FED2 - forgot to reset exp. counter - what now?

[mat619]

Hello everyone,

first post in here and I already need your help...
I just recently got my first RF, a FED 2, and made a stupid beginner's mistake:
When I loaded a new 36 exp. roll of film, I forgot to reset the exposure counter - which stood anywhere because I played around with the camera before, checking the exposure times and curtains! Of course I didn't notice that right after loading, but only some hours later after I shot roughly 15-20 photos at a fair! :bang:

So how now brown cow? Can I finish the roll until it just doesn't wind on anymore? This (considering my luck) will inevitably happen while cocking the shutter, leaving it stuck at an unknown position. Disengaging the shutter mechanism for rewinding then could damage it I'm afraid - or am I wrong?
What would you do? 😕

Kind regards,
Matt

 

[sevo]

Can I finish the roll until it just doesn't wind on anymore? This (considering my luck) will inevitably happen while cocking the shutter, leaving it stuck at an unknown position. Disengaging the shutter mechanism for rewinding then could damage it I'm afraid - or am I wrong?
What would you do? 😕

Continue until it does not wind any more - just like millions of other users did before. Going by my observations, few users ever set film counters on manual counter type cameras - whatever cameras don't survive that will already have perished.

There is no risk of damage from rewinding a half cocked FED, unless you attempt to set another time (and even then the "damage" amounts to removing the top to reset the gear, as long as you don't force the wind-on knob). If you are afraid of that, complete winding once you've removed the film, so that the camera is not about for long in half-cocked state.

Sevo

 

[batterytypehah!]

I agree, nothing to worry about. On my own sample, the counter disk doesn't have enough friction and often moves inadvertently from slipping in and out of bags and pockets. I never know for sure where I am in the roll.

 

[mat619]

Okay, - I'll just finish the roll then.... Good to know that it can't do any harm.
Thank you for your answers! 🙂

 

[wolves3012]

As long as you don't force things when you wind on, it's not going to harm the camera. It's pretty easy to tell when you reach the end of the roll, things come to a stop. You can pop the lens-cap on and release a half-cocked shutter, if it worries you. Actually, putting it into rewind will do that anyway.

The worst you're likely to do is rip the end of the film sprockets or pull the film out of the cartridge-end, neither is likely to damage the camera but the film won't fare as well!

I did this very thing with my first roll through a Kiev, I got suspicious about the grinding noise on about frame 28 of my film, so I rewound and opened up, only to find I'd loaded a 24 not a 36 - hmmm, careless! Luckily, the sprocket holes gave way and nothing else.