First Roll of Film Disaster :(

[GRHazelton]

Most of us have had this sort of experience! Mine was with my first Pentax LX (I now have three! I need help.). I was shooting away, reveling in the buttery-smooth ball bearing film advance until I looked down and I'd taken over 36 exposures on a 24 exp cassette! Yep, I'd forgotten to even load the camera! And of course the majority of the pictures I'd taken were world-beaters....

 

[BAC1967]

Most of us have had this sort of experience! Mine was with my first Pentax LX (I now have three! I need help.). I was shooting away, reveling in the buttery-smooth ball bearing film advance until I looked down and I'd taken over 36 exposures on a 24 exp cassette! Yep, I'd forgotten to even load the camera! And of course the majority of the pictures I'd taken were world-beaters....

That's why I have learned to check that the rewind knob is turning after I load the film. Even if you load the film it doesn't always catch properly on the take-up spool. The ones that are lost are always the most amazing photos you could have ever taken.

 

[Truzi]

You'll be fine once you get to know your camera.

My main camera is a Sears KS-2 (rebranded Ricoh XR-7), I believe from the early 1980s. I've never had a problem with it, the advance locks at the end of the roll, I know to stop, and it's never let me tear the film. The first time I tried older cameras I had problems.

I've a few 35mms from the 1950s, and I have to be careful with them, as they will rip the sprocket holes almost without warning. On occasion the KS-2 gives a little resistance that I can wind through because it's just the cartridge being a bit tight - but the same resistance in the others means I'm at the end of the roll and need to stop; they effortlessly tear the sprocket holes. I've learned to be more vigilant with them.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

The 'lesson learned' should be should be don't ever force the advance lever ever. There is the chance of damaging not only the film but also the camera. At the first sign of unusual resistance STOP.

 

[rpavich]

You didnt hurt the camera, check to make sure you arent missing any teeth on the little gears that advance the film. They are at the shiny rails top and bottom on the right side of the shutter...near the take up spool.

The counter reset when you opened up the back, you kept advancing the film and when it was the last of the roll, you forced it to rip the sprocket holes. Lesson learned. From now on when you load the film make sure its between the shiny rails, sometimes on these Olympus cameras it gets pinched between the rail and film pressure plate and feels tight when you wind it. (not that that's what happened to you.)
Just make sure there are no tiny bits of ripped film floating around inside of the camera Hold it pointing up and blow a bit of air into it (like canned air) to let anything like that fall out. It's tough to break these little tanks. I have 5 Oly Trip 35's and love them.

Try another roll, im sure it will be fine.
Who did you get it from?
Tripman?
Alan Smith?
Marco?
CreativeClimber?

 

[blockend]

That's why I have learned to check that the rewind knob is turning after I load the film. Even if you load the film it doesn't always catch properly on the take-up spool.

Yes and always. Some cameras have short clips in the take-up spool, and any pressure pulls the film out. If I'm unsure I close the back, advance a frame, and very gently rewind until I feel resistance. Then I wind on and expect to see the handle turn. If it doesn't I open the back and check what's going on.

Depending how many frames are advanced initially, films can yield a shot or two more or less than indicated on the box. It's easy to imagine a beginner locked up on frame 23 thinking, "but it said 24 on the film and.." Crunch. Or reach frame 25 and guess it was a 36 exposure film after all. The automated advance/rewind and compact camera revolution was based on the knowledge some people would never attain the mechanical sensitivity to work with manual film feed.

 

[OlyMan]

some people would never attain the mechanical sensitivity to work with manual film feed.

whole host of innovations over the years have been aimed at trying to make things less muppet-proof instead of forcing people to learn how to perform rudimentary basic tasks (physical and mental disabilities discounted of course). And now we've reached a stage where I have to ensure all the tins in my 90 year old father's kitchen are pull-ring because a proportion of his younger day-carers are unable to use a tin opener, be it electric or manual.

Sorry that was a bit off topic.

 

[Thomas Keidan]

UPDATE: I received the processed film today, I wish I could share with you guys but the file sizes are too large. There are a couple of nice pics which I'm quite excited about! Other than that most of them are out of focus so I obviously haven't got to grips with the rangefinder focusing yet! Thanks for responding and thanks for all the advice everyone! If anyone wants to see the pictures I would be happy to try and send them to you somehow!

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

Glad to read that you're happy with some of your pictures, but what happened with the 24/36 frames count issue? Didn't the negative reaveal anything?

