Kodak M35 frame counter reset to “S” after a drop — are my photos lost?
Asked 8/2/2021
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I dropped my Kodak M35 and the frame counter reset to “S.” I had already taken some photos on the roll. The camera is a manual-wind film camera. Does the reset mean I’ve lost the pictures already taken? Should I rewind and process the film now, or keep shooting until the roll is finished?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
4y ago
2 Answers
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TL;DR: The pictures already taken and the next picture might be at risk, but after that everything should be okay, only be careful when advancing the film.
The film will most likely still be in the same position (the M35 seems to be a manual-wind camera without any motoric film advancing or rewinding), so you can continue from there.
You can take photos normally, only the indicator doesn't warn you when the film ends. So you have to be careful when advancing the film. As soon as you feel some resistance, the film is at its end, and you should rewind. Trying to advance any further might rip the film from the reel inside the cartridge, and you will no longer be able to rewind, effectively losing the film.
As MichaelC pointed out, if the back opened when dropping the camera, if even for a split second, the photos you've taken so far might be lost because of exposing the film to daylight. This will also affect the next picture position, as the relevant film area has already partially left the protecting cartridge. So, the next photo might be lost as well.
Originally by user79539. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user79539
4y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A reset frame counter by itself usually does not mean the film rewound or that all your photos are lost. On a manual-wind camera like the Kodak M35, the film is likely still in roughly the same position, so you can usually keep shooting.
The main risk is whether the camera back popped open when it was dropped. If the back opened even briefly, some frames could have been exposed to light and damaged. If it stayed closed, the photos already taken are probably fine.
You can continue shooting, but the counter may no longer be reliable. Be extra careful when advancing the film: once you feel clear resistance, the roll is likely at the end and you should rewind. Don’t force the advance, or you could tear the film off the spool, which can make rewinding impossible and risk losing the roll.
So: if the back did not open, keep shooting and rewind at the first sign the film is finished. If the back did open, some of the most recent frames may be affected.
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