Re: on the run

[Paul Schliesser <paulsc@eos.net>]

>I thought about buying the M for a long time before I made the plunge.  
>One of the things that bothered me about the camera is the film loading 
>system.  It seems clumsy and awkward compared to any other 35mm system 
>that I've used.  Now that I'm committed, how in the heck do you load it 
>on the run?

Jack,

At the point where the film leader has been sitting in the light trap of 
the cassette, the leader tends to develop a small fold or kink. This kink 
ends up right in the middle of the film aperture when you load, and may 
catch on the film guide rails. If you are not used to loading an M, 
fussing with it at this point is probably what is slowing you down.

Don't pull any more leader out of the cassette until you put it into the 
camera. Hold the body upside down, with the lens pointed away from you. 
With your right hand, insert the cassette about 75% of the way into the 
body, to about the point where only the top sprocket teeth show on the 
leader, and as you reach that point, pull the leader across the camera 
and into the takeup spool, using your left hand. When you get to the 
takeup spool, push the leader down into the center of it with your 
fingertip and push down on the cassette with the index finger of your 
right hand at the same time. As you do this, you can feel with your left 
thumb when the sprocket teeth engage with the sprocket holes; your thumb 
will naturally fall into place. Do this all in one smooth movement; it's 
pretty quick and you can even do it blind.

If you get the teeth engaged and the film leader is in the takeup spool, 
you can trust the camera to advance properly; snap the back shut with 
your thumbs and then slap the baseplate on.

- - Paul