Practika LTL: Film Advancing Issue

[mop]

Hi,

I'm new here and to analog Photography. I already searched the Forums and the net, but couldn't find anything useful for my issue.

Got a used Practika LTL a couple weeks ago. Loaded the first film, developed it and realized I only got about 25 instead of 36 pictures from it.

The gaps between the pictures on the negative seem to widen the more the camera advances the film.

I tried to find out why by watching what happens to the film with the back open.

The advancer seems to work just fine (the spool on the right turns exactly the same whenever I use the lever).
So I figured it might be an issue with the film's tension. But I have no idea how to fix it.

Any suggestions? Is this a common problem with this sort of camera?
Is it fixable? Or should I just get a another camera? (got it pretty cheap, 10€)

Thanks for your help.

 

[Ian Grant]

Hi and welcome.

IWas it definitely a 36 exposure film ? there ate 24 exposure films too.

Unfortunately the build quality of Practika's isn't the best and so if it was a 36ex it maybe that the wind mechanism is worn and malfunctioning, it would cost far more to get it repaired than it would to fine a decent second hand SLR.

Ian

 

[mop]

Yes it was definitely a 36 exp. Film (Ilford HP5).

Your solution (getting another camera) is probably the most reasonable, thank you for your advice.

Still, I'd like to understand what's going wrong (even if its not easily fixable, just for the sake of knowing and understanding).

Also it's possible to rewind the film without having pressed the rewind button on the bottom of the camera. This can't be right either, can it?

 

[naeroscatu]

To my knowledge the film cannot be rewind without pushing the rewind button on the bottom of the camera. I had bad experiences with most of my Prakticas (I have six out of which only two are in working order). As Ian said they are not famous for quality, they are cheap so I won't bother to fix or understand. If you want to learn how to fix cameras by all means open it up buy a good repair book and go for it. By the way we have a sub-forum dedicated to building and fixing manual cameras, I'm sure people reading there are more knowledgeable. Welcome to APUG.