Unable to Rewind - PZ-1P

**limestonecowboy** · 09-29-2019, 11:47 AM

Third film through my Z-1P and I can't get it to rewind. LCD has "37" flashing at me and nothing in the viewfinder. New battery arrived today, doesn't help.

Next thought is to open camera back in a dark bag and then close it again to try and make it do - something!!!

Any other ideas?

**Bob 256** · 09-29-2019, 12:10 PM

Originally posted by limestonecowboy

Third film through my Z-1P and I can't get it to rewind. LCD has "37" flashing at me and nothing in the viewfinder. New battery arrived today, doesn't help.

Next thought is to open camera back in a dark bag and then close it again to try and make it do - something!!!

Any other ideas?

That's probably all you can do. While you have the back open, I would try pulling a short length of film from the take-up assembly on the right and see if it will feed. It may be hung up somehow and if it won't feed, closing the back and trying again probably won't work. It may be that you'll have to unsnag the take-up in the dark and then manually wind that film into the cartridge by turning the spool crank on the end of the cartridge (Clockwise from top).

It could be that the auto-rewind mechanism has jammed or gone bad, in which case a repair would be needed and it might be just as easy to try to find a used PZ-1p on the internet. If it's a take-up jam and you can free it, you can save your shot on that roll, and you'll be back in business.

Addenda: Just noticed you mentioned nothing in the VF. That's not good meaning the mirror is latched in the up position. That can happen when a battery dies mid-exposure. It happened to me once but that was so long ago, I can't remember how I fixed it. First, needs a new battery, then try taking another shot. I might have gone through the front (lens removed) and moved the mirror manually but some risk in that. I remember that once the mirror was cleared (and a new battery), no harm done and the camera went back to working normally and has been for years.

pschlute · 09-29-2019, 12:34 PM

Originally posted by limestonecowboy

Third film through my Z-1P and I can't get it to rewind. LCD has "37" flashing at me and nothing in the viewfinder. New battery arrived today, doesn't help.

Next thought is to open camera back in a dark bag and then close it again to try and make it do - something!!!

Any other ideas?

What happened with film 1 and 2 ?

**limestonecowboy** · 09-29-2019, 12:58 PM

Originally posted by pschlute

What happened with film 1 and 2 ?

All good on first two films.

---------- Post added 09-29-19 at 01:28 PM ----------

Originally posted by limestonecowboy

All good on first two films.

Used a sleeping bag to unload the film (curse those 36 shot films). Restarted camera and all working again, do I dare put another film in (24 shot)?

johnha · 09-29-2019, 02:57 PM

Have you tried forcing film rewind (page 21 of the manual)?

leekil · 09-29-2019, 03:20 PM

What kind of film was it?

I've had some film get stuck in my MZ-S -- it wouldn't rewind, and I had to take it out and wind it back myself. It seemed to be jammed in the cartridge and/or exactly the right length to get the camera stuck between winding it more and not being able to wind it any more. That was a few years ago, though.

**Bob 256** · 09-29-2019, 04:43 PM

If the camera is working fine now and you couldn't see through the viewfinder when it failed, it probably was a stuck mirror and the "banging around" in the sleeping bag may have freed it and with a new battery, you're good to go. It shouldn't be an issue again unless your battery gets low and same thing happens. A locked up mirror doesn't happen every time - just a coincidence when the battery is low to a certain point and you fire the shutter with the PZ-1p.

You should be ok now to try another roll of film - just look at the battery indicator from time to time and replace the battery if the indicator shows it failing. Don't wait for the battery to give out with use.

Last edited by Bob 256; 09-29-2019 at 09:18 PM.

dsmithhfx · 09-30-2019, 06:07 AM

Originally posted by limestonecowboy

Third film through my Z-1P and I can't get it to rewind. LCD has "37" flashing at me and nothing in the viewfinder. New battery arrived today, doesn't help.

Next thought is to open camera back in a dark bag and then close it again to try and make it do - something!!!

Any other ideas?

Probably the surest way to save your exposed film is to put the camera in a changing bag, open the back and manually spool the film back inside the cassette. Then deal with getting the camera to work again. You might have to sacrifice an unexposed film to test with.

