Film not winding (Nikon FM2)

[livyaugusta]

Hello - I'm new here and was hoping some of you might be able to help with this as all the camera shops are closed!

I have a Nikon FM2n and I'm having problems getting the film to wind onto the spool once I close the camera back. When I load it, I advance it a few times and see it winding onto the spool no problem. As soon as I close the camera back, I'm pretty sure it stops winding - there is no friction when I turn the lever to advance the film, and no movement from the rewind knob.

I've just consigned my current film to the junk and experimented with it in the dark under a coat - I opened the back, advanced the lever, felt the film move (and friction on the lever). Closed the back - zero friction on the lever.

I was once told it was working if the rewind knob moved, but I think this camera's rewind knob is a little tricksy; it doesn't move at all. But oddly enough, I gently turn it counter-clockwise as far as it will go after every shot to tighten it, and although it doesn't move at all, after each new shot it has some leeway to move back counter-clockwise again.

I wonder if anyone else has had a similar problem and might be able to suggest something I could be doing wrong? It's so frustrating shooting and then the lever provides no resistance because I've no idea if the photos are being shot. I wondered if maybe I'm overthinking it and others have shot a film successfully where there was no friction whatsoever.

Thank you for any advice!

 

[dennyr]

Put the film in and keep the back open so you can see what is happening.
if the rewind knob is not moving with each advance, the film is not moving.
Watch it with the film back open.

 

[Space Face]

Hello.

 

[Tballphoto]

You still have the roll of film that wont feed correct?

TRY IT IN ANOTHER CAMERA.

I have a cannon camera that would not feed the only roll of fujifilm color film i tried in it, i just assumed it was a bad matching of tolerances in the cutting machine that put the notches in the film and the tolerance on the film advancing teeth in the camera.