i just bought one. I loaded the first film, wound, wound, wound...got to the end of the film. is there something i've done wrong or is mine irreparably broken?
If it is working, all you need to do is move the empty spool to the take up end, insert the roll of film, put the end of the backing paper into the take up spools slot, close the back, and wind on.
The film should stop at the first frame. Then it should stop at each frame until the last one, after that it should wind on until you have the backing paper all wound on to the take up spool.
At that point the knob should suddenly have a lot less tension on it. Open the back, take out the film and move the empty spool to the take up position.
This is all metered by a wheel with spikes sticking out of it at the upper right hand side of the guide rails. It meters the film by pricking into the film just a tiny bit, so it does not matter if the film is thick or thin like most cameras do.
Those spikes seem to be the critical point, if they are worn down so they do not prick into the film the counter is not going to work. They claim replacements for it are not available. The rest of it is, I think (I have not torn into mine, as it works fine), just the usual gear train that any decent camera repair person should be able to fix.
Actually, I can not imagine why someone with basic machine shop skills can not fabricate a replacement. Probably just that the sellers of these cameras are not willing to spend a hundred bucks to fix them before they sell them. Cheaper to remove the wheel and put a red window in the back.
Irreparably broken? Maybe, but the first thing I would check is to see if you can move that spiked wheel, the gear train may just be gummed up with old lubricant. Then check that the spikes are sharp. Finally check that roll of film you wound through the camera has the tiny holes the wheel normally puts into the film, or was a gouge run the length of the film.
Holes mean the wheel was turning, so maybe something is loose in the gear train. A gouge means it was locked up. No, or very shallow marks means the spikes are worn down.
In the end the problem may just come down to finding someone that knows what they are doing who is willing to work on the camera. So many have been misrepaired that many camera techs will not touch them.
I hope this helps a bit.
