Nikon FM2 advance lever stuck at frame 28 — film end or camera problem?
Asked 7/14/2019
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2 answers
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My Nikon FM2 has film loaded, but the advance lever will not cock and it stopped around frame 28. Could this just mean the roll is finished, or does it suggest a loading error, bad film, or a camera fault? What is the safest way to handle it without losing the photos already on the roll?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
7
What you need to do first of all is wind the film out of the camera the normal way.
Then one of two things will be true:
- when you look at the film can it will be a 24-exposure roll and there is in fact no problem;
- you load another roll, it jams again and you now know there's some problem with the camera which you need to get someone to look at.
Originally by user82065. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user82065
7y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Most likely, the first thing to assume is that the roll may simply be finished. A “24 exposure” roll often yields around that point depending on loading and frame spacing.
Safest approach: rewind the film normally and get it out of the camera before troubleshooting anything else. Protecting the exposed frames is the priority.
Then check what happens next:
- If the cassette turns out to be a 24-exposure roll, there may be no problem at all.
- Load another roll and test the camera. If it jams again at a similar point, the camera likely needs service.
If normal rewind is also stuck, avoid opening the camera in light. Use a changing bag if possible, then carefully open the back and manually recover the film so you don’t fog your images.
After processing, the film can give clues:
- Many blank/overexposed frames at the start can mean too much leader was used during loading.
- Unexposed frames left at the end can suggest the film never advanced correctly.
So: rewind first, save the shots, then test with another roll to tell whether it was normal film end, loading technique, or a camera issue.
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