Got a blank roll of Velvia back...

[jarred mcdaniel]

Just went and shot my first roll (Velvia 50) with my Nikon FE2 from KEH. The

film came back blank-- completely underexposed. I used two different lenses, so

I don't think that they were the problem, plus they seemed to "whir"

appropriately for the range of shutter speeds I used. I had the film speed dial

set appropriately. Any suggestions?

 

TYhanks,

 

Jarred

[ShunCheung]

Velvia is a slide film. If it is underexposed, it should be very dark; is that what you meant? If the developed slide film looks blank (light, near transparant), it is way over-exposed.

 

I would check the meter and see whether you are getting sunny 16 type reading. You can open the back and observe the firing at different shutter speeds.

 

If everything seems fine, try a few controlled shots on negative film, record the exposure, and process it in one-hour processing (hope you can find them near by) for further testing.

[lex_jenkins]

I once misloaded two consecutive rolls of Provia in my F3HP. Twice in one day the leader popped off the takeup spool. Because I was in a hurry I forgot to check the rewind knob, as I normally would have. Nothing wrong with the camera, film or processing. Total operator error. More than 30 years experience and I make mistakes occasionally. Fortunately, this was a personal, not professional, assignment.

 

Check the shutter. If it opens when you press the shutter release, chances are you would have gotten at least one reasonably well exposed frame. At the very least you would have seen some differences in an entire roll.

 

Check the film advance. If the takeup spool moves, that eliminates another error.

[Peter_in_PA]

completely underexposed? sounds like the film wasn't winding on at all. Everybody's done it

at least once. If you're sure that's not the case, then perhaps the camera is malfunctioning.

Did you actually see the film wind onto the reel before you closed the back?

[joseph_smith3]

Jarred, I made the same error that Lex mentioned when I had my FE2. I will bet the film never engaged the loading mechanism correctly and never got advanced. it has happened to me before. After you load film, always make sure it got loaded correctly. Go to a local camera store and ask them for a roll of expired film and tell them you want their help in loading it correctly. I load it so that the top and bottom sprocket holes are fully engaged at the right hand side of the camera. Joe Smith

[joseph_smith3]

This video shows you how to do it. It is pretty close to a FE2 as best as I can recall.

http://www.expertvillage.com/video/6637_cameras-slr-film.htm

 

Joe Smith

[User_276104]

Hmm...for a second there it looks like the guy in the video is a little rusty with film loading!

[james_symington1]

Jarred, when you say 'whir' what exactly do you mean? On a mechanical camera like the FM2 you can hear the timer mechanism whirring on the slower shutter speeds but the electronically timed shutter of the FE2 makes no such sound on the slow shutter speeds. At least my FE2 doesn't make any sound during exposure....

[mike_halliwell]

If the slides are mounted, pop one out of the frame. If you can see nice yellow frame ID letters and numbers next to the sprocket holes, then you can be sure the film was processed properly. If the whole film is black, egde to edge, it was never processed. Another possibility crossed off. Last time I heard a whirring sound, it was the self-timer.

[tri-x1]

Sounds like the film was never hooded securely to the take up spool and never advanced. That's why on my older film cameras I aways leave the rewind crank deployed so when I advance the film I can tell at a glance if film is coming off the cassette spool. A trick we used years ago in newspaper work when loading film quickly.

[jarred mcdaniel]

Thanks for the responses. The film was very dark; as it is transparency, I figured that meant underexposed. I went back after posting the original question and checked the shutter, mirror, lenses, and everything seemed to be working correctly. I more or less assumed operator error before, as it was the first roll of film I had loaded, but now that I think about it, I was pretty unsure about how the film was seated on the sprockets, and actually tried to fit it on there better a second time. So, I'm betting thats the problem. Kind of makes me appreciate my Canonet with the plate that secures the film onto the winding mechanism.

 

Thanks again for your help.

 

Jarred

[jarred mcdaniel]

Joe,

 

Just watched the video. Definitely didn't load the film correctly. Funny how I can operate an RB67 but can still have problems with a new 35mm SLR. :)

 

Jarred

[lex_jenkins]

Yep, that QL (Quick Load) doodad on the Canonets and some Canon SLRs was really handy. I appreciated that feature when I used Canon 35mm SLRs on the job and had to change film while walking or had to pay attention to my surroundings rather than loading film.

 

Loading Nikons is no harder than any other 35mm SLR. It's just not any easier. ;>