Negative Anomaly

[Steve_F]

Hi all,
Today I received some prints back from the lab with an usual 'effect', taken on my M6TTL.
Attached is a photo of the prints in question. What you are seeing is two prints but with a third (woefully over-exposed) perfectly centred over the two. I've looked at the negatives and there it is too (no lab error - or is it possible) and can't figure out how this has happened. All the other frames on the film are fine (these are no. 9 &10) and it's never happened before.
The gross over exposure has inflicted itself on 9 after being taken and before 10 (so it seems - no other explanation) I've tried to partially wind on the empty camera (it was the last roll I put through) in the hope of cocking the shutter but not fully winding on 'a frame' but no joy.
The speeds for the affected frame would have been 1/30 or 1/60.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
😕

Steve.

 

[FrankS]

Film transport problem. See if it happens again on the next roll. Make sure you load the film correctly and with no slack. Obviously don't shoot anything important like a wedding, jsut in case it does reoccur. If it does, the camera needs to be looked at. Good luck.

 

[Steve_F]

Is there a way to ensure that all the slack is taken up? Up until now I've been loading it like my FM3A. Wind on a frame or two to make sure the rewind crank rotates then close the back and thats it.

Thinking about it, at some point recently I have taken it out of the bag and depressed the rewind lever accidentally and then re-positioned it. If it was this roll of film could it have taken the tension off the film?

Steve.

 

[FrankS]

Just load film carefully. Take up slack in the film cannister using the film rewind lever after loading the film and before advancing to frame #1.

 

[MartinP]

Disengaging the winding clutch, as you mention, could have this effect. Based on an "old but working" manner of doing multi-exposures on SLR's without the capability anyway. In that method you would make the first shot, hold in the rewind button, and wind the lever to cock the shutter while NOT moving the take-up shaft (as the clutch was disengaged). After the multi-exposures were finished, one would put a lenscap on and wind-on normally during which time the clutch would engage again. The cocked shutter would be fired again, then the film could be advanced as normal with the fully engaged clutch moving the take-up shaft as usual.

The problem is I've never taken an M to pieces to check how Leica do it, and have also heard that the method won't work on an M without a risk of damage - so possibly the clutch is a different design ? In a simple wind-on arrangement, when the clutch is disengaged (to allow the wind shaft to rotate freely as the film is wound back to the cassette) the shaft will have to rotate a half a turn before the pin lines up with the groove or channel which usually transfers the rotation. So the shutter is wound but the film gets less transport than would usually be the case, which is what you see in your example.

 

[Steve_F]

Update - Today I exposed a roll and developed it. Every single frame was there.
I guess it was something I did. I would like to think if it was a film transport issue with the body it would have done it again.

Steve.

 

[FrankS]

Good news!

This is not relavent to you, but on my button rewind M2, if I am not careful, my ring or little finger accidentally presses on the rewind button near the end of a film advance stroke, causing a frame over-lap.