Rewind issues in my F100

[sterioma]

Hi,

with my last roll, my F100 could not rewind the film. When I pressed the two keys combination to rewind the film, I could see the "O_ _ " icon showing on the display, just a faint sound and nothing more.

After removing the film manually in the dark, I have replaced the (rechargeable) batteries with a fresh set. With the camera unloaded, I have tried to force a rewind, but the same as when the film was in: icon was showing, faint initial sound and then nothing.

Before I sacrifice one roll, can I expect to hear the engine rewind if the film is not in? I want to make one last attempt before calling the service.

As a note, I had never had any trouble using 1.2V rechargeable batteries up to now.

Thanks,
Stefano

 

[23mjm]

Look at the rewind fork--it is plastic and has had a habbit of breaking on that camera!!!!! I think it is an easy fix if you have a Nikon repair center close by, of ship it off to Nikon they will take some of your money and make it good.

 

[PhotoJim]

The very earliest F100s (probably the first year or so of production) had a weak plastic rewind fork. Nikon changed the design to a much stronger one and was willing to retrofit all existing ones at no charge. I doubt the no-charge update is available anymore, but if you had the original fork, this is your problem.

You can google - I'm sure someone somewhere has photographs of what each of the forks looks like. One has angled bits, and the other is much more square.

 

[sterioma]

Thanks for the tips. Yes, I have one of those early "triangular" plastic rewind fork, but no... it's not broken (at least it looks like this).

I am afraid it might be something more serious.

 

[Karl K]

Try this first, before you send it out for service

First, remove the batteries and leave them out for at least five minutes. Next, insert brand new batteries and make sure that you set the options on the automatic rewind to the default setting. Then, shoot off a test roll of film. The film should rewind completely into the cassette. If not, send the camera in.

 

[Mike Kennedy]

I'm with Karl.
Put in fresh,non-rechargable batteries.I've never had much luck with rechargables.Even big $$ ones.

 

[benjiboy]

I think one of the problems with rechargeable batteries is that they can make the voltage , but not the amperage, anyway Alkaline batteries are cheap enough to not bother especially when many equipment manufacturers don't recommend them, and say the use of them invalidated the warranty , I don't know if this is the case with the F100, but I never use them.

 

[23mjm]

Benjiboy---Actually Nn-MH batteries will give up the amps better---thats what thay have a faster recycle rate on strobes.

As far as rechargable batteries in the F100 I have been doing it for years and never had a problem. I normally get 12-16 rolls of 36 out of a set of 6 rechargable (have the grip). When the batteries are really low I have had the rewind stop mid-role, but when I put in freash ones and hit the 2 rewind buttons it finishes the role.

 

[ny_photog]

Thanks for the tips. Yes, I have one of those early "triangular" plastic rewind fork, but no... it's not broken (at least it looks like this).

I am afraid it might be something more serious.

I just checked my F100 here and I think you do have a problem with the rewind fork.

Your's look like they are un-even (i.e. one is shorter than the other).

Is that correct - or am I seeing it wrong?

Both "tines" of my "fork" are the same size.

If one of your tines broke off it would have been inside the film cannister so you probably wouldn't have noticed it at first.

 

[Snapshot]

Thanks for the tips. Yes, I have one of those early "triangular" plastic rewind fork, but no... it's not broken (at least it looks like this).

I am afraid it might be something more serious.

I have two F100s, one of them having the older fork. It appears your fork is fine.