Help! Ricoh XR-M won’t load film

[Michaela14]

Hi everyone,

My Ricoh XR-M 35mm camera recently started refusing to load film. I load the film correctly and close the back, but the camera thinks it’s still empty. It loads the film automatically, and from what I can tell, there isn’t a way for me to load it manually. Any ideas about how to solve this issue? I’m traveling aboard, so sending or taking it in isn’t an option right now.

New to PhotoTrio and appreciate the help!

 

[John Koehrer]

Is the rewind button on the bottom stuck down? That will cause it. Sometimes if you turn the sprocket backwards
it'll pop out

 

[Michaela14]

No, I learned it was still working the hard way when I tested it with a new roll of film in, and the camera rewound the film leader.

 

[Michaela14]

@John Rereading this and not sure if I understood the part you referred to. This is what the inside of the camera looks like. Is there something I can test or check here? Vs. the rewind button on the outside of the camera, which is what I had tried previously.

 

[Michaela14]

 

[MattKing]

I see some detritus on the contacts near the bottom. Try gently cleaning there and any other similar contacts with a soft cloth and something like a toothpick.
Oh, and welcome to Photrio.

 

[shutterfinger]

Auto load cameras have sensors under the take up and if blocked with debris the camera will not load film. Blow out the takeup chamber with canned air being careful not to shake the canned air can while in use.
The contacts along the bottom are for the data back.

 

[Bud Hamblen]

Many autoload 35s have an infrared photoemitter-photosensor pair that counts sprocket holes when the film advances. There could be something blocking that infrared light path, or the electronics could have failed and the camera is now a brick. :-(