Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/04/05
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Well, I'm operating here without 2/3 of my library, which is stranded at my estranged wife's house at the back end of a storage room, so I may be sloppy on this. When Leica developed the quick-load system in about 1965, film manufacturers marketed their wares with a 'long leader', not quite of the length required on a thread-mount Leica, but much longer than the 'short leader' of today's films, which came into use in 1976 or thereabouts. At that point, many M4 users began having problems with loading their cameras, and Leica's immediate solution was to advise trimming the leader to have a longer 'tongue'. This DOES help. When I had trouble several years back with wasting one roll out of three on my M4, I called Leica, and they still recommended trimming the leader. It worked for me. Take a look at the layout in an M4, M4-2, M4-P, or M6: the idea is to have the curve on the tongue begin where the film exits the cassette so that the top half (bottom half as you install it, as the camera body is now upside down) of the film doesn't actually contact the platen or the pressure strips until a couple of exposures have been fired off. Apparently, a lot of folks don't have difficulties loading their M's without trimming. So be it. I do have problems, and the trimming eliminates the difficulties for me. Simply a thought: whatever works for the individual photographer -- within some REALLY broad guidelines -- is okay. Best, Marc msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +540/343-7315 Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!