Canon P - won't rewind!

[Bobby2254]

Hey !

New here! bought a Canon P. Love the camera and feel, but I'm two rolls in and both ruined.

At first I thought maybe I loaded it incorrectly, and the second time I thought maybe it was stuck. I now just shot the third roll and it still will not wind. I've turned the switch to the release (under the shutter) but the rolls just won't wind.

I've watched videos, have a pdf of the manual but I'm having no luck.

Are there any tricks? Or trouble-shooting that I may be missing.

Any help would be great

 

[peterm1]

I seem to recall having a similar issue with an earlier Canon camera - the IVSB. If I recall correctly, the problem was the shaft for the rewind could somehow work itself loose from its geared housing which drives the rewind when the rewind crank is operated to turn the shaft (which runs vertically from top to bottom of the camera. The good news was that it could be easily rectified by tightening it up again (and I think I only used my fingers to do so - though I seem to recall it working loose again now and then but it was just as easy to rectify each time). Forgive me but all of this happened about 20 years ago and my memory is very dodgy, so specifics elude me.

Is your issue due to the same problem? I do not know but it may give you something to try out.

This thread seems to describe the same kind of issue on a Canon 7S

Canon LTM - Canon 7s rewind problem

Hi, Just had my 7s and 50mm f1.2 CLA'd. Delighted, looks tremendous. Running a film through, I finished, then was rewinding. It appeared to finish (the little red-eye stopped rolling!), but when I opened the back it hadn't fully rewound. For some reason, the piece inside which turns the...

rangefinderforum.com

 

[Bobby2254]

Thank you!
I'll try, am I gonna have to open the back and lose this roll ?

 

[peterm1]

Thank you!
I'll try, am I gonna have to open the back and lose this roll ?

I am sorry I cannot really recall, But I suspect, yes. However having said this, the person giving the answer to the thread I linked is describing the cotter pin which fits in a slot at the bottom of the shaft to prevent it from unscrewing and coming out. To refit that cotter pin it would be necessary to open the back I think. But it MAY be possible to make a temporary fix by screwing the shaft in tightly enough to operate the rewind mechanism temporarily, then rewinding the film and extracting it. And only then opening the back to effect a more permanent fix.

I believe the cotter pin is something like this BTW.

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[Sonnar Brian]

I looked at My Canon P: There is a set screw that seems to hold the Fork to the shaft. I suspect this may have loosened.

You should be able to open the camera in a complete dark room and rewind it by hand. I've done this, long ago. Back in darkroom days- was common to take film out of the cassette and wind onto the developing reel.

 

[Bobby2254]

I rewound in the basement , lights off and in a black backpack....hopefully I didn't ruin this roll.

But the set screw seems to be the issue. I tried to tighten, not sure it worked, will have to see. Threw another roll in to test, and because I'm a glutton for punishment and wasted film.



May need to buy a smaller flathead screwdriver

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I like Wiha Screwdrivers, in about 0.2mm increments. These set screws are a real pain- recently had to order a 1.2mm for a stubborn screw when my 1mm just did not give enough bite.

 

[peterm1]

I rewound in the basement , lights off and in a black backpack....hopefully I didn't ruin this roll.

But the set screw seems to be the issue. I tried to tighten, not sure it worked, will have to see. Threw another roll in to test, and because I'm a glutton for punishment and wasted film.



May need to buy a smaller flathead screwdriver

It sounds to me as if the later Canons had a set screw instead of a circlip to hold the shaft in place (which I think is the kind of thing my earlier camera had) but that this did not wholly solve the issue. Whether it's a set screw or a circlip / cotter pin it probably fits into a circular groove in the shaft which is intended to allow the shaft to rotate while stopping it moving up or down and coming out of its proper position but obviously if loose this arrangement would allow the shaft to dislodge. As I say though, my memory of specifics is hazy.

 

[Coldkennels]

I like Wiha Screwdrivers, in about 0.2mm increments. These set screws are a real pain- recently had to order a 1.2mm for a stubborn screw when my 1mm just did not give enough bite.

