Minolta XG-M spacing issue

Hello all,

Did some searching on this site and others, and didn't see anything on this topic.

I am helping a new-to-film photographer and looks like the XG-M in question has uneven spacing. Some frames are slightly overlapped, and there are a few wide gaps between frames. Not chronic and not repeatable. Seems a bit random. Is something slipping in the advance mechanism? Or could the new-to-film person have made an error in loading the film? I am not familiar enough with this camera to make suggestions. I'm hoping the XG-M is similar to other Minolta manual focus cameras of the late 1970s through mid 1980s. Any comments much appreciated.

A CLA will correct that problems and some others that have not raised their ugly heads. Plus replace the light seals.

An instruction manual is available here: http://www.cameramanuals.org/minolta_pdf/minolta_xg-m.pdf
With the back open place a thumb on the take up and operate the advance lever several times. Verify the take up turns each time without slippage.
Check the guide sprockets for chipped or broken teeth. The sprocket shaft if geared to the film advance should turn each advance without any slippage.
If this checks good instruct the student in proper usage of the camera to ensure the student is moving the advance lever to the end of its movement each time they advance to the next frame.

Thanks for the suggestion on a CLA. Agree that it would be helpful.

Also thanks for the test to diagnose the take up spool and sprockets. That's a good one.

I could see the film advance coming up short if there was a problem with the advance system - even an intermittent partial depression of the release button for rewinding the film. But I don't see anything obvious to cause overly large advances. Well, perhaps if the sprocket drive were disengaged (for example, the release button stuck in), and IF the windup spool has enough "power" to pull the film through on its own.

Something I would do early in the troubleshooting process would be to sacrifice a roll of film, advancing it through with the camera back open. I'd be carefully watching the length of each film advance (mark each with a pen, or perhaps count sprockets and make sure they align at the same point every time.

Is it possible that they are not getting a full stroke on the film advance lever, or something like that, and have to take another stroke, while at the same time the camera is not locking out the advance once it has gone far enough?