Some films jamming

runny

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Tokyo, Japan
No, they are not picking up instruments on improvising. Some of the films I load into my M7 are jamming around frame 25 and need rewinding. When I get them out of the camera, the first 5-6 frames are OK, then rest overlap. I ahve no idea why. The really worrying thing is that it only happens to Fuji Natura 1600 - not to my Provia, Velvia or Ilford films. I take GREAT care when loading now - so I hope it is not stupidity on my part. Has anyone else seen these problems happen.

David
 
This happened to one of my Canon FD SLRs. My repair chap put a couple of droplets of thin oil, with the point of a needle, on the rewind shaft. Immediate cure. Can't do any harm to try it.
 
Hmmm, based on my own incident with a FED and like RXMD suggested, have a look at the sprocket holes around where the exposed frames stop. If there is damage and/or scratches there, then it suggests the un-rolling of the film was being impeded by something, hence making the sprocket wheels skip. In turn, that would allow the shutter to reset without moving the film the full distance, and so give overlapping frames.

If a very stiff rewind shaft was the cause, then Payasam's fix would do the job. There could probably be several other causes of course, dunno what exactly though as it was a similar problem on the FED.

If there is no damage at all on the film, then it suggests that there is a hitch at the 'other end', with the wind-on gearing/clutch etc.

Errrm, that never happened to me but I am guessing on it as a possible cause . . . I suppose it could be possible for the shutter to be wound while the film-sprockets slip - maybe the clutch that drops out for rewinding the film is skipping ? (But wouldnt that also stop the shutter winding?).

Good luck !
😉
 
It's probably the re-wind crank jamming. As a short term fix, when it jams just wiggle the crank until you get some play and then wind on normally til it happens again.

There are various tips on the net to solve this issue, but my M6TTL didn't behave itself til I took it to a technician.

Cheers, Paul.
 
If it's just one type of film, couldn't it be something in those particular cassettes that's faulty & is progressively tightening-up as the roll is used? I wonder if all the films affected are from one batch?

Has the OP tried sacrificing a roll by pulling the film out of the cassette to see if it jams anywhere?
 
That is a good point from tom_uk, but one hopes unlikely (as I have some Fuji in the fridge) - or maybe there is only a slight problem and the Fuji base is a bit thinner, or more springy, and so would be the first to show up the skipping.

It would be possible to check the cassette on it's own inside a changing bag, to avoid wasting the film if there is no problem. Alternatively, once a possible camera problem has been fixed, you can go through a roll (even the same one as checked in the changing-bag) in the camera with fastest shutter-speed + smallest aperture + with a lens cap on. That would check the camera functionality without using much time, or much film.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. The Natura 1600 stock is much thinner than the other films I have been using. There is no evidence of the sprockets damaging the film at all. I will run a film through my M6 and see if there are any issues with that. I'll also get the M7 across to the Leica guys here for a check up.

David
 
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