 

[Thomas Keidan]

Glad to read that you're happy with some of your pictures, but what happened with the 24/36 frames count issue? Didn't the negative reaveal anything?

The people I sent it off to sent me 25 shots so I assume I managed to get 26 shots out of the roll and that the last one had multiple shots on it so they didn't bother sending it across!

 

[rpavich]

The people I sent it off to sent me 25 shots so I assume I managed to get 26 shots out of the roll and that the last one had multiple shots on it so they didn't bother sending it across!

That's great. So it did what was expected; all the shots came out, no tears, and only the last one got mangled.

Just make sure that there isn't any debris inside the camera and you are good to go. Those little sharp shards of film can get in anywhere!

 

[OlyMan]

And next time remember that when it says 24 shots on the roll that means don't just keep winding after you've passed 24 shots, expect the end to be near. Would be nice to see some of your better shots.

 

[Thomas Keidan]

And next time remember that when it says 24 shots on the roll that means don't just keep winding after you've passed 24 shots, expect the end to be near. Would be nice to see some of your better shots.

Will try and work out how to get them across to you, they're 'better' but still not great

 

[Thomas Keidan]

That's great. So it did what was expected; all the shots came out, no tears, and only the last one got mangled.

Just make sure that there isn't any debris inside the camera and you are good to go. Those little sharp shards of film can get in anywhere!

Thanks, i'll keep an eye out!

 

[rpavich]

I'd like to see some too. PM me for my email address. Please give details on how you shot them, I'm curious about your statement about them being out of focus. Rangefinders are really better at smaller apertures and longer distances to minimize the tiny out of focus errors that happen at short distances wide open. That's my experience anyway. They LIKE to be shot at f/16!

 

[Thomas Keidan]

UPDATE: I created a flickr just for you all! https://www.flickr.com/photos/141308401@N06/?

Go easy on me!

 

[rpavich]

UPDATE: I created a flickr just for you all! https://www.flickr.com/photos/141308401@N06/?

Go easy on me!

Hahah..I've seen worse. Being out of focus is part of learning a rangefinder. What aperture are you shooting at?

 

[Arbitrarium]

You're lucky the sprocket holes ripped when you wound past the end of the roll. The alternative is that the film gets pulled out of the canister and you need to use a darkroom to get the film back in a canister!

 

[removed account4]

nice pix !
have fun with your new toy
im sure you will get the hang of things soon
the most important thing to remember is
whenyou reach the end of the roll or winding
becomes difficult, don't force anything ..

 

[blockend]

whole host of innovations over the years have been aimed at trying to make things less muppet-proof instead of forcing people to learn how to perform rudimentary basic tasks

I wouldn't go that far. Bottom loading rangefinders require a certain aptitude, as do many cameras with a separate take up spool. I never found Leica's quick load system on the later M cameras intuitive. Some Nikkormats have a very short film insert. Eastern bloc SLRs had their own knack.

On mechanical cameras the user has to ensure the film is far enough in the holder, and is straight and both cogs engaged. With no excess. No small ask for a newbie. The first camera that made it foolproof was the Canon FTb, which has an additional plate that traps any film that's reached a marker. This system was adopted years later by most automated SLRs, with a keeper-roller on the door.

 

[Nodda Duma]

The people I sent it off to sent me 25 shots so I assume I managed to get 26 shots out of the roll and that the last one had multiple shots on it so they didn't bother sending it across!

Did you get your negatives back and have prints made?

Also, those photos are not a bad start!

 

[Thomas Keidan]

Did you get your negatives back and have prints made?

Also, those photos are not a bad start!

Didn't have prints made, I think negatives will arrive tomorrow... I paid extra to have them uploaded to dropbox before the CD arrives!

And thank you! Need to work on focusing!

 

[pentaxuser]

Didn't have prints made, I think negatives will arrive tomorrow... I paid extra to have them uploaded to dropbox before the CD arrives!

And thank you! Need to work on focusing!

I am confused. You said earlier that you had received the processed film but that the negatives will arrive tomorrow. What form did the processed film take if it wasn't negatives, do you get some kind of pictures electronically first ?

pentaxuser

 

[Thomas Keidan]

Sorry, I sent the film off to be processed yesterday, the lab processed them and then scanned them online for me. I should receive the physical roll of film as well as the images in a higher resolution on CD in the post tomorrow. Does this help?

 

[shutterfinger]

Looks like the object you focused on is in focus. Not bad for the first time out.
http://www.irfanview.com/ is a freeware image editor for Windows that is very popular. You should be able to resize images with it also.
Give it a try.