Pentax 67 help - stuck at the end of the roll

bmorexbklyn · 03-14-2020, 04:27 PM

Hi everyone,

I just snapped the 10th frame on my Pentax 67 and turned the film advance lever. There was suddenly no resistance and the numbers on the dial no longer advanced to finish winding up the roll. I looked at the bottom of the camera and realized the film retainer knob had somehow turned to the unlocked position. The knob is stuck - I can lift it out a bit but it won’t turn at all. Does anyone know what to do about this? Should I take it to a lab to have them save the roll in a developing dark bag? Is this a sign something is wrong with my camera or did I just accidentally catch the knob on something and unlock it? Thanks in advance for all your help!

bmorexbklyn · 03-14-2020, 05:44 PM

PS: Here’s the knob position if it’s helpful

Silent Street · 03-14-2020, 05:52 PM - **2 Likes**

When you have reached frame 10 and exposed it, that is the end of the roll (for 120 film), and the winding mechanism and shutter disengage, hence the "freewheeling" feel of the wind-on lever. The shutter will not fire, and there is no wind-on when the roll is finished, nor when the back is opened.

Open the back and remove the exposed roll, taking care to wind the lever on until the end of the leader is reached, then tape it into position. Pull down the clasp at the bottom of the camera and release the roll. At this stage, if you are loading a new roll of film, leave the release catch at the bottom in the down/open position and load the film, turn it a couple of times until the film is seated, then set it to the closed position. Any force placed on the catches (left or right) or the winding mechanism can cause more problems, so avoid this.

EDIT
The clasp shown in you photo is not correctly seated in the flat groove visible at the 12.00 position. When loading the film, the clasp is rotated slightly until it closes, flush into the groove. Winding then begins until frame 1 is reached.

The orange dot on the clasp must be aligned with the orange dot on the base to effectively lock it in place and stop it rotating.

bmorexbklyn · 03-14-2020, 07:16 PM

Originally posted by Silent Street

When you have reached frame 10 and exposed it, that is the end of the roll (for 120 film), and the winding mechanism and shutter disengage, hence the "freewheeling" feel of the wind-on lever. The shutter will not fire, and there is no wind-on when the roll is finished, nor when the back is opened.

Open the back and remove the exposed roll, taking care to wind the lever on until the end of the leader is reached, then tape it into position. Pull down the clasp at the bottom of the camera and release the roll. At this stage, if you are loading a new roll of film, leave the release catch at the bottom in the down/open position and load the film, turn it a couple of times until the film is seated, then set it to the closed position. Any force placed on the catches (left or right) or the winding mechanism can cause more problems, so avoid this.

EDIT
The clasp shown in you photo is not correctly seated in the flat groove visible at the 12.00 position. When loading the film, the clasp is rotated slightly until it closes, flush into the groove. Winding then begins until frame 1 is reached.

The orange dot on the clasp must be aligned with the orange dot on the base to effectively lock it in place and stop it rotating.

Thanks so much! Just to clarify, the clasp was correctly seated in the groove and the camera was working properly (at least as far as I know) for the rest of the roll of film - it was only when I fired the final frame that the rewind lever stopped giving any tension and I saw the clasp had come undone and shifted out of alignment

Silent Street · 03-14-2020, 08:49 PM - **1 Like**

ˆYes, there is a possibility the clasp can be lifted up accidentally e.g. by catching on something, and going unnoticed -- I have had this happen to me. What is shown in the photograph you posted is also a very common error when people new to this camera are loading or unloading film. There is no harm in putting a piece of tape over the clasp if you think this will provide peace of mind when there is a lot of moving about and possiblity, however present or remote, of the clasp being interfered with.

bmorexbklyn · 03-15-2020, 11:04 AM

Originally posted by Silent Street

ˆYes, there is a possibility the clasp can be lifted up accidentally e.g. by catching on something, and going unnoticed -- I have had this happen to me. What is shown in the photograph you posted is also a very common error when people new to this camera are loading or unloading film. There is no harm in putting a piece of tape over the clasp if you think this will provide peace of mind when there is a lot of moving about and possiblity, however present or remote, of the clasp being interfered with.

Thank you! The tape is a good idea.When this happens, what do you do to fix the situation? Do I need to get a dark bag to not ruin the film when I open the back of the camera?

Silent Street · 03-15-2020, 02:50 PM

If the film has wound on each frame until you get to #10, when there will be no resistance normally encountered, the back can be opened and the film removed (being careful to rotate the roll with the film wind-on lever to find the end of the leader and tape it down tightly before removing from the chamber.

