Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/05/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I have tried all the simple things mentioned, especially Ted's technique. I use mostly Fuji Superia 400 and 800 films. I continue to be plagued by a slight downward curve in the film leader, about two inches from its beginning. This causes the upper edge of the leader to get caught just beneath the upper edge of the camera's shutter gate, so that the film will not slip all the way in when I put on the baseplate. Oftentimes it catches one of the shutter curtains when I attempt to wind on. I then have to reopen the camera and fumble and struggle with the leader to lift it out of the shutter path (without damaging the shutter), so that it can be reloaded. I have thought of carrying one of those white plastic collar stays, just for the purpose of slipping it under the film and lifting out of the shutter's path. Anyhoo, it's that slight reverse film curve located almost in the center of the shutter gate that I can't control. Everytime I try KISS, with minimal fiddling, that is what defeats me. If I ensure that the sprocket holes are properly lined up before I close the camera, then it is no longer the KISS operation that several of you find so easy. How do you keep that little reverse film curvature from catching under the top edge of the shutter gate? Feeling dumb..............Julian - ----- Original Message ----- From: <souljer@mac.com> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> Sent: Saturday, May 25, 2002 5:44 AM Subject: [Leica] Re: NOW...M6 piece of cake. I agree with Ted Grant, it should be easy. The only thing I do differently is I put the film cassette in before I pull the leader out further. Once the cassette is going in the camera straighten the film so it follows the slot between the back of the camera body and the shutter box. (I find this is much easier to do than pulling the film out then trying to thread a long piece into the camera). I then pull the film across the camera and into the take up reel (tulip), until it matches the diagram. Then I proceed as Mr. Grant has already written, pushing the film and cassette down etc. Same with advancing from -2 to 0 as I'm tightening up the slack. (This may sound kinda goofy here, but it all sorta happens at the same time, so it is easy.) The only fiddling I ever need to do (sometimes) is rotating the rewind knob a little if the fork doesn't line up with the slots in the cassette. No big deal. I don't worry about sprockets. Only with matching the diagram. Usually the back door doesn't even need to be opened. Everyone does it slightly different I'm sure. Maybe it's easier after a nice cup of green tea, who knows? But if it's not easy and rather quick, you may be making it a bigger deal than it is. And I really have done this with gloves on in the dark. But not while walking backwards. Wouldn't want to drop the camera base plate. Gunnar ________________________________________________________ Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there. - Will Rogers On Friday, May 24, 2002, at 09:25 PM, Ted Grant wrote: > Howard Sanner wrote: >>> On the M6, either the leader gets cocked towards the top of the camera > (and WAY out of the sprockets), or, like the M3, >> the tongue gets hung up on something and doesn't go in quite far >> enough. > Either way, the film doesn't engage the sprockets. >> Either I fool (<== possibly the correct word <g>) with it before I put >> the > baseplate on, or I remove the baseplate and do so >> after I realize that once again the camera isn't loaded right.<<<< > > Howard mon ami, > The M6 is so easy to load you should be able to do it successfully > everytime > walking backwards in the dark with your eyes closed ;-) > > Now that's the kiss of simplicity. I fear you fiddle too much.. :-) > > Think M6 only I don't care about the others. > > Take the roll with leader extended and drop right into the camera, > leader > between the tongues of the take-up spool or the tulip, as some call > them. A > slight touch downwards on the film into the tongues and if they don't > go too > far, don't fiddle, just leave them and replace the base plate. > > Now advance slowly and watch the rewind knob to see that it turns. Now > start > rewind action and just take up the slack. That done, make a couple more > exposures and trip shutter, meanwhile watching the re-wind knob turn. At > this point there isn't any reason why the knob doesn't turn indicating > perfect loading of the film. > > Honestly, the M6 is an absolute no brainer to load it's so simple. I > feel > you may have listened to too many fiddle artists and not just put the > roll > in, put the leader between the tongues, replaced base plate, advanced > film > and that's it. > > Try this and if you still have a problem come back to me private and > we'll > see what can be done to get this out of your face. > > ted > > Ted Grant Photography Limited > www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant > > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html