On Mon, 28 Oct 2002 15:38:11 -0500, "Mark Polis" wrote:

>I recently took a trip to Scotland and shot ten rolls of 200 ISO Fuji color
>slide film. The slide film was sent to Kodak for processing - ALL TEN rolls
>returned as rolled up black film strips - NO SLIDES. No frames on the
>strip. The leaders were clear or translucent yellowish. That's it.
>So anyway, I looked at my F4, and I'm not so sure that the shutter is
>opening. Is that possible? The mirror flips up out of the way (and I can
>lock it up), but how can I tell if the shutter opens for an exposure? Will
>it be visible if the camera back is open when I examine it and while
>depressing the shutter button on manual? If so, the shutter doesn't seem to
>budge when I do that.
>Thanks for any help you can give me.

This works with most Nikon motor-drive bodies:
Remove the back and lens and place the camera
in front of a light surface (that you can easily
see through the open shutter, even at medium
shutter speeds - you may need to light a white
surface for this). Note where a tab on the edge
of the back (usually not far from the hinge)
would enter the body when it is closed.
CAREFULLY insert something into that slot that
will depress the tab in the body that the tab
on the back would normally depress. Release the
shutter, which will "wind" the non-existant
film. If you have not let go of the tab, the
next release should open the shutter normally...