**limestonecowboy** · 09-30-2019, 11:14 AM

I managed to recover the film, I'll see if it develops ok. The mirror had not locked up and the shutter was closed. I didn't have a low battery warning either. I'll clean all the contacts that i can see before loading another (24 shot) film

dsmithhfx · 09-30-2019, 11:23 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by limestonecowboy

I managed to recover the film, I'll see if it develops ok. The mirror had not locked up and the shutter was closed. I didn't have a low battery warning either. I'll clean all the contacts that i can see before loading another (24 shot) film

I had the same thing happen to me a year ago with an autowind body (a sigma sa-7), but I thought it had rewound so I opened the back in broad daylight.

brianmquinn · 09-30-2019, 01:29 PM

Check that you do not have a custom function set to NOT rewind at the end of the roll.

**limestonecowboy** · 10-01-2019, 01:31 PM

No idea how to check that yet?

johnha · 10-01-2019, 02:45 PM - **1 Like**

I don't think you can stop it re-winding at the end of the roll, IIRC you could only specify whether to leave the leader out or not with a Pentax Function.

johnha · 10-03-2019, 08:15 AM

Originally posted by johnha

I don't think you can stop it re-winding at the end of the roll, IIRC you could only specify whether to leave the leader out or not with a Pentax Function.

CORRECTION: You can specify the rewind mode to prevent it from automatically rewinding, PF12 (pages 20, 21 & 90 of the manual). Selecting the leader in/out is PF11.

Link to manual: Pentax PZ-1 manual, user manual, free instruction manual, pdf manuals

**limestonecowboy** · 10-05-2019, 07:09 AM

Thanks, I have a lot to learn about this camera. The user function list looks a bit daunting when first seen.

09-29-2019, 11:47 AM	#1
limestonecowboy Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne Photos: Albums Posts: 151	Unable to Rewind - PZ-1P Third film through my Z-1P and I can't get it to rewind. LCD has "37" flashing at me and nothing in the viewfinder. New battery arrived today, doesn't help. Next thought is to open camera back in a dark bag and then close it again to try and make it do - something!!! Any other ideas?

09-29-2019, 12:10 PM	#2
Bob 256 Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Idaho Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,375	Originally posted by limestonecowboy Third film through my Z-1P and I can't get it to rewind. LCD has "37" flashing at me and nothing in the viewfinder. New battery arrived today, doesn't help. Next thought is to open camera back in a dark bag and then close it again to try and make it do - something!!! Any other ideas? That's probably all you can do. While you have the back open, I would try pulling a short length of film from the take-up assembly on the right and see if it will feed. It may be hung up somehow and if it won't feed, closing the back and trying again probably won't work. It may be that you'll have to unsnag the take-up in the dark and then manually wind that film into the cartridge by turning the spool crank on the end of the cartridge (Clockwise from top). It could be that the auto-rewind mechanism has jammed or gone bad, in which case a repair would be needed and it might be just as easy to try to find a used PZ-1p on the internet. If it's a take-up jam and you can free it, you can save your shot on that roll, and you'll be back in business. Addenda: Just noticed you mentioned nothing in the VF. That's not good meaning the mirror is latched in the up position. That can happen when a battery dies mid-exposure. It happened to me once but that was so long ago, I can't remember how I fixed it. First, needs a new battery, then try taking another shot. I might have gone through the front (lens removed) and moved the mirror manually but some risk in that. I remember that once the mirror was cleared (and a new battery), no harm done and the camera went back to working normally and has been for years. Last edited by Bob 256; 09-29-2019 at 12:21 PM.

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09-29-2019, 12:34 PM	#3
pschlute Moderator Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Surrey, UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,202	Originally posted by limestonecowboy Third film through my Z-1P and I can't get it to rewind. LCD has "37" flashing at me and nothing in the viewfinder. New battery arrived today, doesn't help. Next thought is to open camera back in a dark bag and then close it again to try and make it do - something!!! Any other ideas? What happened with film 1 and 2 ?

09-29-2019, 12:58 PM	#4
limestonecowboy Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne Photos: Albums Posts: 151 Original Poster	Originally posted by pschlute What happened with film 1 and 2 ? All good on first two films. ---------- Post added 09-29-19 at 01:28 PM ---------- Originally posted by limestonecowboy All good on first two films. Used a sleeping bag to unload the film (curse those 36 shot films). Restarted camera and all working again, do I dare put another film in (24 shot)?

