Film loading issue

Hello there. First timer here, with a bit of a headache.

Someone recently offered me an old Canon EOS 300, in perfect working conditions (or so it seemed...) apart from some scratches.

I got new batteries, loaded a new film into the camera following the user's manual (it came with it). The film is a 36 exposure Ilford HP5 Plus.
What happened next brings my question. The camera started winding the film all the way through as expected, but the display only shows 12 exposures, when (I think...) I should be seeing 36.

Any ideas anyone...?

I'm not familiar with the exact model but I have shot similar cameras. It doesn't wind the film all the way thru, it should just wind it far enough to start the first frame, there is some leader at the beginning of the roll. The number of frames remaining comes from the DX code on the cartridge. Maybe there's corrosion on the contacts that read the DX code and it didn't read it properly. If one contact has some corrosion it would read a 36 exposure roll as 12 (see link below). After all the film is shot it will wind the film back into the cartridge. I would suggest shooting the roll and see what happens. It will probably just keep going until it detects the end of the film. After you shoot this roll of film you can probably clean the contacts with a pencil eraser if that is the problem.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DX_encoding

I think the 300 is a rebel model.if I recall correctly, the film winds all the way on to the take up spool and then wind back into the cassette as you take pictures. The advantage of this is that pictures taken are protected and saved back in the cassette if the back is accidentally opened. Not sure why your film is only feeding to 12 frames....Maybe try another roll oif a different film?

pthornto said:

I think the 300 is a rebel model.if I recall correctly, the film winds all the way on to the take up spool and then wind back into the cassette as you take pictures. The advantage of this is that pictures taken are protected and saved back in the cassette if the back is accidentally opened. Not sure why your film is only feeding to 12 frames....Maybe try another roll oif a different film?

Click to expand...

Your right, I looked at the manual: http://www.cameramanuals.org/canon_pdf/canon_eos_rebel_2000_300.pdf
So it counts the frames as it's pre-winding. If something went wrong it will show a flashing film icon. It does use the DX code to detect the film speed but not the frame count. If you re-wind the film it will pull the leader into the cartridge and you won't be able to retrieve it without a retrieval tool.

BAC1967 said:

If something went wrong it will show a flashing film icon. It does use the DX code to detect the film speed but not the frame count.

Click to expand...

I'm not absolutely sure that it doesn't use the DX code for the frame count.

I've got two of these and I've used them with both DX coded film and non-DX (bulk) coded film. I've not encountered this behavior.

I would check that there isn't something impairing the DX sensor like dirt.

BAC1967 said:

If you re-wind the film it will pull the leader into the cartridge and you won't be able to retrieve it without a retrieval tool.

Click to expand...

Take some 35mm film you don't need (I use the blank end of some processed negatives I have laying around), lick the emulsion so that it gets sticky. Shove it in the slit on the outside of the film cassette. Push it in a ways and then pull it back out quickly. You might need to try it a couple times or spin the film spool around but eventually it'll stick to the end of the film leader and pull it out with it. Viola. No special tool required.

The DX code on the cassette contains film speed and frame count information:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DX_encoding

However, not all cameras may use the frame count information. If yours does, it could be that the electrical contacts for detecting the count are not working correctly or maybe the cartridge coding is damaged.

Also, another possibility is that your camera is detecting resistance during the pre-wind and thinks it's wound all it can. Perhaps a weak motor or batteries can cause this.

Excuse me Pulseezar ... for this stupid question

Are you sure the film is brand new?

The EOS 300 is identical to the Rebel 2000. According to the Wikipedia article, the model features autofocus capabilities equal to the higher end EOS 30/33/Elan 7/7e series, and it's the first of the Rebel series to have a depth-of-field preview button. It's only drawbacks are the plastic lens mount, limitations to partial area metering using the rear panel '*' button cancelling after each frame, and 1/90 second X-sync, although it has the 'FP' high-speed flash sync capability. All in all, a very capable camera.

I loaded a long expired non-DX factory error short-loaded FP4 cassette in my Rebel 2000 the other day, and the camera wound the film out to show the roll had 35 frames , which I proceeded to shoot up without incident. I then placed a home-loaded cassette of Tri-X I thought had 36 exposures on it, but the camera's motor sounded stressed as the exposure counter got into the mid-20s, and the camera quit trying to pull more film out and set up for exposures showing 30 on the exposure counter. I clicked off the 30 frames without incident, and will check the film when I develop it to see what mistake I made in loading it. The Rebels apparently stop winding out film when loading if they sense a high resistance level.