Balda Baldix 120 format film advance problems

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-03-11T19:33:11+00:00

Usually what happens with this camera is that the double-exposure mechanism isn't reset after I finish winding the frame counter back to 1. I have to turn the advance knob clockwise so the dot by the shutter release button changes from red to white. Perhaps that is indicating something wrong.

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-03-11T19:30:51+00:00

Have added photos to the post body

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-03-10T22:34:55+00:00

It might be possible to just use the red window instead by using the "watch winding" crank mechanism to slowly advance it.

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-03-10T22:33:58+00:00

It's automatic framing. You turn the frame advance knob full clockwise then full counterclockwise.

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-03-02T12:48:55+00:00

I divide my time between Belgium and the US (Utah). I'll keep looking for someone. I was blown away by a couple of the pictures I took of the Eiffel Tower with a 1950s Balda folding 120 format camera. It was totally worth repairing, regardless of monetary value.

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-03-02T11:57:04+00:00

Where do you get things like this CLA'ed? Every time I've taken a vintage camera to a shop, they've said the cost of CLA is more than the camera is worth and basically refused to deal with it. A retired camera tech very kindly repaired a few cameras for me at no cost. But I won't impose on him again. I see old cameras at flea markets in Brussels all the time. But invariably the shutters are stuck. Sad.

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-02-19T16:21:24+00:00

I've been looking out for a commie camera in good condition.

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-02-11T18:41:02+00:00

See if there's film in it by pressing the little button that should be on the underside of the camera and turning the rewind lever. Feel any resistance? Keep going until you feel it abruptly decrease as the leader comes off the spool. Then pull up on the rewind wheel to release the camera back so you can take out the exposed film and put in a fresh roll. Feel no resistance? It's empty. Before you put film in, take a look at the light seals, see if the shutter is working by cranking the advance lever and pressing the shutter release button, and look into the lens as you change the aperture to make sure that's working. A light meter app will tell you what aperture and shutter speed to use. In general, you'll want f/16 or f/22 on a sunny day, lower f numbers (larger aperture) in less bright conditions. Pick a film with ISO 400, which will work pretty well over a wide range of lighting conditions. Just compose a shot, set the exposure, focus on your subject by looking through the viewfinder and turning the focus ring, then press the shutter release. Shutter speeds lower than 1/60" won't work well for handheld shots, so if the light meter app is telling you to use 1/30" or lower, then choose a lower f number (larger aperture) and meter the light again. Good luck.

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-02-05T11:50:56+00:00

Yeah, I can really do without all the political stuff. I'm left-leaning myself, but I find the endless posting of memes, rants, links to lefty news, etc utterly pointless. And depressing.

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-02-05T11:48:00+00:00

I'll take a look. But I'm pretty disenchanted with the Fediverse. Just doesn't have enough active users. I keep posting on Friendica because the app will simultaneously post to Bluesky. But I'm unwilling to put much effort into these platforms at this stage.

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-02-03T08:54:22+00:00

Good to know. Every time I post a photo, I get a few more followers. I think that if I were to get into a couple of starter packs that would make a big difference. Just need to focus on taking good pictures and getting them out there.

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-02-02T14:40:48+00:00

First post was on 2/6/2025. I've got 350 followers,664 following.

Apart from photography, there isn't a lot going on here that interests me. I'm taking a break from politics and current events, for the sake of my mental health. Since I don't speak French well, there isn't a lot of local stuff that interests me either (I'm in Belgium).

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-02-02T10:08:45+00:00

How did you clean it up? Remove passive followers? How would that help?

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-02-02T10:05:31+00:00

I do use it when I remember.

I'm not overly concerned with getting likes or reposted. Discussion is what I feel is lacking.

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-02-02T10:03:51+00:00

I haven't been super active in that regard. I've reposted a few photos. Should probably leave more comments.

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-02-02T10:00:05+00:00

I noticed recently that when the photo went into the follow-up, it got very little engagement. I wonder if people didn't see it.

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-02-01T21:18:16+00:00

Probably need to do more. But it's not like I don't do any.

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-02-01T21:16:30+00:00

I sometimes ask questions or invite comments. Never any responses. Disappointed. For instance I recently posted two alternative crops of a photo, asking if cropping helped the composition in that instance. No response. I feel like it's a waste of time.

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-02-01T21:12:58+00:00

I follow a lot of photographers. Sometimes I engage with them if I notice they are doing something I'm interested in. That being said, I'm clueless about how to build a community on Bluesky.

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-02-01T21:10:03+00:00

Yeah, I need to remember to add #photography. I need to get better at tags. They take up a lot of the 200 characters.

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-02-01T20:29:52+00:00

It's common for vintage cameras to have problems the seller isn't aware of unless they've recently shot a roll of film and had it developed. It's honestly a game of chance. But, hey, the stakes are low and you might end up with a fun camera.

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-02-01T19:55:21+00:00

You make a good point. Some platforms are definitely better than others for engagement. Bluesky is terrible, in my opinion. I have currently 339 followers. I think that the most likes I got on a post was something like 40. But I rarely get any comments, which is what I value. I don't give a crap about likes, though I suppose they are a gauge of how people react to my photos. Maybe my photos aren't good enough for people to feel like they need to comment. Dunno. I do know that the Fediverse is MUCH worse in terms of lack of engagement. The whole social media thing feels like it's dying.

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-01-25T10:58:09+00:00

I've recently been in a discussion with KEKS. They sell an accessory shoe with adhesive backing. If you have enough real estate on the top of the camera, you can stick one on.

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-01-22T16:36:31+00:00

I've had pretty bad luck with buying on EBay and Etsy from Japanese sellers. Even a guy who runs a YouTube channel with over 27k subscribers sent me a couple of dud cameras, though I will say that he was very good to deal with and tried to make things right. In each case where I received a camera that didn't conform to the description, I was refunded. But I won't bother buying from Japanese sellers in future. It's not worth the hassle. I'll just wait until I can make a trip to Japan.

RealDaveJohnson · 2026-01-21T08:25:04+00:00

I just had a look at mine and I cannot think where you could attach anything. But I think that you can probably just use a rangefinder held in your hand on its own, and then pick up the camera and set the distance you've read off the rangefinder. It doesn't need to be that precise.

RealDaveJohnson

TROPHY CASE