Leica M6 reloading a roll of film

[Shanil]

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Hi guys,

I'm a film & leica m6 newbie (it was my late fathers, which i'm trying to learn how to use). I thought I loaded a roll of film correctly as the rewind knob was rotating correctly and I shot about 7 frames. Then I dropped the camera, took it to Leica Store and they couldn't see any problems with it. However I noticed when trying to take pictures the rewind knob was no longer rotating so I think the film became loose from the sprocket. I wound the film up and took it out & loaded in a new roll which seems to be working fine.

 

My question is the roll I wound up with only 7 shots, can I use that again? and how would I do so w/o double exposures?

Thanks in advance

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[jaapv]

By putting a lens cap on the lens.

[Topsy]

Yes, it was common in the old days. You need to reload the film then as jaapv says put your lens cap on (and set 1/1000 sec (not essential)) then shoot your seven frames again (and frame 8 to account for potential overlap) then you are good to go again.

[Tom R]

Depending upon how much of the old leader is visible, you might invest in a film-retriever, which is an inexpensive flexible metal clip that, with practice, will find the beginning of the film leader within the canister by a series of revolutions (see the instructions that will be included with the device).

Naturally, if the film leader is still visible then proceed as the previous posters have said ... I usually add an extra "insurance" exposure (with the lens obstructed) between the last and the next frame you intend to expose.

[Shanil]

Thank you all. Very helpful advice for the newbie I am

[davidmknoble]

2 hours ago, Shanil said:

Thank you all. Very helpful advice for the newbie I am

If you want to play some with film and get serious, I would consider getting a black bag.  It is the size of a small plastic grocery bag, with double zippers on one end and to arm holes, like a jacket on the other end.  You put things in the bag, zip it up and put your arms in, then you have a light tight bag.  I use it to put rolls of black and white film on reels and into tanks for development.  The other thing that may have happened to your film on the first roll is potentially a torn sprocket hole, so the film would not move.  Black and white film is not terribly expensive and if the pictures are important, I would just develop it and discard the rest...

Here is an example from BH Photo.  It’s small enough you can put it in a medium sized camera bag to travel, or just through it in a suitcase...  Or just easy to store at home.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/253370-REG/Paterson_PTP125.html/?ap=y&ap=y&smp=y&smp=y&lsft=BI%3A514&gclid=Cj0KCQiAwP3yBRCkARIsAABGiPpQ6o4uO9r5pm_tzUSYv-lvhdT7PMTV5c1vaGQfq8siW0JAkJYPBLoaAvZgEALw_wcB

[Topsy]

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10 minutes ago, davidmknoble said:

If you want to play some with film and get serious, I would consider getting a black bag.  It is the size of a small plastic grocery bag, with double zippers on one end and to arm holes, like a jacket on the other end.  You put things in the bag, zip it up and put your arms in, then you have a light tight bag.  I use it to put rolls of black and white film on reels and into tanks for development.  The other thing that may have happened to your film on the first roll is potentially a torn sprocket hole, so the film would not move.  Black and white film is not terribly expensive and if the pictures are important, I would just develop it and discard the rest...

Here is an example from BH Photo.  It’s small enough you can put it in a medium sized camera bag to travel, or just through it in a suitcase...  Or just easy to store at home.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/253370-REG/Paterson_PTP125.html/?ap=y&ap=y&smp=y&smp=y&lsft=BI%3A514&gclid=Cj0KCQiAwP3yBRCkARIsAABGiPpQ6o4uO9r5pm_tzUSYv-lvhdT7PMTV5c1vaGQfq8siW0JAkJYPBLoaAvZgEALw_wcB

I have to say that in all the years I was shooting film we never went to these lengths and never had a problem. As I said back when film was all there was if you didn't have multiple bodies swapping mid roll was common, never a black bag to be seen. Nowadays I am back to shooting film alongside digital and have already (before getting my second M) swapped film mid roll.

[davidmknoble]

1 hour ago, Topsy said:

I have to say that in all the years I was shooting film we never went to these lengths and never had a problem. As I said back when film was all there was if you didn't have multiple bodies swapping mid roll was common, never a black bag to be seen. Nowadays I am back to shooting film alongside digital and have already (before getting my second M) swapped film mid roll.

I'm not saying there will be a problem.  Honestly, I still have more trouble in airports than anything else - even with lead-lined bags some international airports refuse to pass the film without going through x-rays and I sometimes get banding on the film as a result.

What we know about film is there are multiple things that can go wrong and ruin a roll - open the back before rewinding, accidentally opening the canister before it's fully developed, or just using the wrong times for development or other chemicals.

So, if you are really careful, probably no issues.  As soon as you are in a hurry, and didn't quite get the lens cap all the way on, and you were shooting higher ISO film, it is possible to ruin the film.  It all comes back to how careful you are, and how important the image is...  Thats all.  If you don't develop your own film, maybe you don't want to invest the $30 USD.  That's ok.

