Olympus XA-2 Film Advance

[XAos]

I tacked this onto an earlier thread in the Other Rangefinders forum, but it really belongs here.

One of my XA-2's quit advancing in the middle of a roll. Sprocket teeth slip through the holes, I threw the camera in a changing bag to confirm what happened and that it wasn't just the leader slipping. (It happened about 8 shots into a roll) I went ahead and rolled up that roll (it was from a family member's wedding) and stuck another in to test and it still does the same thing.

Has anyone experienced this and is there a fix, or is it worn teeth or something not practical to fix?

 

[James Burton]

I tacked this onto an earlier thread in the Other Rangefinders forum, but it really belongs here.

One of my XA-2's quit advancing in the middle of a roll. Sprocket teeth slip through the holes, I threw the camera in a changing bag to confirm what happened and that it wasn't just the leader slipping. (It happened about 8 shots into a roll) I went ahead and rolled up that roll (it was from a family member's wedding) and stuck another in to test and it still does the same thing.

Has anyone experienced this and is there a fix, or is it worn teeth or something not practical to fix?

Yeah, I get this periodically with hand-wound film (or bulk-roll or whatever I feel like calling it today). I think it has something to do with the plastic canisters sticking. But you may be using machine rolled film.

James

 

[XAos]

My 2nd XA2 started doing it today. Commercial film (Kodak Max 200) and only a 24 exp roll, so it shouldn't have been real tight. Only one of the rolls was bulk loaded, I've had the same results with several commercial films. This time about 12 shots into the roll. If I pull the rewind knob up to disengage the spool but dont allow the back to open, it releases tension on the film and then sometimes advances another frame or two.

Further note: Light seals were gummy, ordered kit, got email from John, started removed old foam and pressure plate from one of the xa2's. While I was staring at the innards, I went and grabbed a roll of film and held tension on the canister. No hitches. Closed the back , same story. Thinking maybe it was the pressure plate, I reinstalled the pressure plate - still no hitches. At this point, it looks like gummy foam residue on the rails was making the film drag enough to slip.