The position of the clasp to me does not suggest that it has not engaged the lower end of the take-up spool in the camera during use, so on that assumption, go for it and unload, if you want to, doing so in a darkened room with the camera inside a jumper.

johnha · 03-25-2020, 01:16 AM

Each time I load my 6x7s I struggle to get the latches seated and secured, not sure why. I hadn't thought about them coming undone. Thanks for the info on how to sort it out should it arise.

Gfinny · 07-10-2023, 03:56 PM

Originally posted by Silent Street

When you have reached frame 10 and exposed it, that is the end of the roll (for 120 film), and the winding mechanism and shutter disengage, hence the "freewheeling" feel of the wind-on lever. The shutter will not fire, and there is no wind-on when the roll is finished, nor when the back is opened.

Open the back and remove the exposed roll, taking care to wind the lever on until the end of the leader is reached, then tape it into position. Pull down the clasp at the bottom of the camera and release the roll. At this stage, if you are loading a new roll of film, leave the release catch at the bottom in the down/open position and load the film, turn it a couple of times until the film is seated, then set it to the closed position. Any force placed on the catches (left or right) or the winding mechanism can cause more problems, so avoid this.

EDIT
The clasp shown in you photo is not correctly seated in the flat groove visible at the 12.00 position. When loading the film, the clasp is rotated slightly until it closes, flush into the groove. Winding then begins until frame 1 is reached.

The orange dot on the clasp must be aligned with the orange dot on the base to effectively lock it in place and stop it rotating.

I've been shooting my 67 recently and when I get to the end of the roll I don't get the "freewheeling" you mentioned. I still have to advance the film and fire the shutter to wind the film back up. Is there a reason for this? Or had a similar experience.

Silent Street · 07-10-2023, 04:21 PM

Originally posted by Gfinny

I've been shooting my 67 recently and when I get to the end of the roll I don't get the "freewheeling" you mentioned. I still have to advance the film and fire the shutter to wind the film back up. Is there a reason for this? Or had a similar experience.

Frame #10 is the end of the roll, in 120 format.
The shutter cannot fire after frame 10, but it can if you have the format set to 220 and using 120 film! That is something to check.
Once wound on and the leader has disengaged from the left hand side of the camera, that is when the 'freewheeling' will be noticed (or loss of tension, as you are essentially just lightly winding on the end of the roll to the take-up spool). The shutter is also disengaged on completion of the last frame of the respective film format.

Both roll and take-up clasps should be checked and double checked once the film is loaded and before the back is closed to ensure they are set and locked down correctly.

Gfinny · 07-10-2023, 06:15 PM

Originally posted by Silent Street

Frame #10 is the end of the roll, in 120 format.
The shutter cannot fire after frame 10, but it can if you have the format set to 220 and using 120 film! That is something to check.
Once wound on and the leader has disengaged from the left hand side of the camera, that is when the 'freewheeling' will be noticed (or loss of tension, as you are essentially just lightly winding on the end of the roll to the take-up spool). The shutter is also disengaged on completion of the last frame of the respective film format.

Both roll and take-up clasps should be checked and double checked once the film is loaded and before the back is closed to ensure they are set and locked down correctly.

Thank you. After I finish the roll in the camera I will double and triple check the selectors. This only started after I had a roll of 220 in it.

Silent Street · 07-10-2023, 08:16 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Gfinny

Thank you. After I finish the roll in the camera I will double and triple check the selectors. This only started after I had a roll of 220 in it.

The pressure plate on the inside back cover must be set to the film format, also the switch on the right hand side of the camera (viewed from behind).
I suspect you are using 220 format in 120 setting.

Gfinny · 07-11-2023, 05:22 PM

Originally posted by Silent Street

The pressure plate on the inside back cover must be set to the film format, also the switch on the right hand side of the camera (viewed from behind).
I suspect you are using 220 format in 120 setting.

Both the back and selector switch say I'm using 120, could it be internal and didn't switch back?

