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How to Rewind and Remove Film from the Minox 35 EL

     844 words  4 minutes 
Step-by-step how to successfully rewind and remove the film from your Minox 35 EL. Don't expose your film by unloading it incorrectly.

This page will cover the steps needed to rewind and remove a roll of 35mm film from the Minox 35 EL. If you need help with loading film into the camera see this step-by-step guide on how to load film into the Minox 35 EL.

Time needed: 1 minute.

Here are the steps you need to follow to rewind and remove the film from your Minox 35 EL. For demonstration purposes, I am using a roll of film that was left in a used camera and exposed when it was opened before the film was rewound.

  1. Unlock the Minox 35 EL film take-up spool.

    Unlock Minox 35 EL take-up spool
    Unlock Minox 35 EL take-up spool

    Find and press the small black button on the bottom of the Minox 35 EL. This will unlock the film take-up spool which will allow it to rotate backward so the film can be rewound.

  2. Fold the lever out from the film rewind knob.

    Minox 35 EL Film rewind lever
    Minox 35 EL Film rewind lever

    Take note of the direction the arrow points to. This is the direction (clockwise) the film rewind knob needs to be turned to rewind the film.

  3. Wind the film back into the canister.

    Rotate the film rewind lever clockwise to wind the film back into the 35mm canister. You will feel some resistance from the take-up spool as you wind the film.
    When there is less resistance, that’s when the film has been completely rewound into the canister. If you’re paying close attention you might feel or hear the film leader being pulled out from the take-up spool.
    You can make a few extra rotations to make sure all the film is in the canister.

  4. Unlock film back.

    Unlock the Minox 35 EL film back
    Unlock the Minox 35 EL film back

    Turn the switch that locks the back of the film in place to the left so that the red dot is showing.

  5. Slide off the film back.

    Remove Minox 35 EL film back
    Remove Minox 35 EL film back

    Slide the back of the camera down. After sliding it a small way you can just pull it off, no need to slide it all the way down.

  6. Remove the film canister from the Minox 35 EL.

    Remove 35mm film from the Minox 35 EL
    Remove 35mm film from the Minox 35 EL

    Remove the 35mm film canister from the camera by sliding it down. Once it has cleared the prongs on the film rewind lever you can pull it straight out if you want.

  7. Load another roll of film.

    Now is the best time to load another roll of film into the camera. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to load film into a Minox 35 EL.

    If you don’t have another roll of film, you can just close the back of the camera. For long-term storage, remove the battery so it does not leak and cause corrosion in the battery compartment, which can ruin the camera.

There are 3 different ways you can get your film developed.

The least expensive and most involved way to develop your film is to do it yourself at home. This is what I prefer to do.

You will need some inexpensive equipment and a way to scan your negatives or slides.

Developing film yourself is definitely worthwhile as long as you are consistently shooting film. If you are only going to occasionally shoot film, mailing it to a lab is going to be less expensive.

There are many photo labs that offer mail in developing and scanning services. What’s nice is that you’ll get your film scanned using a high-end scanner. This is a big time saver.

Another important aspect is that you’ll get your negatives or slides back from the lab. This will allow you to make prints in a darkroom or re-scan them in the future. Plus they act as a physical back-up.

Depending on the lab you choose, you can have the ability to select the machine that does the scanning and any profiles/corrections that get used.

You can also indicate if film has been pushed or pulled so that it can be processed correctly.

Here is a list of US photo labs that offer mail developing services. I have no affiliation with them and I have not used any of their services.

A local lab is a good option as long as it is an independent professional photo lab. These are likely going to be limited to large cities.

The labs located in pharmacies or big box stores are the worst option as they no longer develop the film on location.

What happens is that the pharmacy or big box store will mail the film off to get developed by a third party. You will only receive digital copies of your images. You will not get your negatives or slides back.

Updated on 2021-03-10
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