Film wont load into my Riva AF35EX

Question

I recently purchased a Minolta Riva AF35EX which seems to be in great condition. The camera is entirely automatic, all I need to do is load film into it, and it should just wind the first exposure, however that's not happening. Specifically I place the film into the camera, wind it into where I think it should go, then close the back, turning the camera on does not make the film load.

I've searched online for a manual relating specifically to this camera, however I have been unsuccessful so far. I'm asking if anyone has had the same issue on the same or a similar camera, and how they resolved it.

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

A very common mistake owners of such cameras make when loading a roll of film is pulling too much film out of the camera. Most of the time there's an indicator (e.g. red line or dot) showing you where the end of the film leader needs to be. Often users will place the film beyond this point in an attempt to ensure that the film is properly loaded. This is not the case as placing the film beyond the red dot/line will prevent the camera from properly loading the film.

If your camera doesn't have this red dot/line, which should be just the opposite side of the take-up spool, then extend the film to no further than the far end of the take-up spool, or to the end of inside of the opening. If this still does not fix the problem, then the camera is broken and you should look to buy a replacement as any repairs would be many, many times more costly than the value of the camera itself.