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I’m new to this film camera. I bought a plastic film camera with automatic rewind and I just finished my first roll but when I slide the rewind button it did not rewinding my film at all, did I load the roll wrong? What happen if I slide to the other way and try again? Will my film all goes to waste?

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    Pictures of the camera and components you're referring to would be helpful.
    – xiota
    Jan 1, 2020 at 8:22
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    What specific film camera?
    – Michael C
    Jan 4, 2020 at 15:06

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Cheap film cameras are considered a “dime a dozen.”

They’re fun, but one should never expect them to last. It’s probable that the one you bought has been broken for some time, especially if you didn’t do a functions test before buying.

Try the button again. If it doesn’t work, then you really only have two options: take the camera to a lab and ask for help, where they’ll take the camera into a change bag or darkroom for removal of the film by hand...or remove the film yourself.

If you do it yourself, you need to be in 100% dark before you crack the camera. You can rewind the film back into the canister by hand.

Given that you’re having issues with rewinding...there’s no guarantee that the camera was operating properly during shooting. Your shots could be junk, but not because of the rewind at all.

Make sure that, when you buy old cameras, you do a function check and run a test role through the camera before setting off to shoot things that actually matter to you.

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  • It could just as easily be that the film was not properly loaded and was never rolled out of the film cassette to be exposed...
    – Michael C
    Jan 4, 2020 at 15:07
  • @MichaelC all cheap 35mm that I’ve used will not function if film isn’t loaded. I think OP would notice the automatic film advance but...maybe not.
    – OnBreak.
    Jan 5, 2020 at 2:29
  • Not all plastic 35mm cameras are "cheap." Most of the EOS film cameras other than the 1/1N were made out of what most people call "plastic." There are many others as well.
    – Michael C
    Jan 5, 2020 at 20:06
  • @MichaelC I’m assuming a dollar store compact purchase, not consumer or better slr. I could be wrong and, if so, will update this answer if OP adds more detail to the question.
    – OnBreak.
    Jan 5, 2020 at 20:23
  • Until we know the specific camera in question, any attempt at an answer is only a stab in the dark. Not exactly what we are supposed to do at SE.
    – Michael C
    Jan 5, 2020 at 20:37

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