Film Rewinding problem, lost a roll today :(

[nicoy3k]

I had some good stuff in it too (I thought).

Heres my problem.

I just got my M6, and have had a couple of problems rewinding my film.

Today, I set the lever to "R" and start spinning the rewind crank in the direction of the arrow.

Right away, as soon as I start rewinding the film I feel a lot of resistance. I felt that I was forcing the camera (is this amount of tension normal?).

I thought it wasn't normal to have that much resistance, so I took the camera off "R" mode and took a couple of more pictures to try and move the film.

After doing this, there was even more tension, there wasn't much I could do so I force the rewind.

I pushed through the resistance and felt/heard a crunch, then the rewind was smooth, almost too smooth, like the film had broken. I spun it for a minute just in case.

I go to the bathroom, close the door, turn off the lights, and open the camera to check if the film had broken or had gone back in the can.

To my surprise, it was back in the can, there was however, a little pice of film sticking out of the can (it must have broken during the crunch).

I go to my lab today, open the can in the darkroom, and it feels normal, the first frame is a little broken but the rest was fine,

After developing the film though, I notice that the entire roll is blank/blownout. As is it had been exoposed to light.

I have no idea how this could have happend. Was it because I started to rewind the film and then took a couple of pictures?

Also , what level of resistance is acceptable when rewinding the film?

thanks.

 

[1948nikon]

Bad Film or Loading?

Bad Film or Loading?

Do you have visible numbers or branding shown on the edge of the negatives and everything else blank.??

If so this indicates that the film was not loaded correctley.
The camera will indicate as you wind on that frame numbers are changing and for all intensive purposes you think you are taking the shots.

The only real way to tell if the film is loaded and advancing correctley is to take up some slack on the rewind knob. If you do this the rewind knob will turn in the opposite direction to which you rewind as you advance the film.
Hope this helps.

 

[nicoy3k]

I can't remember, I was so upset I figured that it was the trouble I had rewinding the film and just threw the roll out.

When I load the film I usually turn the advance with the back open a little to make sure that the film was advancing.

 

[Tom A]

Take a waste roll and shoot it and then pop the back open and rewind it - check that the film moves smoothly through the camera. There is usually some resistance when you rewind, but not so much that the film is torn. Either R lever does not engage properly and you were winding against the sprocket or the film had jammed.
To check the R disengage function - empty the camera, leave the door open and put the R in "rewind" position. Now, with your finger, check that the sprocket shaft turns freely. If it does, you know that this is not the problem.
One trick, with the M6/M4 type rewind crank is to leave the lever folded out for the first "blind" frames and check that it is turning when you advance.
Before I went back to using primarily M2's I had multiple M4's and I used to either paint 1/2 the rewind crank top surface white or stick red or white tape on it. This gave me a quick visiual as to wether the film was moving properly through the camera.

 

[nicoy3k]

I just sacrificed a roll. The rewinding works perfectly. I don't know why there was so much resistance with that other roll. Any ideas of how a jam can occur? it was definitely jammed, and I'm 90% sure that the film was advancing because when I loaded the film, I advanced it a little with the back open to make sure the film had been caught.

 

[newsgrunt]

Could the roll of film be the culprit ? factory load or bulk ? Maybe the felt trap is too tight ?

 

[wontonny]

If you press your ear up to the camera it sounds like a smooth brushing, it should feel as tight as when you're winding the winder clockwise mid roll and it stops because all the film has been wound tight.