How do I remove film from the take-up spool of my MP?

[Mackinaw]

My tale of woe. I load my own film, using a bulk-film loader, and have for years with no problems. Until today that is.

I was taking some pictures of a pretty young gal at a furious pace with my Leica MP. I was so into picture taking that I forgot I was at the 36 exposure mark and wound the film right out of the film cartridge. The film (Tri-X) now sits totally wound (tightly) around the take-up spool of my MP.

Short of taking off the bottom plate, opening the back door and removing the film in daylight, is there anyway I can safely remove the film without damaging it or exposing it to light? I would like to salvage the roll if I could. Any suggestions?

Jim B.

 

[FrankS]

Take off the bottom plate, open the back door and remove the film in total darkness, either in a changing bag, or a dark room. I can't think of any other way.

You may have to sacrifice a frame or several by cutting the film strip in order to remove it.

 

[mgd711]

I had the same issue once, the only way to remove the film and save it is as Frank say's.

Good luck.

 

[newsgrunt]

Nope, bottom has to come off. If you do your own processing I would bring the tanks into the darkroom with you. Drop the bottom, trip the rewind lever, and pull the film off the take up then load onto reel.

If not, then you could remove the film as above and try to reattach it to the cassette spool and rewind it back in and leave the leader or in depending on how you take film to the lab. Actually you wouldn't really need to reattach, just wind it around the spool and reassemble the cassette.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Same as Frank, but see if you can just pull the last frame and unwind it, and then try to spool it into a film spool and put in a developer tank. All of this in a black bag or a dark room.