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Frequently Asked Questions
Missing Leader, Size 135 Film
What can I do with a 35 mm film that has no loading leader showing?
With the rising popularity of affordable 35 mm cameras came an increase in the number of customers contacting us to share their concerns about camera and film difficulties. One of those growing concerns was "missing leader". We recognized this as an opportunity to increase customer satisfaction if the cause or causes were identified, and we investigated.
Hundreds of customer rolls with retracted leaders were called in and evaluated. After processing, three quarters were found to have pictures on them, and/or showed more film had been pulled from the magazine than is normal in manufacture, leading us to conclude the film had prematurely rewound in a camera. Every one of the rolls evaluated exhibited a fogged leader, confirming that the leader was outside the film magazine after manufacture. Because our film finishing machinery is equipped with sensors to detect the presence of leader, this did not come as a surprise.
In addition to film samples, camera information was also collected. Cameras of different designs and with a variety of features were tested. Film loading, transport, take-up, and rewind were evaluated.
Practical testing included both Kodak films and cameras, as well as films and cameras from other manufacturers. We found no correlation to film type or manufacturer in our testing. This is a system problem, not just a film or a camera problem.
When a film's leader is completely rewound into the magazine, it most often signifies that the film has already been exposed and, therefore, needs to be processed. You should contact a photo retailer or photofinisher in your area for their service. If there is any possibility that the film was used or mixed with films used to take pictures, you'll want to have it processed.
It is possible to retrieve film leader from 35 mm magazines so that the film can be loaded in a camera. However, our research shows that in such cases the risk of double exposure is great. It would be extremely disappointing to re-use the film and lose both sets of images. There are instances in which auto-advance/rewind cameras rewind film into the magazine before reaching the end of the roll; a phenomenon called "premature rewind" . The major causes of premature rewind are film-loading and camera-operating mishaps.
If you have additional questions or would like more information on Kodak films and products,
call Kodak
.