some people may hate 35mm because of this but its a love hate relationship for me

removed account4 · Jun 29, 2014

after exposing what i thought were 72 frames in my penFT
and realizing the film wasn't winding on the take up spool the whole time
it was both a relief and a drag when i removed the spool.

i didn't have anything important on the film ... just happysnaps
so i didn't loose anything i saw stuff and got ideas and didn't worry about it.
it was the intermediary step between just looking/and exposing ..

some people may hate when this happen but next time the film will be in there right ...

Les Sarile · Jun 29, 2014

You mean people hate it when they make a mistake from not knowing how to use their gear properly . . .

cliveh · Jun 29, 2014

That's why it is worth wasting one or two shots at the start of the film to make sure the film is tracking properly. What you describe should never happen.

Gerald C Koch · Jun 29, 2014

For manual cameras, after loading a roll tension the film by use of the rewind knob and hold it in position with a finger. Then when you advance the film does the rewind knob rotate? This practice soon becomes second nature.

cliveh · Jun 29, 2014

Gerald C Koch said:
For manual cameras, after loading a roll tension the film by use of the rewind knob and hold it in position with a finger. Then when you advance the film does the rewind knob rotate? This practice soon becomes second nature.

Quite, this is very good advice.

blockend · Jun 29, 2014

After loading and winding on two frames, gently take up the slack with the rewind handle. No resistance, no film on the take up spool. As soon as you feel tension, stop winding.

Sirius Glass · Jun 29, 2014

What you have experienced is called an Operator Assisted Failure which is called OAF. The usage is "The OAF did this or the OAF did that." In this case the OAF did not load the film correctly.

With 35mm film after loading, wind the rewind spool to take up the slack. After a few frames the rewind spool will turn every time the film is advanced.

eddie · Jun 29, 2014

jnanian said:
i saw stuff and got ideas...

While properly loading the film would have been preferable, it doesn't seem like a total loss to me. Exercising your senses (especially visual) is never a waste of time.

Kawaiithulhu · Jun 29, 2014

May as well just change the title to "... hate film loading mistakes because..."

Because it's more often than not in an M
Because it's more embarrassing in 120
Because it's more time consuming in 4x5
Because it's more messy in whole plate

ambaker · Jun 29, 2014

It can happen in digit@l too. Drove 35 miles to do some long exposure night shots. Got home, no memory card. Got the no card warning turned on now.

Managed it in 35mm as well. Mid roll rewind is a favorite. It takes an extra step to leave a film tab out. Wouldn't have been so bad, except I tried it to see how it worked, with the only roll of film I had with me.

I also have a special fondness for 35mm rangefinders. Much easier to leave the lens cap on the entire roll, at an air show.

Not managed it in medium format... Yet.

I imagine that when I croak, it will be something I did...

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

removed account4 · Jun 29, 2014

les, clive and gerald, blockend

i am well aware of how to use / load my pen ft
sometimes the clutch does not work unless the tongue is fee all the way in ..
i feed in the tongue, advance the film close the back
tense the rewind knob and sometimes it doesn'tpick up the slack ... no biggie

it happens maybe 1ce a year, and last saturday at whitey/s
it was the magic day !
i say magic because i don't really think not making exposures is anything to be too upset about
it didn't work this time, but i reloaded another roll and it seems to be working fine ..
and seeing the 1ce a year happened i am FREE of it until next year ..

and Kawaiithulhu sometimes it is magical when the film doesn't take up
this is the only camera i have ever had take up mirages .. besides
there is nothing wrong with seeing and not exposing, i have done that for years.
only today i didn't realize i was doing it ...

i don't hate film loading mistakes at all, but it is love/hate because
while it is easy to hate the fact the film didn't take up, it is easier to love
because it is practice in seeing and practice makes perfect ( or so they say ) ..

Les Sarile · Jun 29, 2014

In your defense, the rewind arm of the Olympus Pen is so elegantly made that one can easily miss seeing it turn with each film advance. And of course at half frame, there isn't much travel either. If in fact the clutch is slipping, then perhaps service is needed. For me, I may not care about the roll of film or processing but the effort - and cost, associated with shooting 72 frames is worth much more.

Kawaiithulhu · Jun 29, 2014

I'm laughing with you, definitely not at you I've done similar on 35mm (didn't tape the bulk load well and why am I getting 50+ shots on this roll?), 120 (same as you, film didn't seat on the take-up spool) and 4x5 (what do you mean I forgot to pull the dark slide, close the shutter, set the aperture, knocked the focus, kicked the tripod, wound the FP shutter)

Each I've only done once. So far. Pain is necessary for true learning

Soon I'm looking forwards to what do you mean I didn't (lock the tilt, close the Packard, tighten the tripod head, wait what ISO film is in this holder?)

