Is there a way to check and see if your camera is loaded with film?

This is probably a very stupid question, but I have Nikon FE2, and I can't

remember if I loaded it with film or not the last time I used it. I've made the

mistake of taking pictures with no film in there, so is there anyway to check

this (besides going into a darkroom, which I don't have?)? It is wound to the

fourth shot, but I'm not sure if I took 3 pictures or what. Are there any

visible, obvious signs that there is film in my camera?

 

I tried searching online but couldn't really find anything. Anyway thanks for

the help :)

See if there's any resistance on the rewind knob.

If the camera is loaded with film, when you move the lever to advance to the next picture, the knob on the opposite side should move, if it does not move, there is not film into the camera.

I hope this help.

Without pushing the rewind button on the bottom of the camera, turn the rewind crank as if you were rewinding firm. If there's resistance, the camera is loaded. If you can keep turning the crank, the camera is empty.

If the camera does not have a rewind crank, the film count is obtained from the sprocket which turns as the film is pulled past. If you have a count, you have film and it is advancing. Cameras with rewind knobs will cause the knob to turn (or some part of the knob, e.g., Leica) as the film is advanced. Take up the slack first, then wind off a shot.

Those of us who learned photography from the manual-focus SLR days all learned the rewind crank trick. That was before film cameras have the little window on the back to display film type. When you initially load the film, rewind it a bit to make sure that there is proper tension. From that point on, every time you advance your film, the rewind crank should rotate along with it.

 

One thing to keep in mind is that if you rotate the rewind crank in mid roll to check tension, you may potentially move portions of your last exposed frame back to behind the shutter, and when you shoot your next frame, you can get two overlapping frames onto your film. Therefore, if you check tension, I would play it safe and waste a frame by shooting it with the lens cap on (and manual shutter speed at the maximum 1/4000 sec). I learned that lesson the hard way some 30 years ago.

If you have film, but don't know what kind, there is a highly irritating way to check. You can note the frame number on the frame counter, rewind back to the beginning, open the camera back and look, pull the leader back out of the cartridge if you wound it back in (with a film leader retriever), rethread the film, and wind it back to the original frame plus 1 or 2to prevent overlaps. To do that you put on the lens cap and I also put the lens on the table top and continually click the shutter and advance and click the shutter and advance, etc. That's what you have to do if you want to change film in a camera that doesn't have a film back (the way many medium format cameras do).

Note that if you're paying attention when you rewind, you'll feel the leader disengage from the takeup spool and can stop rewinding there safely, with the still leader out

Go into a dark room, open the back and feel for the film. If it's there, just close it up and off you go.

If you don't have a darkroom, you can use a changing bag. It's a handing thing to have in case the film gets stuck in the camera for some reason.

If its wound to the 4th shot, I would assume that there's film in it. And there are only 4 exposures. Since you can't remember taking any exposures, opening the camera in daylight would cause the loss of a few shots only. No need for a darkbag or anything else.

And if you don't have a changing bag: first, get yourself to the darkest and most light tight room avalable, to improve your odds. Place your camera on something secure like the middle of a bed, and cover with a heavy coat, with the inside down, against the camera. Slip your arms into the sleaves of the coat, in reverse, and check your camera. Just be very careful to not lift up on the coat.

Changing bags? Feeling around inside coats in dark rooms? Come on - no need to make it more complicated than it needs to be. ;-)

 

It's an FE2. Manual advance with a rewind crank. If there is increasing resistance on the rewind crank when turned clockwise, it has film on the takeup spool (camera is loaded) and the back should not be opened.

 

If there is no resistance, then there is no film in the camera, or any film that might be in it has been rewound safely into the cannister, so you can open the back to see what's what.

 

Simple as that.

 

The frame counter showing "4" is not an absolute indication that there is film loaded, as these cameras will advance the frame counter with no film loaded.

If this is a problem for you a lot of the time, the FM3A back has a window that shows the cassette and film type. If you can get your hands on one from Nikon, it pops right on the FE2.

While I have used the sports jacket "changing bag" technique, there is one sure way to determine if there is film in the camera: Under subdued lighting (1) Remove the lens. (2) Set the shutter to Time. (3) Fire the shutter. (4) Look into the front of the camera. If you see a gray or beige matte surface, you are looking at the film. If it is glossy black you are seeing the pressure plate and there is no film loaded! Advance the film and you are ready to go. (Just be sure to reset the shutter!)

While it's easy to check if a film is loaded I often used to forget the type of film in use. So for my older cameras I now use home-made single-folded 18x36mm cards that slide into the flash shoe as a film reminder. The card is coloured on the 4 faces, for example: yellow for colour negative; blue for colour slide; black for you-know-what; and "EMPTY" - and so on. (The cards take seconds to make and are re-usable).

 

Alternatively I'll fold the end tab from the film carton into 4, and usually it'll slide in the shoe - no such reminder means the camera is empty ..... AC

Actually the best way is to shoot the roll off completely. After all that is what FILM IS FOR eh?

When you finish the roll and hand it in for processing, if they look at you as though you're insane, then there wasn't a film in there.