..... Film loading error M7

[herbkell@shaw.c]

I have had my new (to me) M7 for about a month and have loaded seven or eight films without any issue. On Saturday I casually loaded a new film in the usual way and shot away happily only to find to my horror on rewinding that the film was not loaded. I had been merrily shooting "blanks"

I guess I did not notice that the rewind lever was not rotating on the first shot or so and as far as I can see there is not other way to determine if the film is loaded properly and advancing with each shot.

In the next couple of film loads I struggled mightily to get the film loaded correctly (admittedly under some stress in a shooting situation)

Any thoughts or advice. Is this just a rookie screwup? Can there be anything wrong with the camera or is it operator error?

thanks 😡

 

[BudGreen]

After loading the film and advancing two frames, I always take the slack out of the film with the rewind crank, then advance it one more frame while making sure that the crank is rotating with the advance. If it isn't, you can open up the camera and fix it before you loose any shots. I had a similar thing happen to me once and this ritual has not failed me since.

 

[Mazurka]

It's time to trade in your M7 for the Zeiss Ikon.

Meanwhile, check this out: http://www.nemeng.com/leica/000b.shtml

 

[RayPA]

After loading the film and advancing two frames, I always take the slack out of the film with the rewind crank, then advance it one more frame while making sure that the crank is rotating with the advance. If it isn't, you can open up the camera and fix it before you loose any shots. I had a similar thing happen to me once and this ritual has not failed me since.

Similar to what I do. For the same reason. Although, I don't shoot the one extra frame after taking up the slack. I've found that I can feel the difference in the advance lever when the film isn't advancing. It's slight, but it's discernable.

🙂

 

[peter_n]

I open the crank after I put the back on. Got into this habit in my SLR days. If it doesn't turn on the first wind the back comes off. If it does (and it usually does) then I lock the back.

 

[Mark Norton]

It's time to trade in your M7 for the Zeiss Ikon.

...or an M8. The best way to avoid film loading problems is to not need the stuff in the first place.

 

[herbkell@shaw.c]

I'm on the list for a M8 but in the meantime thoroughly enjoying the M7 (when the film loads)

Thanks for the useful suggestions. I do wish there was a surefire and obvioius way to know if the film was advancing properly

 

[OldNick]

The advice by Bud is also a good choice when using the older screw-mount Leicas. I trim the leader, load carefully, then advance one or two frames before taking out the slack with the rewind. Fire off one more frame and watch the rewind knob rotate. If it doesn't move, open up and reload.

Jim N.

 

[Xmas]

Rtm

Rtm

Herb

I sometimes forget.

One has to do three non obvious things.

- drop cassette part way into M & pull film so that the end touches the far side of take up casting, i.e. ignore diagram and have sufficent film out to go through both side of the circle created by prongs.

- puch in cassette fully and make sure the film is in the guide rails, and a hole i film is indexed with a tooth on the sproket drive, (with the back open).

- close up back and BASEPLATE before winding the lever

This should work every time and the rewinder should turn after a few frames.

Except:

- with the very thin films they may be too thin, and some blyth spirits corrogate the file ends dont do this ...
- if the temperature is -40 then only use one pair of the prongs, if the film is cold, it will shatter and turn to dust...

repairs are expensive.

Noel