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Exakta VarexIIa Film Advance Activated Twice on One Frame
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 07, 2020 4:41 pm    Post subject: Exakta VarexIIa Film Advance Activated Twice on One Frame Reply with quote

I made a mistake while hiking in the woods with my Exakta Varex IIa camera. I normally don't advance the film until I'm ready to compose and shoot the next frame. I was hiking in the woods and because I didn't want to miss a potential wildlife capture I advanced the film immediately after each capture for around 6 or 7 frames. Then, I didn't see anything worth photographing for quite a while. After around 30 minutes I saw a Great Egret in a river that I wanted to photograph. "Auto-Pilot" kicked in and I advanced the film lever for a second time on the same frame. The lever did not return to the normal position. It stayed at the apex of the advancing motion, where it still remains stuck two days later. For what it's worth, I was able to depress the shutter release and capture the Great Egret in the river. So I am hoping that the resolution doesn't involve me having to open the back of the camera and destroy the film currently in it.
Any help in resolving this will be greatly appreciated!
Thank you.


Last edited by OEProPhoto on Mon Sep 07, 2020 5:45 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Mon Sep 07, 2020 5:20 pm    Post subject: Re: Exakta VarexIIa Shutter Release Activated Twice on One F Reply with quote

OEProPhoto wrote:
I made a mistake while hiking in the woods with my Exakta Varex IIa camera. I normally don't advance the film until I'm ready to compose and shoot the next frame. I was hiking in the woods and because I didn't want to miss a potential wildlife capture I advanced the film immediately after each capture for around 6 or 7 frames. Then, I didn't see anything worth photographing for quite a while. After around 30 minutes I saw a Great Egret in a river that I wanted to photograph. "Auto-Pilot" kicked in and I advanced the film lever for a second time on the same frame. The lever did not return to the normal position. It stayed at the apex of the advancing motion, where it still remains stuck two days later. For what it's worth, I was able to depress the shutter release and capture the Great Egret in the river. So I am hoping that the resolution doesn't involve me having to open the back of the camera and destroy the film currently in it.
Any help in resolving this will be greatly appreciated!
Thank you.


Welcome OEProPhoto

Open camera in the dark? Smile


PostPosted: Mon Sep 07, 2020 6:36 pm    Post subject: Re: Exakta VarexIIa Shutter Release Activated Twice on One F Reply with quote

visualopsins wrote:

Open camera in the dark? Smile


Would be very happy to do that if I could fix it that way. Smile


PostPosted: Mon Sep 07, 2020 9:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

After removing the film in the dark, the camera can be worked on in the light, yes?


PostPosted: Mon Sep 07, 2020 10:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is the rewind release button allowing you to wind the film back into the cannister? If it is, bear in mind that if you are using cannister to cannister, you can also cut the film using the built in cutter and just remove the film used to date.


PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2020 12:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

visualopsins wrote:
After removing the film in the dark, the camera can be worked on in the light, yes?


Yes, definitely. But even then, I personally don't know what to do to fix the issue. I don't understand why it's stuck in the front, so I don't know what to do to fix it. I was hoping that there was someone that had experienced the same thing and that the fix was something I hadn't thought of so far. Like the following: Wind the self timer, push the bottom rewind button while depressing the shutter and the lever will release. I know it's been 60 years since these cameras were popular, but I can't be the first person to have ever done that. The engineers had to know it would happen, right? Wink


PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2020 12:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sciolist wrote:
Is the rewind release button allowing you to wind the film back into the cannister? If it is, bear in mind that if you are using cannister to cannister, you can also cut the film using the built in cutter and just remove the film used to date.


Yes, I believe that release would allow for me to rewind the film, but I haven't tried that as of yet. I was hoping that someone else had experienced the issue and knew of a fix that worked without opening the camera. It would seem to me that the engineers that designed the camera must have anticipated that someone might accidentally advance the lever twice on the same frame.


PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2020 2:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

OEProPhoto wrote:
Sciolist wrote:
Is the rewind release button allowing you to wind the film back into the cannister? If it is, bear in mind that if you are using cannister to cannister, you can also cut the film using the built in cutter and just remove the film used to date.


Yes, I believe that release would allow for me to rewind the film, but I haven't tried that as of yet. I was hoping that someone else had experienced the issue and knew of a fix that worked without opening the camera. It would seem to me that the engineers that designed the camera must have anticipated that someone might accidentally advance the lever twice on the same frame.


Usually when I find the winder in the position you describe, I work the timer. Nothing to lose in trying it.