First time using Leicaflex SL, understanding why my 35mm film came back "unexposed"

[GianlucaG]

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Hi everyone,

I’m new to using the Leicaflex SL and recently had an issue with a roll of film I developed.

The lab told me the film was developed but showed no images — they said it was “not exposed” and had been “rewound incorrectly”. The person on the phone couldn’t really explain what “rewound incorrectly” meant. I plan to follow up tomorrow and ask if I can speak directly with the lab.

The Leicaflex SL loading process is a bit particular: first, you attach the film to the take-up spool, then you insert the cartridge into place. I wonder if that threw me off somehow.

I followed the loading process carefully: first attaching the film to the take-up spool, then inserting the canister.

I managed to shoot all 36 frames, cocked the shutter each time, checking the film roll advance by watching whether the film cartridge’s spindle rotated

When I rewound the roll (it took time), I opened the back, the film had been fully rewound into the cartridge, except for the final tail, which was still firmly attached to the take-up spool (as expected — I cut that part off.

Could this have happened because the film didn’t advance correctly, or maybe I loaded it the wrong way around (emulsion facing away from the shutter)?

Has anyone experienced something similar?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[bobtodrick]

If you did indeed check that the film was advancing by watching the rewind knob turn when advancing the film, then the film was in fact advancing.  If this is the case, and there are absolutely no images at all than either your shutter is not opening...or the lab had a mishap and isn''t taking responsibility.  I've been involved with photo labs for over 40 years...this is by no means unheard of,

So my only advice would be to ensure the shutter is working which is easy to verify by either opening the back or removing the lens and working the shutter at various speeds.  If it's working try running another film through the camera and see what develops (pun intended).

[Stuart Richardson]

When you get your film back, please post what it looks like here (even a iphone shot). If the film is clear, but the numbers are visible on the film clearly, then that means the film went through the camera and was never exposed, but the development was correct. If the image area is black but the area around it is clear and there are numbers visible, that means that the shutter is opening, but not closing properly, and the development was correct. If the film is completely clear with no numbers, that means the film was fixed without development. If the film is completely black, that means that the entire roll was exposed to light and then developed normally. One you have that information, it should make it easier to find out what happened.

[GianlucaG]

18 hours ago, Stuart Richardson said:

When you get your film back, please post what it looks like here

 

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[GianlucaG]

I tested the shutter, it works.

I was told that I loaded the film with the emulsion not facing the shutter. But it is not possible to fit the cartridge head down...

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello GianlucaG,

Welcome to the Forum.

If you take the lens off with the camera set to the shutter speed you were using when you exposed the roll of film previously.

And you wind the shutter & release it while you are looking at the mirror: Does the mirror fly up & then come back?

Best Regards,

Michael

Edited May 23 by Michael Geschlecht

[Stuart Richardson]

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Development looks normal other than the end, which is honestly something I have not seen before. But those dark and light streaks are definitely surging of chemicals, so something was happening in development. But it also looks like there were no images on the roll (otherwise the numbers would not be properly exposed). It does look to me like there must be a camera issue or loading issue. It does seem like loading the emulsion side away from the film could be possible. I believe this would place the opaque anti-halation layer in between the lens and emulsion, potentially preventing exposure. Given the loading is peculiar, I would suggest you get a cheap sacrificial roll and load it as you did last time. The glossy side should be facing you, and the flatter side facing the lens. You can find the German instructions here at least, but the illustration is not particularly clear, to be honest. https://www.cameramanuals.org/leica_pdf/leica_leicaflex_sl-anleitung.pdf

[250swb]

Even if possible shooting the film back to front would still make a photograph. 

I don't think it's necessarily one problem we are seeing.

But I'm wondering if the striations at the end of the roll aren't light leaks but instead the stress marks of damaged emulsion, meaning (as the lab says) that it hasn't been rewound correctly, perhaps by the rewind button not being pushed in, or it not working. Also worrying is what @GianlucaG says about rewinding the film, that the film leader was 'firmly attached to the take-up spool' and had to be cut off and which is taken as being a normal operation but it isn't, the film should just pull off the take-up spool. 

The blank frames are puzzling but I wonder if the the OP only checked to see if the first frame had advanced and didn't look again, and then perhaps the rewind button was somehow engaged, pushed-in, never released, and the camera was making multiple exposures on the same starting frame?

At very least the OP should download a manual for the camera  and make sure every step in the instructions was followed.

Edited May 23 by 250swb

[jankap]

Is this the camera in question?

https://www.cameramanuals.org/leica_pdf/leicaflex_sl.pdf

Edited May 23 by jankap

[GianlucaG]

7 hours ago, jankap said:

Is this the camera in question?

https://www.cameramanuals.org/leica_pdf/leicaflex_sl.pdf

Yes

[GianlucaG]

Yes

[GianlucaG]

This is a roll, shot with leica r 6.2, same loading of leicaflex sl, before going to lab. Does it look normal ?

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[GianlucaG]

21 minutes ago, GianlucaG said:

This is a roll, shot with leica r 6.2, same loading of leicaflex sl, before going to lab. Does it look normal ?

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I think, following step by step the uncommon loading procedure described in user manual, I succeded in loading the roll with cartdrige  in proper  position but emulsion not facing the shutter. Twice !

[GianlucaG]

Thank you all for your help. It seems that my interpretation of the loading procedure made me loading the film with emulsion not facing the shutter.

Thank you

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[Carlos cruz]

I don’t think it’s your fault from memory some older cameras, namely canon p gave negative similar curl (emulsion up) it could’ve caught person in the lab off guard (I believe that’s what we see at the end of your film, because it’s definitely caused by lab) what’s more concerning is total lack of photos, I’d double check camera with open back  against daylight at all shutter speeds before loading another film. 

[250swb]

4 hours ago, GianlucaG said:

I think, following step by step the uncommon loading procedure described in user manual, I succeded in loading the roll with cartdrige  in proper  position but emulsion not facing the shutter. Twice !

There's nothing uncommon about the loading procedure in the manual in the world of film photography. And as I previously said even if you loaded the film back to front with the emulsion facing the wrong way you'd still get a photograph. But you can't load the film back to front because even if the cassette could be fitted into the film bay upside down the film leader would then be at the top and the film take up tab is at the bottom so you'd never be able to load the film in the first place. You may have a faulty camera but whatever the fault may be is now being clouded in hogwash.

[Eclectic Man]

Can you show a picture of the camera back open with a film loaded?  It should be almost impossible to load it the wrong way round.

[GianlucaG]

On 5/23/2025 at 10:54 PM, 250swb said:

There's nothing uncommon about the loading procedure in the manual in the world of film photography. And as I previously said even if you loaded the film back to front with the emulsion facing the wrong way you'd still get a photograph. But you can't load the film back to front because even if the cassette could be fitted into the film bay upside down the film leader would then be at the top and the film take up tab is at the bottom so you'd never be able to load the film in the first place. You may have a faulty camera but whatever the fault may be is now being clouded in hogwash.

You are right. When loading again the R 6.2 I realizza that it is not possible to load the carttridge upside down. Now I'm shooting this (third) roll and checking the film advance.

Also, I requested the shop to send the second film (shot with 6.2) to a laboratory other than the one which processed the first roll, shot with leicaflex SL. We will see.

[jankap]

Also shoot a picture without a lens mounted at a long exposure time to see what is happening with the mirror.

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Hallo,

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