Film Spool Fool

bigdog

bigdog

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Hi,

I just received my Bessa R2a and I love it. I hit the streets looking forward to some interesting shots when I saw an old fisherman with a parrot on his shoulder walking on the pier. In a hurry, I loaded up a roll of TMAX 3200 and proceeded to shoot for the next couple of hours what I thought was a great first roll with my new toy. However, I got to the end of the roll and noticed the camera allowed me to rewind and fire the shutter several times after I thought the 36 frames were shot. I also recalled that the rewind spool did not spin as I was advancing the frames. I also did not notice much resistance when I decided to rewind the roll.

When I opened the back I noticed the film spool on the take up side is meant to be threaded with the film. I had not threaded the film but only placed it so it lined up with the sprocket.

I know I can telll if I shot for two hours and never exposed the negative is to try to develop it, but can anyone with a Bessa tell me if I captured all the great shots I thought I had or if I shot a roll of air? I hate when that happens! :bang:
 
big

You need to try the film again, there is a bigger risk of scratches.

And you have posted posted twice.

Noel
 
Sorry, airball on this one. Call it practice.

On most non-point-n-shoot 35mm cameras, you have to thread the film onto the takeup reel. Why, I cannot say - many older SLR and rangefinder cameras had easy loading devices, such as the Canon QL system. But not the Bessas.
 
Everybody does this once, after that they watch the rewind crank dot turn as the film is wound to frame one. I missed the absolute best shots I have ever taken in my life this way on my one time- october of 1978..
 
This why you always fire the first shots (1 or 2 ) with the back open and check that the film a/winds up on the take up spool and b/ is lined up with the sprockets. It doesn't matter which camera you use, it is the same procedure on all of them!
The so called Quick Load camera systems used to be neither Quick or Loaded. I had more problems with a variety of Canon's with this feature and frequently shot 40+ frames with them.
I would just re-load the film and shoot it again. If, by any chance, it went through already and you end up with strange double exposures - call it "art" and file them away.
Just like fisherman, the best shots are the one we missed. It is nice to be able to blame the camera for this, rather than our own ineptitude!
If you hear a photographer saying that he has never made this mistake - he is either lying or still hasen't finished his first roll. Welcome to the club of "fumble fingered" loaders.
 
Ugh! Don't talk to me about it! Something like this happened to me on my trip in Australia. I never got around to doing a test roll with my Nikonos and put in my first roll as I was about to do some snorkeling at The Great Barrier Reef. Unfortunately I hadn't loaded it correctly so all those shots I thought I took of colourful schools of fish and coral came up empty. 🙁

Thank god my sister had a scuba case for her point and shoot, which I used after I "completed" my roll.
 
I think we all have done this at least ONCE...maybe TWICE...
The very first wedding I shot started that way...maybe that's why I don't shoot weddings...
 
I did it very recently at a party with friends and family. I thought I had 24 exp. film loaded. Saw the counter was at 28. Said "oh well, I guess it was 36 after all". I was well past 36 when I realized I had not yet felt any resistance.

The worst of it is that I have a friend that keeps asking me when I'm getting that roll back, as he was the subject of most of my pictures. I have not yet told him what happened.
 
Sometimes, even after you successfully threaded the film leader and watch the sprocket caught on the film for a frame or two, and after you close the back door, you still don't see the film rewinder dial rotating as you advance to the next few frames (I've seen up to 6 frames, boy that makes me nervous 🙂 )

This is caused by loosely rolled film inside the cartridge, hence it's different per film cartridge.

To counter this, rotate slowly the rewind dial clock-wise (as though you're rolling the film back into the cartridge) until you feel a slight (sometimes "gritty") resistance. Doing this will tighten the film roll inside the cartridge and will almost guarantee that you'll see the rewind dial rotating when you advance to the next frame (which is the absolute indicator that you're not shooting blanks).
 
cpborello said:
The worst of it is that I have a friend that keeps asking me when I'm getting that roll back, as he was the subject of most of my pictures. I have not yet told him what happened.
Click to expand...

Tell him he was so ugly, he broke the camera. Suggest that he ought to pay to have it repaired. That should do it.
 
The method Tom A uses is the method my dad taught me decades ago, even before I was interested in photography. You stick the film in, wind it, trip the shutter, wind it once more, close the back, trip the shutter, wind it, and off you go. I have yet to miss a shot when I loaded my films like that. It's the times when I don't (when in a hurry, for instance) that I've run into trouble once or twice. 🙂
 
For once, ignore what the manual says AND forget about what you do with AF cameras. Load film this way:

Insert the film leader into the take-up spool while keeping the canister in your right hand. Keep the spool from turning with your left hand. (Obviously the camera needs to be rested on a surface like your lap.)

Make sure the leader's inserted far enough by gently pulling it. If it won't slip out, put the canister into the film chamber. Wind on as usual, keeping an eye on the film perforations which should engage the sprockets.
 
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Has anyone ever had a roll of film snap in half during either rewind or advance? I attribute it to my poorly bulk-rolled film and grouchy FSU film advance mechanisms.

Clarence
 
I never got around to commenting on how glad I was to read this post. Welcome back, Bill.

bmattock said:
Tell him he was so ugly, he broke the camera. Suggest that he ought to pay to have it repaired. That should do it.
Click to expand...

And to the OP - you're definitely not the only one who's done this. There are even those (ahem) who have done it several times. Usually with unfamiliar cameras. TomA's advice is spot- on.


Cheers,
--joe.
 
clarence said:
Has anyone ever had a roll of film snap in half during either rewind or advance? I attribute it to my poorly bulk-rolled film and grouchy FSU film advance mechanisms.

Clarence
Click to expand...


Yup...I forgot to hit the Release Button before triggering the Rewind Switch on a Nikon F2a w/Motor Drive...I read somewhere that the drive was powerful enough to rip the fillm off the spool...believe me it's TRUE...
I had no other choice but to open the camera and pull the broken roll out...I'm not sure what all was on that roll and I don't want to think about it either...:bang:
 
nikon_sam said:
Yup...I forgot to hit the Release Button before triggering the Rewind Switch on a Nikon F2a w/Motor Drive...I read somewhere that the drive was powerful enough to rip the fillm off the spool...believe me it's TRUE...
I had no other choice but to open the camera and pull the broken roll out...I'm not sure what all was on that roll and I don't want to think about it either...:bang:
Click to expand...

Since I don't use cameras with automatic rewind, when it happens I usually know what went wrong. If a changing bag is handy, I put the camera inside, unload the film manually and put the other half of film in an empty film canister.

Clarence
 
Add it to the list of all the other stupid errors we've all made. Like...

- Opening the camera before rewinding the roll.
- Thinking you have a different speed film loaded than what's actually in the camera.
- Turning on the darkroom light to discover you didn't put the lid on the tank or close the box of paper.
- Pouring wrong damn chemical into tank.
- Oh, what about the lens cap thing. (I haven't used a lens cap in decades).
- The worst- Running out of film or just not having your camera with you when something fantastic happens. Never run out of film!
Should I go on?
 
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