Dshambli · Jun 29, 2014

Absolutely been there. It's a real pain with my TLRs. But I've done it with 35mm too. I was once shooting a project for class and had to go back and do the entire thing again.

removed account4 · Jun 29, 2014

yeah, live is lived through making mistakes

sometimes they are dumb, and you know so many people
make them i thought it was kind of dumb luck to have made
such a silly mistake, after nearly 40 years of loading a 35mm camera

kind of like last year when i tried to develop 6 exquisitely exposed dry plates
in alum hardener instead of developer
gotta love it !

removed account4 · Jun 29, 2014

Les Sarile said:
In your defense, the rewind arm of the Olympus Pen is so elegantly made that one can easily miss seeing it turn with each film advance. And of course at half frame, there isn't much travel either. If in fact the clutch is slipping, then perhaps service is needed. For me, I may not care about the roll of film or processing but the effort - and cost, associated with shooting 72 frames is worth much more.

yeah, that camera is a beauty ! its a pretty camera
had the clutch replace a year or 2 ago it was a wicked case of
"user error"

Les Sarile · Jun 29, 2014

Of course the sure indicator of film advance is the rewind arm turning with each film advance. It is even harder to tell on the Konica Auto-Reflex - my other half/full frame SLR, as the rewind lever stays put and only the base of the rewind mechanism turns.

BTW, like Kawaiithulhu, I too am laughing with you as I recall having done the same but with perfectly good working cameras. One time was using a Nikon F3 that I put the flash back on - which covers the rewind arm so I can't see it turn with the film advance . . .

Xmas · Jun 30, 2014

Gerald C Koch said:
For manual cameras, after loading a roll tension the film by use of the rewind knob and hold it in position with a finger. Then when you advance the film does the rewind knob rotate? This practice soon becomes second nature.

The old school technique is to load the cassette and before closing door or fitting base plate

to pin film to film rail - with thumb - or
with bottom loader to pin take up spool

and then wind rewind knob until you feel film tighten

Then close camera or fit baseplate.

Then fire blank frames checking rewind knob keeps turning.

When you are shooting it is still a good idea to check the rewind knob is still turning.

And even if you know the camera is empty wind the rewind knob before opening camera...

Or winding on removing lens and firing frame at B.

Don't ask how I know this. Carrying a small changing bag or spare body is useful as well.

Zorro

Bill Burk · Jun 30, 2014

I keep track of these... Otherwise, how would I find the photo of the mother bear and cub that I got between, or the next night, the bare bulb flash shots of the same cub up in the tree our food was hanging on, with mother pushing him up.

6403 NONEXISTENT, ROLL DID NOT LOAD

xtolsniffer · Jun 30, 2014

Yep, done that. Wanted some nice close-ups of a White rhino in a zoo I visit once a year, just the eyes and the horn when it was in its indoor holding pen. Three of the past years, the rhino was out of the pen. This year, perfect! Nikon F3 loaded with Delta 3200, ran through a whole roll, kept my eye on the counter, got to 37, rewound, hmmm, that rewound quite fast. Developed it anyway, all blank, film hadn't wound on as it wasn't loaded properly. And I ALWAYS check too! Dang!!!

blockend · Jun 30, 2014

I've made plenty of mistakes. Once left the lens cap on a hired Hasselblad Superwide for a paid job. I could see people in the group shot smirking and couldn't work out why. I had to go back and do it all again. Embarrassment. Lesson: never use unfamiliar equipment for professional work.

I've loaded a few 120 backs the wrong way round, too. Lesson: never hurry when under time pressure.

Dshambli · Jun 30, 2014

I almost forgot about the time that I realized it might not be taking up the film, so I tried to rewind it to make sure. I rewound it all the way back into the cartridge leaving myself filmless.

removed account4 · Jun 30, 2014

Dshambli said:
I almost forgot about the time that I realized it might not be taking up the film, so I tried to rewind it to make sure. I rewound it all the way back into the cartridge leaving myself filmless.

lol
i did that with this roll too ...
now i have to put in a roll your own cartridge and try to remember what it is
i think i have a roll of tmz i did this with the last time.

some people may hate 35mm because of this but its a love hate relationship for me

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