03-14-2020, 05:52 PM - 2 Likes	#3
Silent Street Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Castlemaine, Victoria, AUS Photos: Albums Posts: 1,151	When you have reached frame 10 and exposed it, that is the end of the roll (for 120 film), and the winding mechanism and shutter disengage, hence the "freewheeling" feel of the wind-on lever. The shutter will not fire, and there is no wind-on when the roll is finished, nor when the back is opened. Open the back and remove the exposed roll, taking care to wind the lever on until the end of the leader is reached, then tape it into position. Pull down the clasp at the bottom of the camera and release the roll. At this stage, if you are loading a new roll of film, leave the release catch at the bottom in the down/open position and load the film, turn it a couple of times until the film is seated, then set it to the closed position. Any force placed on the catches (left or right) or the winding mechanism can cause more problems, so avoid this. EDIT The clasp shown in you photo is not correctly seated in the flat groove visible at the 12.00 position. When loading the film, the clasp is rotated slightly until it closes, flush into the groove. Winding then begins until frame 1 is reached. The orange dot on the clasp must be aligned with the orange dot on the base to effectively lock it in place and stop it rotating. Last edited by Silent Street; 03-14-2020 at 06:10 PM.

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03-14-2020, 04:27 PM	#1
bmorexbklyn New Member Join Date: Mar 2020 Posts: 4	Pentax 67 help - stuck at the end of the roll Hi everyone, I just snapped the 10th frame on my Pentax 67 and turned the film advance lever. There was suddenly no resistance and the numbers on the dial no longer advanced to finish winding up the roll. I looked at the bottom of the camera and realized the film retainer knob had somehow turned to the unlocked position. The knob is stuck - I can lift it out a bit but it won’t turn at all. Does anyone know what to do about this? Should I take it to a lab to have them save the roll in a developing dark bag? Is this a sign something is wrong with my camera or did I just accidentally catch the knob on something and unlock it? Thanks in advance for all your help!

03-14-2020, 05:44 PM	#2
bmorexbklyn New Member Join Date: Mar 2020 Posts: 4 Original Poster	PS: Here’s the knob position if it’s helpful

03-14-2020, 07:16 PM	#4
bmorexbklyn New Member Join Date: Mar 2020 Posts: 4 Original Poster	Originally posted by Silent Street When you have reached frame 10 and exposed it, that is the end of the roll (for 120 film), and the winding mechanism and shutter disengage, hence the "freewheeling" feel of the wind-on lever. The shutter will not fire, and there is no wind-on when the roll is finished, nor when the back is opened. Open the back and remove the exposed roll, taking care to wind the lever on until the end of the leader is reached, then tape it into position. Pull down the clasp at the bottom of the camera and release the roll. At this stage, if you are loading a new roll of film, leave the release catch at the bottom in the down/open position and load the film, turn it a couple of times until the film is seated, then set it to the closed position. Any force placed on the catches (left or right) or the winding mechanism can cause more problems, so avoid this. EDIT The clasp shown in you photo is not correctly seated in the flat groove visible at the 12.00 position. When loading the film, the clasp is rotated slightly until it closes, flush into the groove. Winding then begins until frame 1 is reached. The orange dot on the clasp must be aligned with the orange dot on the base to effectively lock it in place and stop it rotating. Thanks so much! Just to clarify, the clasp was correctly seated in the groove and the camera was working properly (at least as far as I know) for the rest of the roll of film - it was only when I fired the final frame that the rewind lever stopped giving any tension and I saw the clasp had come undone and shifted out of alignment

03-14-2020, 08:49 PM - 1 Like	#5
Silent Street Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Castlemaine, Victoria, AUS Photos: Albums Posts: 1,151	ˆYes, there is a possibility the clasp can be lifted up accidentally e.g. by catching on something, and going unnoticed -- I have had this happen to me. What is shown in the photograph you posted is also a very common error when people new to this camera are loading or unloading film. There is no harm in putting a piece of tape over the clasp if you think this will provide peace of mind when there is a lot of moving about and possiblity, however present or remote, of the clasp being interfered with.

03-15-2020, 11:04 AM	#6
bmorexbklyn New Member Join Date: Mar 2020 Posts: 4 Original Poster	Originally posted by Silent Street ˆYes, there is a possibility the clasp can be lifted up accidentally e.g. by catching on something, and going unnoticed -- I have had this happen to me. What is shown in the photograph you posted is also a very common error when people new to this camera are loading or unloading film. There is no harm in putting a piece of tape over the clasp if you think this will provide peace of mind when there is a lot of moving about and possiblity, however present or remote, of the clasp being interfered with. Thank you! The tape is a good idea.When this happens, what do you do to fix the situation? Do I need to get a dark bag to not ruin the film when I open the back of the camera?