I recommend Weras if you can get them in the US. They have very specific and diverse sizing... I've never found a flathead screw they can't deal with: 2035 Screwdriver for slotted screws for electronic applications - Wera Product finder

 

[rfaspen]

I hesitate to consider the $$ I've spent over the years on GooD tools. Worth every penny! I have quite a few of both Wiha and Werra drivers. Can't remember who made my circular wrenches (from Micro Tools?) but oh how I loved them. Still do, just not as frequently as when I was doing more film fun.
A word of wisdom: use the proper tool of the proper quality for all of your repairs. Even if it means waiting for the tool to arrive in the post.

 

[Bobby2254]

Thanks for all the tool recommendations, I think I will find one and finish the roll I'm on.

 

[Sanug]

Threw another roll in to test, and because I'm a glutton for punishment and wasted film.

Why don't you reuse an already ruined roll for a test? Before loading such a defective camera with fresh film I would always perform a dry test. Maybe even without any loaded film it could be possible to test weather the rewind position works.

 

[Bobby2254]

Why don't you reuse an already ruined roll for a test? Before loading such a defective camera with fresh film I would always perform a dry test. Maybe even without any loaded film it could be possible to test weather the rewind position works.

I had already thrown out the rolls that were ruined, and needed to load to see if it "caught" to rewind, also to rule out the right side and how it was catching and spooling on that side.

I figured since I got the previous roll out in the dark in a worst case scenario I could remove it in the Black out room in a bag, and I will shoot some photos while I figure out the screwdriver (and talk to the eBay seller of the camera)

 

[rfaspen]

I keep a couple "test rolls" in my repair box. Chances are several of us here at RFF have test rolls in the repair box 🙂

 

[WoodallP]

I keep a couple "test rolls" in my repair box. Chances are several of us here at RFF have test rolls in the repair box 🙂

Some of mine are even developed and put back in the can as they were deemed of little interest. Useful for testing winding as you can open on B and for check for slippage by the image positions.

 

[retinax]

I had already thrown out the rolls that were ruined, and needed to load to see if it "caught" to rewind, also to rule out the right side and how it was catching and spooling on that side.

I figured since I got the previous roll out in the dark in a worst case scenario I could remove it in the Black out room in a bag, and I will shoot some photos while I figure out the screwdriver (and talk to the eBay seller of the camera)

Yeah you should really be able to see what is going on with the back open. Back open or closed makes no difference to rewind operation on these cameras. Turn the rewind switch and crank away. Does the claw that grabs the spool of the casette turn? Does the sprocket roller release? That's all you need to know to be pretty sure it rewinds ok.

 

[WoodallP]

I recommend Weras if you can get them in the US. They have very specific and diverse sizing... I've never found a flathead screw they can't deal with: 2035 Screwdriver for slotted screws for electronic applications - Wera Product finder

Thanks for the tip, just picked up the two I could easily get on Amazon France (2x0.3 and 1.5x0.23). Will have to go to a real tool site for the two thicknesses of 1.2 though. I use Bergeon at the moment but these will definitely help when I need the purchase that is not usually required when working in a Swiss watch.

 

[Coldkennels]

Glad to hear I could help, @WoodallP. I've got four so far; the same 1.5 x 0.23 and 2 x 0.3 pair as you, plus a 2.5 x 0.35 and a 2.5 x 0.4. The 2.5 x 0.35 mm one is surprisingly useful; it's often the "go to" for an awkwardly-sized screwhead that nothing else quite fits.

 

[rfaspen]

FYI, there used to be a MicroTools EU .
They cater to camera repair nerds, among other nerds.

Found them. Located in Germany.

Micro-Tools Europe Tools | Home page | Miniature Tools for Camera and Watch Repair

Tools and Miniature Tools for Camera Repair, Watch and Optical Repairs. Spare Parts and Supplies.

micro-tools.de

 

[WoodallP]

FYI, there used to be a MicroTools EU .
They cater to camera repair nerds, among other nerds.

Found them. Located in Germany.

Micro-Tools Europe Tools | Home page | Miniature Tools for Camera and Watch Repair

Tools and Miniature Tools for Camera Repair, Watch and Optical Repairs. Spare Parts and Supplies.

micro-tools.de

What they stock and don’t stock seems a bit random. It’s quite bizarre. Sometimes they have nothing listed under what you would consider a main category but they occasionally list weird spare parts for obscure cameras. I had an order from them recently but it was mainly paint related