[Leica] Trimming film for the Leica LTM

[Johnson Cheung <jsbc1@yahoo.com>]

Dan Post wrote: If you have not be trimming the leader
to 4"" (10cm) then this is a 
good
reason to start! If you do trim, make sure the cut is
smooth as it 
curves
from the middle to the edge, and to make sure the cut
goes BETWEEN the
sprocket holes- to avoid film chips that WILL
eventually jam the 
shutter!
(My friend Youxin says that there is not a single LTM
that he works 
upon
that doesn't have at least some film chips in it!)
BEst of light to you and it is good to hear from you
again!

*** Actually I don't trim my film. I only use a Canon
D-30 and Leica IIIf's nowadays (although I have spent
my time with a Leica M6), because I believe Leica LTM
makes a great box for the Heliar! Also nothing beats a
black IIIc with a Chrome Collapsible Summicron when it
comes to looks!

In the past, I have my problems with film chips, and
even once, a split roll of film. However, I have
picked up a neat trick from reading a Japanese
magazine. The photographer they interviewed loaded a
LTM by

1) inserting a business card between the shutter and
the back panel, close to the empty cartridge

2) inserting film canister and cartridge, making sure
that the film slides in beween the back panel and the
card

3) removing card. The film should now advances
properly.

Granted this is not something easily done while in the
heat of action, but loading an LTM is never easy. the
great thing is one no longer has to trim film in
advance and worry about things like how many rolls of
trimmed film for the LTM and how many rolls of the
untrimmed version for the SLR (or M6 or whatever) as I
used to do before the D-30. 

JC


=====
Johnson Cheung

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