Leica M4-P - Frame Counter goes beyond 36

[d__b]

Hello,

I bought a Leica M4-P a few days ago and just finished my first roll of film. At least I hope that's what I did, because when I shot the 36th frame and tried to advance the film further it worked and I could shoot on. I stopped at frame 40. In the manual it is stated, that I shouldn't have been able to advance and cock the shutter again after the 36th frame. So obviously I thought, that maybe I didn't insert the film properly and it never got advanced inside the camera at all. But when I put the film rewind release to "R" and started rewinding I could feel the resistance of the film for a while, just like I was used to from other film cameras.
I have given the film into development and will hopefully see the results tomorrow. But can someone maybe give me a hint, what else might be the problem?

Thanks a lot and sorry for the long text,
David.

PS: The film was a roll of Kodak Ektar 100.

 

[dan_sutton]

both of my m6's will shoot all the way to 39. i roll film sometimes and get 36-38 frames per roll.

in other words, not a problem and normal

 

[ferider]

If you put the film in carefully, you can usually go up to 38 or so. Some rolls have more. The only thing that stops the camera from advancing is the film spool.

 

[Nigel Meaby]

How long did you feel the resistance for? Just a couple of turns of the rewind knob or a substantial number? From what you are saying I don't suppose you noticed if the rewind knob was rotating or not each time you took a frame and wound the film on?

 

[d__b]

So it's not a bug, it's a feature? 🙂

The rewind knob did always turn, but only a little bit. And I felt the resistance for a substantial number of turns. I'd say it was a similar amount as on my Canonet.

 

[d__b]

Thanks a lot guys. I'll keep an eye on this and wait for the pictures from my first roll...

 

[sevo]

Many cameras with mechanical counters will count for another two to four dots past the 36 mark - beyond that, you'll have to carry on blind. Digital counters tend to count to wherever the cartridge may end. Which could be way past the 40 mark - during the eighties Ilford offered a 72 shot HP5 cartridge on thin polyester, and even today there are some thin ESTAR based technical films that might be respooled to lengths in the 50-75 range.

 

[brandonmsweet]

I have made it to 41 on a couple special occasions 🙂 well back to 1 to be exact 🙂

 

[Darshan]

I always get 38-39 (well exposed) shots out of my M4.
Is that a problem? ...Me says NO. 😀😀

 

[umcelinho]

welcome to leicadom 😉
if you place the film, close the bottom plate and advance and shoot, the next shot will already be a full frame. so you get an extra frame as well, going for 39/40 depending on the film length.

just make sure the rewind lever is turning, meaning the film was picked up by the sprockets.

 

[Rogier]

Ehh to one time I saw it go to 40 it was during a wedding. Turned out I had not loaded the film correctly and was going nowhere :bang:
Make sure you see the rewind knob turn when you advance the film 😎

 

[dyao]

I always get 39 frames from Neopan 400

 

[Richard G]

37 or 38 from my M6. Maybe your loading technique doesn't properly grab the leader with the first couple of advances, but fortunately does grab it after that. Loading the camera by the book (the instruction manual) it is sometimes recommended that the first couple of winds should be decisive rather than tentative.

 

[rover]

Keep turning and shooting. My negative storage is now hold 7 rows of 6 frames so that I can keep each roll on one page.

 

[sc_rufctr]

Recently I bought a 24 exposure film by accident... I felt the film advance stop after 25 shots and thought there was something wrong with the camera.

I then check the box the film came in and did a face palm. 😀

 

[rxmd]

welcome to leicadom 😉
if you place the film, close the bottom plate and advance and shoot, the next shot will already be a full frame. so you get an extra frame as well, going for 39/40 depending on the film length.

Well you don't need a Leica for that. You can get the same on an SLR, too, using the old photojournalists' trick: don't put in the canister on the left first - instead insert the film on the takeup spool, make sure the takeup spool has caught it by advancing a little bit (all with the canister outside the camera), then pull back the canister from the takeup spool and insert it on the left. Advance once, the next one will be a full frame.

 

[meanstreetshooter]

Wow!

Wow!

You guys are really taking film economy to the outer limits!

Thanks for sharing some experiments to try!

 

[xwhatsit]

For ultimate economy, load in a dark bag! 😛

I did that with my (one and only) roll of Kodachrome. Can't waste something you'll never get to use again!

 

[Paul Luscher]

Like everybody said. And those frames beyond #36 can be a blessing. More than once the best shot has been frame #37...or frame #38...or frame #39....

 

[porktaco]

http://bharrison.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/spinal_tap_but_it_goes_to_eleven.jpg