Film exposure problem on Leica IIIf

[Eric T]

I need advice from Leica users. I bought a Leia IIIf and had great success with it at first. I had trouble loading the film until I learned to trim the leader. Trimming the leader made it easy to load the film and the film appeared to be advancing just fine. However, I would only get four or five exposures back from each roll. The film is advancing - I tested that by marking the film during a "B" exposure and labeling the film with a Sharpee. The labeling was gone with the next advance.

Can someone give me advice on what I am doing wrong here? Any help on fixing the problem would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!

 

[colyn]

Make sure the advance rewind lever is fully at the "A" position.

 

[easyrider]

watch the take-up spool

watch the take-up spool

Once you have loaded the film, advance by clicking the shutter a couple of times and watch whether the take up spool moves with it. If it does, the film is loaded correctlly.

The film sprocket has to engage the knurled wheel when you load.
You basiacally have to see that the film is moving.

Hope this is clear.

That is why Eisenstadt never let anyone else load his Leicas, even his wife.

 

[aad]

You should see the rewind knob turn if film is advancing. I don't think you can wind with the rewind lever in the wrong place.

I think trimming the leaders can be a big mistake-I think taking off the lens, set shutter to T and helping the film into place is a faster, more sure way.

 

[colyn]

I don't think you can wind with the rewind lever in the wrong place.

If it is slightly off the "A position" you can still advance..

 

[laptoprob]

labeling

labeling

labeling the film with a Sharpee. The labeling was gone with the next advance.

Thanks!!

What is a Sharpee? Does the film advance any further or does it get stuck?
Are the sprocket holes still intact?

 

[Graybeard]

Make sure the advance rewind lever is fully at the "A" position.

My thought as well.

If the lever isn't firmly in the "A" position, the film will advance. The shutter will sound as if it is firing but the two curtains travel together without opening most times, and thus, few exposures and mainly unexposed frames.

Don't merely look at the lever to check its position, press it firmly against the "A" stop

 

[Eric T]

The position was in "A" and the film appears to advance with the rewind knob moving. When the roll is done, I rewind the film and have it developed. However, after development only four or five exposures were made. The remaining film was not exposed.
It is not the fault of the development process. This has happened with three rolls and I used three different places to develop the film.
Any other ideas on the cause of this problem?

 

[Graybeard]

The position was in "A" and the film appears to advance with the rewind knob moving. When the roll is done, I rewind the film and have it developed. However, after development only four or five exposures were made. The remaining film was not exposed.
It is not the fault of the development process. This has happened with three rolls and I used three different places to develop the film.
Any other ideas on the cause of this problem?

You might want to check if the shutter is opening consistently. You can do this by removing the lens and inserting a piece of white paper in the film channel. Look into the camera through the opening for the lens and fire the shutter at 1/60th or so. If the shutter curtains are opening, you'll see the paper briefly, if not you'll only see black.

Do this repeatedly to determine if the shutter opens with regularity. From your description, it does'nt appear that the shutter is opening consistently.

 

[Eric T]

Yes, I checked the shutter and all seems to be working normally. The shutter fires and all speeds seem accurate.
I am going to have it CLAd but I don't think that will solve my problem. It started once I began trimming the film. I need to stop doing that and find another way to load.

 

[colyn]

Yes, I checked the shutter and all seems to be working normally. The shutter fires and all speeds seem accurate.
I am going to have it CLAd but I don't think that will solve my problem. It started once I began trimming the film. I need to stop doing that and find another way to load.

One thing you might try is to set the shutter speed to B then load the camera with a throw away roll of film in the usual way then without replacing the bottom cover watch the action of the take-up spool while advancing. Open the shutter and with a fine tip ink pen mark the sides of the film. Do this for each frame then pull out the film at the end of the roll and observe the marks you made to see if frame spacing is right. If not then you will need to have it CLA'd

 

[Eric T]

Colyn,
Yes, that was precisely the problem. I did not have the rewind lever fully on "A". Some testing proved that to me.
Thanks for the tip.