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Message |
    
Carolvr
Tinkerer
Username: Carolvr
Post Number: 1
Registered: 04-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 20, 2012 - 02:49 pm: | 
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I need some help with my Minolta XG M. I'm not a very experienced user and I'm panicking here. So I finish all the 36 shots, push the rewind button on the bottom (nothing happens), unfold the rewind crank and still nothing happens. No tension, nothing. I just roll and roll and it stays the same.
I am desperate because I put a lot of effort into these shots for my photography class and I'm afraid I'll lose them. Is it a problem with the button, the rewind crank or the film itself?
Thank you. |
Br1078lum
Tinkerer
Username: Br1078lum
Post Number: 291
Registered: 11-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 20, 2012 - 06:59 pm: |
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Are you sure that the film was actually exposed? Maybe it slipped off the take-up spool, and you never really took any pictures. The other possibility is you snapped the film out of the cannister with a monster wind on the last frame, and now you've got a loose roll of film on the take-up spool.
If you don't have a changing bag, get a heavy winter coat, go into a dark room with the camera, an empty BLACK film container, and the coat. Place the camera and film container inside the coat, turning the collar and bottom so they are closed off, and the button/zipper side is facing down. Turn off the room lights. Place your arms into the sleeves of the coat, and you now have a changing bag. Open the camera, and see if the film is on the take-up spool, or back inside the cannister. If it's on the take-up spool, hit the rewind button, and pull the film off the spool. Then roll the film up tightly, and place it inside the BLACK container. Cap it off, and take it to the developers.
If the film is still in the film cannister, then you don't have a problem with the camera, just the way you loaded it. If you have a film catcher, you can pull the leader back out, and use it again, starting a few frames into the roll so you don't have any light-struck portion in use. If you don't have a film catcher, then take it to the developers, and they can pull the leader back out for you.
PF |
Carolvr
Tinkerer
Username: Carolvr
Post Number: 2
Registered: 04-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 21, 2012 - 01:18 am: |
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I think the first possibility is correct, because I just realized I could always rewind the crank freely without pushing the rewind button (and now I feel embarrassed.)
Thank you very much. |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 1202
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 21, 2012 - 01:15 pm: |
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Hey, at least you had film in it! I once discovered (on a plane, on the way home from a business trip that had included some important photos) that I'd spent the whole trip shooting with an empty camera! It's even more embarrassing when you have to phone someone and ask him to go in and take your photos over for you......
: )= |
John_s
Tinkerer
Username: John_s
Post Number: 84
Registered: 07-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 21, 2012 - 01:41 pm: |
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Don't worry, most people have done this at some point.
After engaging the film with the take up spool, closing the back and starting to wind, I always carefully turn the rewind handle backwards to take up any slack in the film canister. Then when you wind on you should see the rewind handle turning as well, making sure the film is advancing correctly. |
Br1078lum
Tinkerer
Username: Br1078lum
Post Number: 294
Registered: 11-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 21, 2012 - 03:48 pm: |
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As demonstrated by the above posts, it happens to everyone at some point, me included. Just try and familiarize yourself with the loading proceedure for your particular camera. If you don't have an owners manual for it, one might be available at http://www.butkus.org/chinon/
Happy shooting with your Minolta! There is some great glass with that system.
PF |
Michael_linn
Tinkerer
Username: Michael_linn
Post Number: 62
Registered: 04-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 21, 2012 - 09:20 pm: |
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We have all done it.
Now you have an unexposed 36 exposure cartridge with the film wound inside. There is a device available for a couple of dollars which will pull the leader out and you can try it again! |
Carolvr
Tinkerer
Username: Carolvr
Post Number: 3
Registered: 04-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 22, 2012 - 04:40 am: |
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Thanks everyone for the great advice! I'll now start again, at least the film is still useable. |
Mikeb
Tinkerer
Username: Mikeb
Post Number: 16
Registered: 12-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 - 07:06 pm: |
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The last time I did this was 20 something years ago. Took the camera in to the photo shop where they took it into the dark room to retrieve the film. I was pretty embarassed when they brought the camera back out and said there was no film in it. I learned my lesson, haven't done it since! |
