Hey!
I’m working with an Olympus OM2. It’s been working fine for years but yesterday when I tried to release the film, the rewind release tab wouldn’t work and when I tried to wind the film back, it didn’t move at all. The rewind release tab moves but doesn’t seem to want to actually release the film. I determinedly wound the lever for a while but obviously nothing happened. I even checked in the dark room to make sure the film wasn’t unwinding or broke. Any advice on how to fix this? I’m really at a loss at what to do. I took some great nature shots it would be a shame to loose this roll of film.
thanks
It's possible for the rewind release mechanism to fail, but the first issue is the film, right?
If the problem is that the rewind release just won't stay horizontal, you should be able to hold it that way and free the sprocket so the film can be rewound. They sometimes wear out like that. It's a pain, but not insurmountable to do that with every roll of film. But if that doesn't free the sprocket, you've got trouble.
If the rewind knob turns freely, it could be that the film wasn't loaded properly in the first place (can happen to anyone!), or it could be that the film has been torn from the cassette. Did you notice that the rewind knob turned as you wound the camera? That's the only way to tell if the film is moving through the camera -- the counter moves whether the film does or not. To check, you'll need to open the camera in total darkness (see below).
If you can't turn the rewind knob at all (clockwise only!), that's a good sign -- at least, you're not likely to loose all your shots! Saving the film would require dark room time, though. Or a changing bag. Before you go there, you might want to obtain an empty reloadable cassette with a bit of tape in case the film is torn out of the original cassette, though. Just in case.
Open the camera in absolute darkness, and feel inside the back of the camera to see if the film is still inside the original cassette and is wrapped around the camera's take-up spool. If the film is intact (not torn out of the original cassette), lift the rewind knob and remove the cassette, pulling the film away from the camera's sprocket. You can then gently turn the cassette's spool by hand and rewind the film into the cassette manually -- the take-up spool should slip, even if the sprocket isn't disengaged. If the take-up spool doesn't slip, that's a different problem (see below again!).
If the film's been torn from the original cassette, you will need to tape the end of the film that's wrapped around the take-up onto the spool from the reloadable cassette, insert it into the new cassette, seal it, and rewind it by hand into the new cassette.
Once the film is safely out, its' time to check the camera. With the back open and the rewind release on the front of the camera turned horizontally, you should be able to turn the sprocket freely with a finger. If not, either the rewind release is broken, or the sprocket is. Replacing a fractured sprocket is heavy duty -- hope it's just a worn out rewind release! If it's not either of these, try turning the slotted take-up spool -- it should slip with moderate pressure. If it doesn't, it's clutch may be worn out. Again, a pain, but repairable.
