Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/06/27

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Loading the film
From: "Dan Post" <dwpost@email.msn.com>
Date: Sun, 27 Jun 1999 11:01:13 -0400

LUG-
Maybe I should quit taking the Melatonin to help get to sleep at night! The
dreams I have are getting more and more weird! This thread was followed by a
dream where Solms came out with an M6.2 that used APS film, since so many
LUGgers had professed having trouble loading Kodak film, and since in the
dream, Kodak had bought Leica to make its new Advantix cameras. It had a
built in TTL flash that popped up automatically when the light was low and
no Noctilux was attached. There were even some small gold contacts
suspicously like the Minolta AF control contacts!
I awoke in a cold sweat!
Maybe I ought to quit mixing single malts before retiring....
Dan
- - No matter where you go...there you are!

- ----- Original Message -----
From: Aubin <aubin@aa.net>
To: LUG <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Sunday, June 27, 1999 10:51 AM
Subject: [Leica] Re: Loading the film


> Greetings,
>
> As one who has been using the M6 for about 1-1/2 years now,
> I still struggle with the film loading.
>
> I have found that the blind faith "drop it in  and go" approach
> works only when I have all the time in the world to load the
> camera, such as when photographing architectural or scenic
> subjects.
>
> I use Fuji chromes, Kodak Print, and Ilford B&W films, and can
> say that the Ilford Delta and Chromogenic films always go right
> in and load, the Fuji films usually do this, Astia always, Velvia
> mostly, and the Kodak films are about 50-50, the Chromogenic
> and Royal Gold films being almost impossible to get right the
> first time.
>
> This may be statistically meaningless,  but I have found the
> behavior to be as indicated after putting several hundred rolls
> through.  I won't speculate as to whether it's film thickness,
> shape of the leader, surface smoothness of the leader, or just
> the frame of mind I'm in using these films at those times.
>
> I have found that if I take the second or two extra to make sure
> the film sprocket holes are aligned with the camera sprockets,
> there is no failure to load and advance, but if I just plop it in, it's
> an act of faith that is usually rewarded, but not always.
>
> I accept the advice to drop it in and trust, so that is my usual
> practice, but occasionally I just have to go back and re-do it.
> This is accepted by me as part of the idiosynchracies of the
> camera, its not a complaint.  If I was doing critical work where
> the camera must be loaded at all times to get the money shots,
> I'd carry a second or third body, and reload off the clock.
>
> Maybe after a few thousand rolls of film the camera will get
> broken in and function the way its expected to, or maybe the
> little crimping wheel in the base needs tightening to pull the
> prongs together tighter; I'll give it a few thousand more rolls
> and then start to think about having it looked at.
>
> Take care,
>
> Norm
>
>
>
>
>