09-29-2019, 02:57 PM	#5
johnha Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Lancashire, UK Photos: Albums Posts: 1,155	Have you tried forcing film rewind (page 21 of the manual)?

09-29-2019, 03:20 PM	#6
leekil Pentaxian Join Date: May 2016 Photos: Albums Posts: 2,003	What kind of film was it? I've had some film get stuck in my MZ-S -- it wouldn't rewind, and I had to take it out and wind it back myself. It seemed to be jammed in the cartridge and/or exactly the right length to get the camera stuck between winding it more and not being able to wind it any more. That was a few years ago, though.

09-29-2019, 04:43 PM	#7
Bob 256 Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Idaho Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,375	If the camera is working fine now and you couldn't see through the viewfinder when it failed, it probably was a stuck mirror and the "banging around" in the sleeping bag may have freed it and with a new battery, you're good to go. It shouldn't be an issue again unless your battery gets low and same thing happens. A locked up mirror doesn't happen every time - just a coincidence when the battery is low to a certain point and you fire the shutter with the PZ-1p. You should be ok now to try another roll of film - just look at the battery indicator from time to time and replace the battery if the indicator shows it failing. Don't wait for the battery to give out with use. Last edited by Bob 256; 09-29-2019 at 09:18 PM.

09-30-2019, 06:07 AM	#8
dsmithhfx Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Toronto Posts: 5,146	Originally posted by limestonecowboy Third film through my Z-1P and I can't get it to rewind. LCD has "37" flashing at me and nothing in the viewfinder. New battery arrived today, doesn't help. Next thought is to open camera back in a dark bag and then close it again to try and make it do - something!!! Any other ideas? Probably the surest way to save your exposed film is to put the camera in a changing bag, open the back and manually spool the film back inside the cassette. Then deal with getting the camera to work again. You might have to sacrifice an unexposed film to test with.

09-30-2019, 11:14 AM	#9
limestonecowboy Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne Photos: Albums Posts: 151 Original Poster	I managed to recover the film, I'll see if it develops ok. The mirror had not locked up and the shutter was closed. I didn't have a low battery warning either. I'll clean all the contacts that i can see before loading another (24 shot) film

09-30-2019, 11:23 AM - 1 Like	#10
dsmithhfx Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Toronto Posts: 5,146	Originally posted by limestonecowboy I managed to recover the film, I'll see if it develops ok. The mirror had not locked up and the shutter was closed. I didn't have a low battery warning either. I'll clean all the contacts that i can see before loading another (24 shot) film I had the same thing happen to me a year ago with an autowind body (a sigma sa-7), but I thought it had rewound so I opened the back in broad daylight.

09-30-2019, 01:29 PM	#11
brianmquinn Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Cincinnati Photos: Gallery Posts: 79	Check that you do not have a custom function set to NOT rewind at the end of the roll.

10-01-2019, 01:31 PM	#12
limestonecowboy Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne Photos: Albums Posts: 151 Original Poster	No idea how to check that yet?

10-01-2019, 02:45 PM - 1 Like	#13
johnha Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Lancashire, UK Photos: Albums Posts: 1,155	I don't think you can stop it re-winding at the end of the roll, IIRC you could only specify whether to leave the leader out or not with a Pentax Function.

10-03-2019, 08:15 AM	#14
johnha Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Lancashire, UK Photos: Albums Posts: 1,155	Originally posted by johnha I don't think you can stop it re-winding at the end of the roll, IIRC you could only specify whether to leave the leader out or not with a Pentax Function. CORRECTION: You can specify the rewind mode to prevent it from automatically rewinding, PF12 (pages 20, 21 & 90 of the manual). Selecting the leader in/out is PF11. Link to manual: Pentax PZ-1 manual, user manual, free instruction manual, pdf manuals

10-05-2019, 07:09 AM	#15
limestonecowboy Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne Photos: Albums Posts: 151 Original Poster	Thanks, I have a lot to learn about this camera. The user function list looks a bit daunting when first seen.