film breaks from cartridge

Hi again,

Well a few days ago I was unwinding the film from my x700 and it snapped. The film broke off the cartridge. It had reached the end. The counter read 36 so I started to unwind. It's almost like it was unwound in the opposite direction but I followed the arrow. The same thing happened to an srt also before. Unfortunately, I opened the back exposing a month of street pictures. Idiotic I know because the film was probably in tact. I am going to get into processing my own negatives. It makes any mistakes less costly and simple to check stuff out at home rather than go to the store. But that's an aside. Anyone have experience of the break I just described?

Thanks!

ongakublue said:

Hi again,

Well a few days ago I was unwinding the film from my x700 and it snapped. The film broke off the cartridge. It had reached the end. The counter read 36 so I started to unwind. It's almost like it was unwound in the opposite direction but I followed the arrow. The same thing happened to an srt also before. Unfortunately, I opened the back exposing a month of street pictures. Idiotic I know because the film was probably in tact. I am going to get into processing my own negatives. It makes any mistakes less costly and simple to check stuff out at home rather than go to the store. But that's an aside. Anyone have experience of the break I just described?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

I had a similar experience with a Nikkormat. Most of my older 35mm's worked by hitting the release button and then rewinding. The Nikkormat requires the release button be held down continuously during rewinding.

Fortunately I was able to open the camera in a dark location and place it in an light-tight container and developed the film when I got home. Now, I routinely travel with a changing bag.

Wallendo said:

I had a similar experience with a Nikkormat. Most of my older 35mm's worked by hitting the release button and then rewinding. The Nikkormat requires the release button be held down continuously during rewinding.

Fortunately I was able to open the camera in a dark location and place it in an light-tight container and developed the film when I got home. Now, I routinely travel with a changing bag.

Click to expand...

so it could be the release button? if i didn't press it (i honestly can't remember) this is something that happens?

J

When using a manual rewind camera, you should always press the release button on the camera body prior to rewinding the film.

See this website: http://www.manualslib.com/manual/739469/Minolta-X-700.html?page=23

BTDT - This is why I originally bought a changing bag. Yes, if the button isn't pressed, this can happen. It can also happen with a Pentax H1a if you press the button, start rewinding, accidentally bump the advance lever, then keep rewinding (without pressing the button).

Anybody with experience of film photography will instinctively know you need to find the film release button on any camera to allow it to be wound back into the 35mm cassette, but beginners with film can ignore the simple need to read the manual. If film can be wound back without disengaging the film advance gearing the camera is broken.

Steve

Sometimes the film may come completely off its can when the adhesive tape is not holding it up tightly. I had this problem with hand rolled films that usually end on frame 34. I expect getting one more frame, but while winding on I get the film detached completely and out from its can.

250swb said:

Anybody with experience of film photography will instinctively know you need to find the film release button on any camera to allow it to be wound back into the 35mm cassette, but beginners with film can ignore the simple need to read the manual. If film can be wound back without disengaging the film advance gearing the camera is broken.

Steve

Click to expand...

I didn't look for and read the manual because I saw a YouTube tutorial and I knew you should press the release button.. but I forgot because I have only done this twice before. Simple as that. My question was if the breaking of the film from the cartridge was as a result of this or could it be another mechanical fault. It seems from one reply here it can be because of not pressing the release button.

It is easy to forget and

Pull the film off the cassette spool
With Kodak film shatter the sprocket holes
Shoot frame 38 by shattering the sprocket holes, again with Kodak film

Normal 35 mm problems the curse of Mr O. Barnack, you need to stop at 37 and push in the button or hold it in if it is not latched.

Don't open the back without a changing bag
After getting the film out and storing it in a all black cassette tub, with avery label seal...
Check the camera for film shards which can cause real bad damage...

Noel

ongakublue said:

I didn't look for and read the manual because I saw a YouTube tutorial and I knew you should press the release button.. but I forgot because I have only done this twice before. Simple as that. My question was if the breaking of the film from the cartridge was as a result of this or could it be another mechanical fault. It seems from one reply here it can be because of not pressing the release button.

Click to expand...

Breaking the film is the least bad of the two things that can happen. The other possibility is breaking the camera.

If you don't press the release button, the takeup spindle in the camera will not let the film be rewound. Pressing the button disengages the gearing and allows the spindle to spin. There is a close to 100% probability that failure to press the button caused your problem.

Those of us who grew up shooting manual rewind cameras do this instinctively. To those who learned on auto-rewind 35mm or non-35mm cameras it is not immediately intuitive.

Developing B&W at home is easy. All the nice tools are useful and encouraged, but you can get by with a black bag, developing tank, kitchen measuring cup, kitchen thermometer, scissors, a bottle opener and a medicine syringe, as well as a few 1 liter water or soda bottles to store your chemicals, You will also need a small bottle of Adonal (Rodinal) or other developer, a bottle of stop (or diluted vinegar), and a bottle of rapid-fix. Film can be dried by hanging with heavy paper clips. There are numerous YouTube videos demonstrating the technics. Of course, since you don't want to just look at negatives, you will need to find a way to print or scan the negatives.

ongakublue said:

.................................. but I forgot because I have only done this twice before. Simple as that. My question was if the breaking of the film from the cartridge was as a result of this or could it be another mechanical fault. It seems from one reply here it can be because of not pressing the release button.

Click to expand...

The release button puts the advance gearing in neutral. So, by not doing so, something has to break. Simple as that.