[tommonego@gmail.com]

Did you try to tighten the rewind knob? I have had a camera loaded with the rewind knob moving and the have the film unwind in the film canister, the rewind knob stop but all the film gets used. You have instructions if you want to take the film out, You can always just take random pictures and see if the wind stops at 37. If it doesn't your first thought was correct, if it does you're fine and have learned something about your camera. I have had cameras slip the film after 1 or 2 pictures but after 7 everything should be fine. One other thing you seem to be sure you only did 7 pictures. Did you have the film developed? If you did you of course can't use the developed film.

[250swb]

On 3/1/2020 at 7:52 PM, Shanil said:

My question is the roll I wound up with only 7 shots, can I use that again? and how would I do so w/o double exposures?

Thanks in advance

If you have the film leader load it as normal, set the lens to f/16 and the shutter speed to 1000th then with your hand tightly over the lens make ten or eleven blank exposures, this should hopefully leave enough space on the roll to miss the seven you've already taken. Then carry on shooting.

Edited March 5, 2020 by 250swb

[atournas]

I often do that on an M6, but I take a bit more precautions.

Lens set to 16 (or 22) with the cap on of course; eye on the viewfinder as if I take a picture (or cover it otherwise----a lot of light may go into the camera through that); wind the film used frames +1; while doing that, I set the speed to slow speeds like 1, 1/2 etc, for it's an opportunity to work out such slow speeds.

Better acting nervously than destroying a good shot! 

[Topsy]

36 minutes ago, atournas said:

I often do that on an M6, but I take a bit more precautions.

Lens set to 16 (or 22) with the cap on of course; eye on the viewfinder as if I take a picture (or cover it otherwise----a lot of light may go into the camera through that); wind the film used frames +1; while doing that, I set the speed to slow speeds like 1, 1/2 etc, for it's an opportunity to work out such slow speeds.

Better acting nervously than destroying a good shot! 

Never heard of light getting into an M camera via the eyepiece. 

[atournas]

1 hour ago, Topsy said:

Never heard of light getting into an M camera via the eyepiece. 

Neither did I, until after inserting a partly used film in the M6 I got hazed shots on the film's starting end. As I couldn't think of any other source (I was careful when reloading it), I decided to cover the viewfinder as well. 

Although Leica Rs have a different construction, they are equipped with a built-in blind in their viewfinder; that made me suspicious.

[Topsy]

1 hour ago, atournas said:

Neither did I, until after inserting a partly used film in the M6 I got hazed shots on the film's starting end. As I couldn't think of any other source (I was careful when reloading it), I decided to cover the viewfinder as well. 

Although Leica Rs have a different construction, they are equipped with a built-in blind in their viewfinder; that made me suspicious.

But the rangefinder system is in a different compartment and sealed from the film chamber (otherwise the film would fog all the time), on the other hand SLRs are renowned for leaking light through the pentaprism on long exposures. Perhaps there was another reason for your light leak ? I can't see how it could be from the viewfinder at all.

[Graham (G4FUJ)]

Neither can I!

[atournas]

1 hour ago, Topsy said:

But the rangefinder system is in a different compartment and sealed from the film chamber (otherwise the film would fog all the time), on the other hand SLRs are renowned for leaking light through the pentaprism on long exposures. Perhaps there was another reason for your light leak ? I can't see how it could be from the viewfinder at all.

Topsy, I can't disagree with your comments regarding different M's construction. Perhaps it was sth else that caused the fogging on that film. It's only human I guess to be too careful sometimes! Thanks for the time you took to respond to my post.

[Topsy]

9 minutes ago, atournas said:

Topsy, I can't disagree with your comments regarding different M's construction. Perhaps it was sth else that caused the fogging on that film. It's only human I guess to be too careful sometimes! Thanks for the time you took to respond to my post.

No worries mate, not trying to be awkward just trying to understand. Thanks. There may be others on here with more tech knowledge that can shed light, always willing to learn.

[250swb]

Regarding light getting in through the viewfinder or eyepiece, consider this. There is a tripod socket, there is a thread in the release button for a cable release, there is sometimes a self timer, these things encourage the photographer to stand away from the camera when making a photograph, and yet in all the years Leica have been making rangefinder cameras they never thought to introduce a blind or mention in the manual the possibility of light leaking in. Should it exist a fundamental problem like that would be fully documented as a fact and not fantasy.

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[earleygallery]

20 hours ago, Topsy said:

But the rangefinder system is in a different compartment and sealed from the film chamber (otherwise the film would fog all the time), on the other hand SLRs are renowned for leaking light through the pentaprism on long exposures. Perhaps there was another reason for your light leak ? I can't see how it could be from the viewfinder at all.

It's to do with how the camera is assembled inside - there are light seals/baffles which can perish/fail over time (probably newer materials are more stable so more of an issue with older M's).