M3 not advancing the film properly

[terrafirmanada]

Recently my M3 has started "slipping" when I get to around the tenth frame. I have a quick load kit in the camera, and was wondering if anyone else has had similar problem? I have taken the bottom off, and applied a bit of tension on the spool while winding it (to simulate the film tension), and sure enough when I get around 8-10 it slips for a few frames. This has created some interesting shots, but is now becoming a little annoying. Would a different takeup spool fix this problem? Anyone have any ideas? Thanks

 

[Doug]

I have an M2 with the quick-load kit (which I doubt is relevant to the problem), and I too ran into frame-overlap problems that were traced to the film transport mechanism. This was in Sept 1967, and my notes don't reveal what specifically was done by the repair shop. The camera was 9 years old at the time... The good news is -- that has stayed fixed since!

 

[Uncle Bill]

Never happened with my M3 two stroke...yet. My camera was overhauled last fall by a leica tech who is genius.

Bill

 

[jlw]

The amount of film that gets advanced is measured by the sprocket wheels, not the spool.

The spool is on a slip clutch -- it has to be, to account for the fact that its diameter gradually becomes larger as more and more film is wound onto it. Because of this, you can make ANY conventional 35mm camera's film spool slip by holding it back with your thumb while stroking the advance lever; it's supposed to work that way.

It could be that your slip clutch is so loose that it's not taking up the film correctly, causing the film pushed on by the sprocket wheels to pile up in the takeup chamber rather than getting wound onto the spool. If enough film piled up, I can imagine it lifting off the sprocket wheels and causing the advance to skip a sprocket or two.

The tension on the slip clutch can be adjusted. I don't know how to do it on an M3, but a repair technician could do it. You'd also want to have him/her check for other possible causes of slippage, such as (yikes!) a broken tooth in the film advance geartrain.

 

[Doug]

It could be that your slip clutch is so loose that it's not taking up the film correctly, causing the film pushed on by the sprocket wheels to pile up in the takeup chamber rather than getting wound onto the spool. If enough film piled up, I can imagine it lifting off the sprocket wheels and causing the advance to skip a sprocket or two.

Interesting thought. I have another camera whose takeup clutch isn't as firm as it should be, resulting in looser wrapping of the film around the spool, and jamming near the end of a 36-exp roll. The camera's fine with a 24-exposure roll. It has not lifted the film off the drive sprockets, but then it's not an M-Leica either!

And I HAVE had film lift off the sprocket teeth in my M2, so that scenario is at least credible. It happened in 1981 with Ilford HP5, which at that time was offered briefly in 72-exposure rolls on a very thin base. It was so thin and limber one had to be very careful in loading. I wasn't careful enough and ran the frame counter around twice and then some before getting suspicious. No exposures at all... 🙁 I was more careful in loading that same roll the next time!

 

[ChrisN]

Are you loading your own?

I've had similar difficulties with one camera with home-loaded HP5. I suspect some of my reloadable film cassettes are the problem, as I've never had a problem with commercially-loaded colour-negative film.

 

[terrafirmanada]

Well, I checked the tension, and that appears to be the problem for sure. Any ideas on how to increase the tension on the slip-clutch?

 

[jaapv]

Maybe a good idea to give the camera a CLA and get it back in supershape? I wouldn't be surprised, given this problem to find that the shutter speeds are off, various parts need lubricating etc...

 

[terrafirmanada]

Sherry Krauter says that the winding head has worn out. Thing is my serial # is:922 xxx, which she said was a reworking of the double stroke winding head (they did not have a solely single stroke winding head until around 946 xxxish). Part is and labor is $212.00. So looks like I am shooting short rools until I have the cash flow (I do roll my own). Thanks for the input folks- I guess I will get the CLA also.

 

[sf]

Strangest thing. . .

I was reading through the new posts, and when I came to this one, I got chills down my spine. When laws of nature reverse.