Wnding puzzle, missing frames plus extra frames

[Nevik]

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My first roll through a M camera has got me a bit puzzled. 

I shot it and was surprised to see that after number 36 came up in the frame counter  (M4P) I still managed to rattle of half a dozen more shots.

Suspecting I did something wrong, the second roll I loaded I wound on further before refitting the base, same thing again, 36 comes up yet I get to fire off a load more.

I have only processed the first roll and was expecting to see overlapping frames but no all are nicely spaced and the full roll is exposed, so I thought it must just be a counter problem and thought no more of it. It only dawned on me last night that the first 1/2 a dozen I had taken were not on the film.

So whats going on here, is it me? if there is a clutch problem why would it sort itself out after a few shots.

The film I have now loaded, upon loading I marked it to see if it advanced a full frame and yes it did, so I'm really confused.

Seeking enlightenment,

Cheers,

 

Kev.

[michaelwj]

I'm confused. When you say the first 1/2 dozen we're not on the film, what do you mean? Were they overlapping one another on the leader, or was the leader (past the obviously exposed part) clear?

You say this is your first M camera. For new users, sometimes a miss load is possible. Next time check with the back door closed that it is advancing, and then put the base plate on and make sure the rewind knob (two red dots or the angled M4 type) are moving as the film is drawn out of the canister.

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[earleygallery]

Sounds like you mis loaded and the film 'caught' after you wound on 6 times.

 

It's normal to squeeze an extra couple of frames from a roll but not 6.

[Nevik]

earleygallery, my first thought too, thats why on the second roll (now about to process) I made sure it was moving through ok before replacing the base.

Still a bit odd I'm sure its me, I must be getting something wrong the Pan F I processed is looking a bit flat, I must be the first person ever to look at a roll of Pan F and think the shadows are ok but the highlights could of had a bit more! :-)

[01af]

With my Leica M-A, I constantly and reliably get 38 frames out of every regular 135-36 roll of 35-mm film. The trick is not to wind the film several times before closing the bottom plate.

 

The following should work with every Leica M4 and later M model. First, make sure the shutter isn't cocked half-way from the last attempt to advance to the next frame on the previous roll. So cock the shutter and fire it. Then push the new roll into the camera according to the diagram on the camera's bottom. Make sure the film is properly positioned. That's crucial! The lower film rail must be visible under the film across the opening in the back when the flap is open, and the upper and lower transport sprocket wheels on the right (between film window and take-up spool) must catch the film's sprocket holes. Do not wind yet.

 

Close the bottom plate. Wind once (i. e. 1×) and fire. Pull out the rewind crank or knob and rewind the film carefully until some resistance is felt. If the resistance is fairly solid then wind once again (1×) and see the crank/knob rotating. Now the frame counter is at zero, and the camera is ready to take the first capture. It is not required to wind on until the frame counter is at one.

 

The most-common mistake is to close the bottom plate and to start winding the film before it is properly aligned with the film rails and sprockets. A slightly mis-aligned roll may catch on the sprocket wheel after a few advances—this probably is what happened to the original poster.

 

 

[250swb]

Make sure the rewind lever on the front of the camera is returning to vertical and not pointed to 'R'. It should do it automatically when the shutter is first cocked after rewinding a film, but if it is stuck the clutch will not engage when you cock the shutter. Or perhaps you have an errant finger, the same finger that beginners use to make the focus patch disappear, but maybe this time you are keeping the lever pushed over?