Pentax 645 film loading problems

feistykitten · Apr 28, 2015

Super excited because my Pentax 645 arrived today. Having a little problem though. I loaded the camera and clicked the shutter button, it advances to 1 but it keeps making a winding sound and doesn't stop. It looks like film is trying to wind backwards and the film indicator light is on too. Did I install the film wrong or do you think it's something else? TIA!

GRHazelton · Apr 28, 2015

First off, is the the original 645 or the 645n or 645nii? Do you have the instruction manual? Check this site http://www.butkus.org/chinon/pentax.htm where you'll find downloadable manuals for all three. And send Mike a little money so he can keep up the good work!

My guess is that you've made an error in film loading. If that isn't the case there may be a flaw in the camera. My first 645n had to go back to KEH, but now all is lovely. You'll love the camera when you get it sorted out.

Any other users out there?

pentaxuser · Apr 28, 2015

I have a P645N, GR, but until we know what the OP has, my comments might be worthless. For what it is worth the P645N inserts seem relatively easy to load. My only caveat is that if the OP is used to a folder then the Pentax insert requires the user to recognise that the backing paper has to be behind the film and not in front of it as the insert faces forward so the film is exposed and not covered by the backing paper so you see the black of the backing paper and not the printed side with numbers as you would with a folder with a red window but anyway this caveat may have no bearing on the OP's problem as described.

I can only say that with my P645N I have never experienced the problem described by the OP. I don't recall any film indicator light on my P645N.

pentaxuser

feistykitten · Apr 28, 2015

Thanks for your help. I have the original P645. I want to believe I loaded the film wrong but I'm just not seeing what I did. If I dry-fire, it clicks like normal but when I but the film back in, it'll click and then the make a winding sound. The film doesn't seem to be advancing at all.

pentaxuser · Apr 28, 2015

Sorry I am really out now as I don't have a P645 but depending on whom you bought the camera from I'd want to be thinking about alerting the seller about the problem very soon and keeping a record of what you did to solve the problem such as asking for experienced users' advice.

I hope it is something simple but expecting and anticipating the worse( i.e. you have been sold a defective camera) is sensible to me

pentaxuser

feistykitten · Apr 28, 2015

pentaxuser said:
Sorry I am really out now as I don't have a P645 but depending on whom you bought the camera from I'd want to be thinking about alerting the seller about the problem very soon and keeping a record of what you did to solve the problem such as asking for experienced users' advice.

I hope it is something simple but expecting and anticipating the worse( i.e. you have been sold a defective camera) is sensible to me

pentaxuser

Thanks for your help! I did contact the seller and currently awaiting his reply. I think there is a problem with the camera not recognizing the film back, possibly a contact issue. I read through the manual and on page 16 describes exactly what's happening but I don't know if/how to remedy the problem.

benveniste · Apr 28, 2015

I wish I had better news for you.

After buying a Pentax 645n, I sold my Pentax 645 and the buyer complained of a similar issue. With my camera, though, the film wouldn't quit winding. I gave the buyer a full refund and brought it into S.K. Grimes (the Boston operation) and after six weeks they announced that they couldn't repair it. I ended up selling it for parts, which just about covered the extra two shipping fees.

feistykitten · Apr 28, 2015

benveniste said:
I wish I had better news for you.

After buying a Pentax 645n, I sold my Pentax 645 and the buyer complained of a similar issue. With my camera, though, the film wouldn't quit winding. I gave the buyer a full refund and brought it into S.K. Grimes (the Boston operation) and after six weeks they announced that they couldn't repair it. I ended up selling it for parts, which just about covered the extra two shipping fees.

Thanks for your thoughts. I did hear back from the seller and he said "The camera back seems to have trouble advancing the film. It almost was if the gears on the camera/film back were not reaching the gears of the camera body. When I attach the film back to the body of the camera with a roll of film threaded on it, the camera would try to engage the camera back to advance the film with no luck. " Is this he problem you old camera was having too? Do you think it's repairable or should I send it back? Thanks!

pentaxuser · Apr 29, 2015

It is your call but if the seller is as good as admitting that there is a problem with the camera I'd be inclined to get a refund and start again. You will know the seller's integrity better than any of us who haven't dealt with that person but the danger is that if this ends up as an interminable back and forth correspondence between you and the seller then there is a danger that at the point you wish to call it a day and ask for a refund the seller's attitude has changed and your money has become his/hers in the seller's mind.

Best of luck

pentaxuser

benveniste · Apr 30, 2015

It's probably repairable if you can find a "donor" 645 that's broken in some other way, but I don't see real benefit in accepting that risk. Personally, I'd send it back.

MattKing · Apr 30, 2015

It may just be a problem with the film holder, and not the camera itself.

Can you access another holder to try?

feistykitten · Apr 30, 2015

pentaxuser said:
It is your call but if the seller is as good as admitting that there is a problem with the camera I'd be inclined to get a refund and start again. You will know the seller's integrity better than any of us who haven't dealt with that person but the danger is that if this ends up as an interminable back and forth correspondence between you and the seller then there is a danger that at the point you wish to call it a day and ask for a refund the seller's attitude has changed and your money has become his/hers in the seller's mind.

Best of luck

pentaxuser

Thanks for your advice. The lens is immaculate and I wanted to keep it, so the seller agreed to a partial refund and the seller let me keep the whole thing. Thanks again.

feistykitten · Apr 30, 2015

benveniste said:
It's probably repairable if you can find a "donor" 645 that's broken in some other way, but I don't see real benefit in accepting that risk. Personally, I'd send it back.

Thanks for the advice. I got a partial refund from the seller.

feistykitten · Apr 30, 2015

MattKing said:
It may just be a problem with the film holder, and not the camera itself.

Can you access another holder to try?

I wish I had another holder to try and see if it's a problem with the holder and not the actual camera. I would hate to purchase another body to find out the problem was actually the holder and not the camera. I only really need one body. LOL Thanks for the suggestion.

Pentax 645 film loading problems

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