 format or anything. It was 120. It was the right stuff. It just didn’t fit. As I was trying to force it into place the roll unspooled itself and the whole thing was exposed to light and ruined. Fuck me.

That was a few weeks ago. I had purchased two rolls. This morning I finally worked up the courage to try the second roll, and…

…same thing. It didn’t fit. I could slam into into place but it fit too tightly for the film to roll off of the source spool into the take up spool. What the ever loving fuck? Two spools that were the wrong size? How the hell did that happen?

It didn’t happen with the Kentmere or the Harman rolls. Just the Ilford. It didn’t happen with any of the Kodak rolls I’d tried either. Just those two Ilford rolls.

Is it me? Did I do something wrong? Did I buy the wrong stuff (no, I did not but what the hell)? Does Ilford just not play nicely with old Soviet cameras? Is it Putin’s fault (probably)?

I managed to save the second roll of film. I don’t know why, it’s never going to be usable unless I buy another 120 camera and it magically fits. I had one more roll of Kentmere 400 and I loaded that in with no problems. It’s just the Ilford stuff.

I am so confused.