03-15-2020, 02:50 PM	#7
Silent Street Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Castlemaine, Victoria, AUS Photos: Albums Posts: 1,151	If the film has wound on each frame until you get to #10, when there will be no resistance normally encountered, the back can be opened and the film removed (being careful to rotate the roll with the film wind-on lever to find the end of the leader and tape it down tightly before removing from the chamber. The position of the clasp to me does not suggest that it has not engaged the lower end of the take-up spool in the camera during use, so on that assumption, go for it and unload, if you want to, doing so in a darkened room with the camera inside a jumper.

03-25-2020, 01:16 AM	#8
johnha Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Lancashire, UK Photos: Albums Posts: 1,155	Each time I load my 6x7s I struggle to get the latches seated and secured, not sure why. I hadn't thought about them coming undone. Thanks for the info on how to sort it out should it arise.

07-10-2023, 03:56 PM	#9
Gfinny New Member Join Date: Mar 2023 Posts: 7	Originally posted by Silent Street When you have reached frame 10 and exposed it, that is the end of the roll (for 120 film), and the winding mechanism and shutter disengage, hence the "freewheeling" feel of the wind-on lever. The shutter will not fire, and there is no wind-on when the roll is finished, nor when the back is opened. Open the back and remove the exposed roll, taking care to wind the lever on until the end of the leader is reached, then tape it into position. Pull down the clasp at the bottom of the camera and release the roll. At this stage, if you are loading a new roll of film, leave the release catch at the bottom in the down/open position and load the film, turn it a couple of times until the film is seated, then set it to the closed position. Any force placed on the catches (left or right) or the winding mechanism can cause more problems, so avoid this. EDIT The clasp shown in you photo is not correctly seated in the flat groove visible at the 12.00 position. When loading the film, the clasp is rotated slightly until it closes, flush into the groove. Winding then begins until frame 1 is reached. The orange dot on the clasp must be aligned with the orange dot on the base to effectively lock it in place and stop it rotating. I've been shooting my 67 recently and when I get to the end of the roll I don't get the "freewheeling" you mentioned. I still have to advance the film and fire the shutter to wind the film back up. Is there a reason for this? Or had a similar experience.

07-10-2023, 04:21 PM	#10
Silent Street Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Castlemaine, Victoria, AUS Photos: Albums Posts: 1,151	Originally posted by Gfinny I've been shooting my 67 recently and when I get to the end of the roll I don't get the "freewheeling" you mentioned. I still have to advance the film and fire the shutter to wind the film back up. Is there a reason for this? Or had a similar experience. Frame #10 is the end of the roll, in 120 format. The shutter cannot fire after frame 10, but it can if you have the format set to 220 and using 120 film! That is something to check. Once wound on and the leader has disengaged from the left hand side of the camera, that is when the 'freewheeling' will be noticed (or loss of tension, as you are essentially just lightly winding on the end of the roll to the take-up spool). The shutter is also disengaged on completion of the last frame of the respective film format. Both roll and take-up clasps should be checked and double checked once the film is loaded and before the back is closed to ensure they are set and locked down correctly.

07-10-2023, 06:15 PM	#11
Gfinny New Member Join Date: Mar 2023 Posts: 7	Originally posted by Silent Street Frame #10 is the end of the roll, in 120 format. The shutter cannot fire after frame 10, but it can if you have the format set to 220 and using 120 film! That is something to check. Once wound on and the leader has disengaged from the left hand side of the camera, that is when the 'freewheeling' will be noticed (or loss of tension, as you are essentially just lightly winding on the end of the roll to the take-up spool). The shutter is also disengaged on completion of the last frame of the respective film format. Both roll and take-up clasps should be checked and double checked once the film is loaded and before the back is closed to ensure they are set and locked down correctly. Thank you. After I finish the roll in the camera I will double and triple check the selectors. This only started after I had a roll of 220 in it.

07-10-2023, 08:16 PM - 1 Like	#12
Silent Street Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Castlemaine, Victoria, AUS Photos: Albums Posts: 1,151	Originally posted by Gfinny Thank you. After I finish the roll in the camera I will double and triple check the selectors. This only started after I had a roll of 220 in it. The pressure plate on the inside back cover must be set to the film format, also the switch on the right hand side of the camera (viewed from behind). I suspect you are using 220 format in 120 setting.

07-11-2023, 05:22 PM	#13
Gfinny New Member Join Date: Mar 2023 Posts: 7	Originally posted by Silent Street The pressure plate on the inside back cover must be set to the film format, also the switch on the right hand side of the camera (viewed from behind). I suspect you are using 220 format in 120 setting. Both the back and selector switch say I'm using 120, could it be internal and didn't switch back?