Dropped OM2, won’t rewind…

Raymond Lin

Raymond Lin

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So this happened.

I had a strap attached but I think the metal links came undone somehow. I still had the wrist strap on but camera on the floor.

Unfortunately the camera looks like it’ll be a paperweight. Which is fine, but I want to keep the film inside. I’ve actually finished the roll of 36 for my 1 roll for Japan project…the back never came open so it’s still intact.

So what do I do? Any film labs to recommend?

OM2 wise I’ll keep as a nice paperweight, I’ll get a new one later on to replace it with.


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If you haven't got a changing bag...

Go to your bedroom, close the curtains and put two or three blankets on the bed, close the door and switch off light(s). Get under the blankets and give yourself a couple of minutes for your eyes to adapt. If you still can't see anything, open the back and carefully pull out the cassette. Holding the cassette at right angles to the camera, so that the film is free of the sprockets, you should now be able to wind the film back into the cassette by turning the stub of spool that sticks out of the bottom. It's long and laborious but it will do the trick eventually.

Remember, having given your eyes time to adapt, if you can see anything, it's not dark enough.
 
Oh that hurts.
As needs must, at night, curtains drawn, lights off, under a duvet , stay there for a few minutes and if your eyes still can't see any light, press the rewind button, open the camera back, pull out film and cassette, manually rewind film into cassette.
You are not going to use it again so probably best to sort things out when you get back home, in the mean time take the opportunity to go used camera shopping whilst on holiday.


Edit: As per Andrew above. Note to self, when the pop up re new posts happens whilst you are typing, do as it says and find out what has just been posted. :)
 
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Raymond Lin said:
So this happened.
...
So what do I do? Any film labs to recommend?
Click to expand...

I would suggest Filmdev, which many folk on here use. Good quality, rapid turnaround, web download of scans. If it's your only roll and a subject that's important to you, might as well go for large scans, would be £10 inc postage back for the negatives. Annoyingly, the film is technically a tiny bit too large for Large Letter when you post it out to them...
 
ChrisR said:
I would suggest Filmdev, which many folk on here use. Good quality, rapid turnaround, web download of scans. If it's your only roll and a subject that's important to you, might as well go for large scans, would be £10 inc postage back for the negatives. Annoyingly, the film is technically a tiny bit too large for Large Letter when you post it out to them...
Click to expand...

Emailed them but they told me they don’t do slide.
 
Bought a dark room bag thing from Amazon, will go into the cupboard under the stairs at night to take the film out, hopefully it’s not ruined.
 
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Raymond Lin said:
Bought a dark room bag thing from Amazon, will go into the cupboard under the stairs at night to take the film out, hopefully it’s not ruined.
Click to expand...

If it's a normal changing bag, it will be light tight and you can extract the film in a more comfortable space.
 
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StephenM said:
If it's a normal changing bag, it will be light tight and you can extract the film in a more comfortable space.
Click to expand...
And have someone with you, in case you need another tool/item after you have opened the camera :)
 
Sangoma said:
And have someone with you, in case you need another tool/item after you have opened the camera :)
Click to expand...

There wouldn't be.....I guess I will put in a small piler inside the bag in case I need to rip something....lol. The camera is a goner anyway and I already plan to get an OM-2N to replace it with.
 
Should be fine:)

Steve's advice is good, and you should be prepared, but if the back opens OK there hopefully won't be a problem.
 
Raymond Lin said:
There wouldn't be.....I guess I will put in a small piler inside the bag in case I need to rip something....lol. The camera is a goner anyway and I already plan to get an OM-2N to replace it with.
Click to expand...
And a screwdriver to lever, and a spare cassette to wind the film on in case the one in there is damaged won't come out :)

Problem is, if there is a problem, you don't know what you need until you need it.

Hope it goes well any way
 
StephenM said:
If it's a normal changing bag, it will be light tight and you can extract the film in a more comfortable space.
Click to expand...

Don't tell him that. We all know he should be seated cross legged and facing in an easterly direction on the third Tuesday of the month. :D
 
Raymond Lin said:
Bought a dark room bag thing from Amazon, will go into the cupboard under the stairs at night to take the film out, hopefully it’s not ruined.
Click to expand...
I would suggest that anyone using film has one. Mine's about 50 years old and still light tight! :naughty:
 
FishyFish said:
Having a light tight container you can put inside the dark-bag withe everything else is a good idea. That way, if you hit a problem and the film is loose, you can put everything in the container before taking your arms out of the bag (which will let light in).
Click to expand...
A developing tank with no spiral works well :)
 
ah crap....

I got a bag, opened it inside the bag....wind it by hand a bit noticed the film went in, put it inside a plastic container that it came with and took everything out of the bag and check the camera...

Then see half the film still in the camera on the other end. I then recall in the moment i wind it, without turning the R-lock dial....and tear the whole thing in half !

So that was all wasted.....ah well. I have the same photo pretty much digitally anyway. Expensive lesson learned!
 
Sangoma said:
A developing tank with no spiral works well :)
Click to expand...
With a Paterson tank, you need the core to make it light tight.

Hmmm... loose film, core without spiral, fitting lid by touch - :thinking:

:naughty:
 
AndrewFlannigan said:
With a Paterson tank, you need the core to make it light tight.

Hmmm... loose film, core without spiral, fitting lid by touch - :thinking:

:naughty:
Click to expand...
I'm sure it is light tight once the lid is on, I don't think anything will get passed the grey cap.
I've done it before when the spiral jammed, put the film in the tank while I unstuck the ratchet balls. (probably the only time I have been please the film winds itself up when let go)

And the lid is fitted by touch every time a film is loaded. :)


Sorry to hear the OP's extraction didn't go as hoped though
 
Raymond Lin said:
ah crap....

I got a bag, opened it inside the bag....wind it by hand a bit noticed the film went in, put it inside a plastic container that it came with and took everything out of the bag and check the camera...

Then see half the film still in the camera on the other end. I then recall in the moment i wind it, without turning the R-lock dial....and tear the whole thing in half !

So that was all wasted.....ah well. I have the same photo pretty much digitally anyway. Expensive lesson learned!
Click to expand...
Ho Hum...
:(
It happens when we are frustrated, we do things that we don't remember until it is too late to rescue the situation. Thanks for concluding the thread however embarrassing it is now. (y)
 
zx9 said:
Ho Hum...
:(
It happens when we are frustrated, we do things that we don't remember until it is too late to rescue the situation. Thanks for concluding the thread however embarrassing it is now. (y)
Click to expand...

Also, I notice the door doesn't align right with the camera, there is a slant somewhere....either top or bottom, certainly a bigger gap than ought to be. So it might not have been light tight from the drop.

Either way...just things.
 
Sangoma said:
I'm sure it is light tight once the lid is on, I don't think anything will get passed the grey cap.
Click to expand...
You're right. For some reason the grey cap just... well... greyed out of my head. :headbang:
 
Raymond Lin said:
Also, I notice the door doesn't align right with the camera, there is a slant somewhere....either top or bottom, certainly a bigger gap than ought to be. So it might not have been light tight from the drop.

Either way...just things.
Click to expand...
Hope you have better luck with your OM2-N!
 
Had a closer look at the OM2, the top of the winding mechanism is very bent but the door doesn’t line up with the body properly…either the top plate is skewed or the hinges is off axis. It doesn’t shut with ease but need a little push down for it to close. I think I’ll just save it as a decoration piece.

Bought a FM2 as replacement.
 
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