Re: [Leica] Loading the film

["Henning J. Wulff" <henningw@archiphoto.com>]

>I just bought a new M6 and the seller asked me to call when it arrived
>and he would walk me through the film loading. Now I thought that seemed
>pretty silly, but called anyway. Boy was I supprised. Since all this
>happened this week I thought I'd write it down before I forgot it. This
>is going to sound very elementary but I'm trying to paraphrase as
>closely as possible.
>
>0) empty the camera of the previous film if necessary
>1) check that the rewind lever is in the take-up (not rewind) position
>2) advance and release the shutter
>3) with the camera bottom up, remove the camera base plate and allow the
>door to open
>4) withdraw enough film from the cartridge to reach to the center of the
>three prong takeup spool
>5) insert the cartridge in the camera and work the film through to the
>center of the takeup spool
>6) with your left thumb work the film over the takeup sprocket (at this
>point due the the shape of the leader only the "bottom" sprocket will
>probably engage.
>7) still holding the film in place, take up any excess with the rewind
>crank (very lightly)
>8) now place the base plate on the camera (with the film-plane door
>still open)
>9) advance the film until the other sprocket engages and gently work the
>film between the guide rails - caution here as the shutter is just
>behind the film
>10) gently close the film-plate door until it lightly touches the
>baseplate.
>11) raise the baseplate enough to capture the film-plate door
>12) lock down the baseplate
>13) advance the film and release the shutter (for two frames) - check
>that the rewind crank is turning with each film advance.
>14) enjoy .... just so we didn't have to end with 13.
>
>All of this is just to ensure that the take up sprockets are engaged,
>the film is correctly positioned between the rails and everything is
>tensioned properly so the film doesn't flex and disengage the takeup
>when you close the doors. Watching the rewind lever move on the initial
>advance is just old hat.


....and all these years I just pull the leader out so it reaches the other
side, drop the film in, put on the bottom plate, and wind on to one.
Thousands of films, and I don't think it ever failed to load in any M4's of
various types, M5's or M6's. I don't fold, fiddle, pre-wind, take up slack
or get my fingers near the sprockets or film gate. I do check the rewind
button as I wind on, though. It has always turned. It's as fast and
dependable (possibly more so) than the latest from Canon or Nikon, with
which I've had to retry once in a while.

This has been the case with K25 and K64, Ektachromes, the occasional B&W
Kodak, Velvia and all other Fuji stuff, various Ilford B&W material
including some XP of various vintages and Agfa B&W. They all seem to load
equally well, although some don't seem to come out as easily as others (not
a big deal).

Now with LTM cameras, there I've had some boo-boos :-)......

And how about the loading of things like the Sinar Vario back, the Calumet
C2, any Widelux etc. Even an LTM camera is a relief then.

   *            Henning J. Wulff
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