Olympus OM-1 Destroying film

[3r3bus]

Hello everyone, I am fairly new here (just made the account) and today I found an Olympus OM-1 at a goodwill for 80$, I absolutely love the camera, but it seems to be destroying film. The first roll was ripped in half when I tried to reel it in (EDIT: turns out I am just an idiot and missed the "film release" knob... whoops ) and the second time, the film roll broke and refused to reel in, this time I was smart and turned the lights off, and ruined half of the film roll when I tried to fix it. I am using fujifilm rolls that were 5 bucks a piece, so I am not very happy that it broke them, Surprisingly, everything else works perfectly with the camera, so I am thanking the Goodwill gods, but at the same time levying many curses against the fujifilm a$$holes. On a side note, does anyone have any advice on what sort of film I should be using? I REALLY want to get some good pics

 

[john.margetts]

My advice is to go to Butkus's site and down load the manual - and read it.

Film is tough stuff and if it broke you are doing something very wrong. I have been using film for 45-odd years and have never had the film break.

 

[Olympian]

To rewind the film, you must turn the rewind release tab, just below the release button on the front of the top cover, horizontally. Most models have a tiny arrow to show which way to rotate the rewind release tab. This will disengage the film winding mechanism to allow you to turn the film back into the cassette by turning the rewind knob clockwise ONLY. (Don't turn it backwards, the rewind knob WILL unscrew!) Don't force it -- if you can't turn the rewind release tab easily, something is wrong -- corrosion or something. Or you're turing it the wrong direction!

Once the film is rewound and removed, the rewind release tab should pop back to vertical during the next wind stroke of the film winding lever. If not, again, something's wrong (see above).

Oh, and when loading film into the camera, be sure to put the tip of the film leader INTO but NOT THROUGH the takeup spool. If you push it THROUGH the takeup spool, the film wrapped around the spool will get too big too soon and push back against the pressure plate, sometimes causing the film to jump a tooth on the sprocket now and then near the end of the roll, resulting in overlapping frames after 20 or so shots.

 

[dxqcanada]

I have never encountered/heard of a film being manufactured so poorly that it would easily tear when rewinding ... sorry but the problem is either with the winding/release mechanism or the user.

 

[Olympian]

I have never encountered/heard of a film being manufactured so poorly that it would easily tear when rewinding ... sorry but the problem is either with the winding/release mechanism or the user.

Most cameras of the era had a button on the bottom to press to let you rewind the film -- if you didn't, you'd strip the sprocket holes down the length of the film, or you'd rip the film in half! Early OM's (1, 2, 1n, 2n) used a release tab on the front instead. Later OM models (2S, 3, 4, etc.) had the rewind release button on the top cover to release the film for rewinding.

(Curiously, we did some tests way back when -- there are actually lots of variables in film "strength". As I recall, color films were strongest (don't remember which were better, slide or negative), while some b&w films were down right flimsy (filmsy? .)

I see you use/used an XA -- I've seen many XA's where film rewinding was attempted without pressing the rewind button on the bottom. Inevitably, the "fork" of the rewind shaft got broken off, often with internal damage to the collar that held the rewind shaft.

One curious problem we encountered only on models such as the OM-10, OM-G, etc, where the rewind knob and shaft were "locked" together ( i.e., the knob wouldn't unscrew if turned backwards). On those, it IS possible to rewind the film BACKWARDS into the cassette (if you push hard enough!). This resulted in what we termed "stress exposure", where it appeared that light rays would extend from the corners of the sprocket holes, outside the focal aperture and across the images. This was due to the extreme angle the film was forced to navigate as it bent backwards into the cassette.

 

[vintagesnaps]

I've somehow managed to rip some sprocket holes in some film in some camera sometime... but don't remember how or in what camera. Sounds like something sure isn't advancing or releasing properly.

Since you now have ripped up, already-been-exposed film, what about trying to put maybe a strip of it back in the camera and leaving the back door open to watch and see what happens after you release the shutter button and advance the lever to advance the film? Maybe you can see what jams or doesn't move or whatever is causing this. Or do you have a local camera store to take it in and have it looked at?

 

[omtech]

Film is very hard to break. I would chalk this up to user error. I agree, find an owners manual and follow loading procedure closely.

 

[webestang64]

Hello everyone, I am fairly new here (just made the account) and today I found an Olympus OM-1 at a goodwill for 80$, I absolutely love the camera, but it seems to be destroying film. The first roll was ripped in half when I tried to reel it in (EDIT: turns out I am just an idiot and missed the "film release" knob... whoops ) and the second time, the film roll broke and refused to reel in, this time I was smart and turned the lights off, and ruined half of the film roll when I tried to fix it. I am using fujifilm rolls that were 5 bucks a piece, so I am not very happy that it broke them, Surprisingly, everything else works perfectly with the camera, so I am thanking the Goodwill gods, but at the same time levying many curses against the fujifilm a$$holes. On a side note, does anyone have any advice on what sort of film I should be using? I REALLY want to get some good pics

Read the manual........... http://mattsclassiccameras.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Oly_OM_1.pdf

 

[omtech]

Hello everyone, I am fairly new here (just made the account) and today I found an Olympus OM-1 at a goodwill for 80$, I absolutely love the camera, but it seems to be destroying film. The first roll was ripped in half when I tried to reel it in (EDIT: turns out I am just an idiot and missed the "film release" knob... whoops ) and the second time, the film roll broke and refused to reel in, this time I was smart and turned the lights off, and ruined half of the film roll when I tried to fix it. I am using fujifilm rolls that were 5 bucks a piece, so I am not very happy that it broke them, Surprisingly, everything else works perfectly with the camera, so I am thanking the Goodwill gods, but at the same time levying many curses against the fujifilm a$$holes. On a side note, does anyone have any advice on what sort of film I should be using? I REALLY want to get some good pics

Sounds like you night have rewound the film in the wrong direction. This forces the film into a sharp right angle, and wind it backwards on the spool in the cassette. As you look at the top of the camera, rewind knob must be turned clockwise to rewind the film (note tiny arrow on underside of rewind handle). Next thing that happens is the rewind knob will unscrew from the shaft and fall off. OR, the rewind release lever is not working and forcing the rewind with the sprocket engaged ripped the film.