My rewind knob on my IIIa doesn't rotate

[Nigel Craig]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I have an exposed practice film and I'm sure I've successfully loaded it after trimming leader to 28th sprocket hole and went through the process of advancing it until it got to the end and wouldn't advance any further. But the rewind knob didn't turn. I then successfully rewound leaving the end of the leader just outside the cassette for another go. I'm new to Leica of any sort by the way although I had a Halina 35X in my teens.

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Pyrogallol]

Try it again with your test film and leave the bottom of the camera off so you can see what is happening. The rewind knob must turn to indicate that the film is being pulled out of the cassette. Sometimes if the film is not correctly over the sprockets at the start you might think it is turning when it is just making a slight movement, but not fully.

when you have loaded the film take up the slack in the cassette by gently turning the rewind knob, but not so much that you pull the film out of the take up spool. When the film is correctly loaded the rewind knob will turn very clearly and as much as you are winding the film on.

Are you using normal commercially loaded cassettes or metal Leica reloadable ones?

Are you sure you got to the end of the film before rewinding, that shouldn’t be possible if the film wasn’t moving on.

Try looking at the cassette with the bottom of the camera off and the film loaded, you should see the cassette spool turning as you wind on. Did you remember to move the rewind lever to advance or rewind as appropriate?

[LocalHero1953]

38 minutes ago, Pyrogallol said:

Try it again with your test film and leave the bottom of the camera off so you can see what is happening. The rewind knob must turn to indicate that the film is being pulled out of the cassette. Sometimes if the film is not correctly over the sprockets at the start you might think it is turning when it is just making a slight movement, but not fully.

when you have loaded the film take up the slack in the cassette by gently turning the rewind knob, but not so much that you pull the film out of the take up spool. When the film is correctly loaded the rewind knob will turn very clearly and as much as you are winding the film on.

Are you using normal commercially loaded cassettes or metal Leica reloadable ones?

Are you sure you got to the end of the film before rewinding, that shouldn’t be possible if the film wasn’t moving on.

Try looking at the cassette with the bottom of the camera off and the film loaded, you should see the cassette spool turning as you wind on. Did you remember to move the rewind lever to advance or rewind as appropriate?

I think I have failed to do all those things at one time or another in the last 6 months.