I'm very impressed with this guy's loading ability and it works too!

[menos I M6]

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The quick load system of the Leica M was called quick load system for a reason ;-)

 

The only 35mm film camera I have ever owned that loads as quick and simple as a modern Leica M (M4 or later) is the Nikon F5 and F6.

I never understood the futz people make about how slow and complicated Leica Ms are to load - they are doing it wrong  it seems ;-)

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[rpavich]

The quick load system of the Leica M was called quick load system for a reason ;-)

 

The only 35mm film camera I have ever owned that loads as quick and simple as a modern Leica M (M4 or later) is the Nikon F5 and F6.

I never understood the futz people make about how slow and complicated Leica Ms are to load - they are doing it wrong  it seems ;-)

Yes, they must be. I've seen a dozen or more videos on how to load these things and they all fumble except for this guy. I've seen dozens of questions on forums about how to load these cameras  also so there must be something going on that's not as apparent as some folks here have said.

 

I know that until I saw this video...I fumbled also.

[pico]

You might surf for Abrahamssons' video.

[menos I M6]

Yes, they must be. I've seen a dozen or more videos on how to load these things and they all fumble except for this guy. I've seen dozens of questions on forums about how to load these cameras  also so there must be something going on that's not as apparent as some folks here have said.

 

I know that until I saw this video...I fumbled also.

It has to do with how human's brains are wired.

We simply cannot except that loading such a fine camera as a Leica M really is as simple and straightforward as the little diagram on the bottom of the open camera shows.

Our brains trick us into thinking: "You have to make it more complicated in order to make it good!" ;-)

 

In this case it is really perfectly engineered and simple to use - drop in the film, place the leader into the tulip while guiding the sprocket holes roughly onto the sprockets, close the camera, wind to first frame, tighten the film to taste and simply shoot.

 

The fun benefit from this K.I.S.S. procedure is that you usually get 38 good frames from a roll of 135 with a Leica M.

If you fumble, you loose a frame or two.

 

I believe the fumbling youtube videos have been seeded by Ilford, Fuji and Kodak employees and are a ploy for better film sales ;-)

[ThePioneer]

The Leica rapid load is quick but my LX loads just as quick and can easily be done in the dark.

 

Neither are as quick as my F6.

[RvN]

So loading is not a problem.

Most of the time the 'extra' time needed for feeding a new film in the field is caused by my 'stress' of where to put the Bottom so I don't drop it on the pavement. (result: my M6TTL bottom looks like new ;o) )

[menos I M6]

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easy:

 

where to put that baseplate by teknopunk.com, on Flickr

 

where to put that baseplate by teknopunk.com, on Flickr

 

where to put that baseplate by teknopunk.com, on Flickr

 

where to put that baseplate by teknopunk.com, on Flickr

 

… never dropped a baseplate.

If you tend to drop them simply take it and put it in your pant's pocket … or in very serious cases, fix a lanyard from baseplate lock lever to the left strap lug or a lanyard from the tripod socket to the right strap lug.

 

[rpavich]

It has to do with how human's brains are wired.

We simply cannot except that loading such a fine camera as a Leica M really is as simple and straightforward as the little diagram on the bottom of the open camera shows.

Our brains trick us into thinking: "You have to make it more complicated in order to make it good!" ;-)

 

In this case it is really perfectly engineered and simple to use - drop in the film, place the leader into the tulip while guiding the sprocket holes roughly onto the sprockets, close the camera, wind to first frame, tighten the film to taste and simply shoot.

 

The fun benefit from this K.I.S.S. procedure is that you usually get 38 good frames from a roll of 135 with a Leica M.

If you fumble, you loose a frame or two.

 

I believe the fumbling youtube videos have been seeded by Ilford, Fuji and Kodak employees and are a ploy for better film sales ;-)

You're probably right. I know that when I first did it I was thinking..."no...it can't be that easy"   and now, I still say to myself "amazing...it's foolproof in it's simplicity"

[Stealth3kpl]

"while guiding the sprocket holes roughly onto the sprockets"

 

but the video and diagram suggest this is overthinking it.

Pete

[menos I M6]

Pete, in the video Mr. Quick pushes the film's edge into the camera body.

I instead move the film into the camera body by pulling it into it's final position with my left thumb, which automatically finds the sprockets without fumbling or extra time.

 

(left index finger pushes the film canister into the film chamber, while at the same time the film leader is held between left middle finger and thumb and placed into the tulip - once the left thumb touches the camera body and wouldn't go any further I slide the film the rest of the way with my left thumb into position - automatically resting it into the sprockets - no slower than in the video, also no fiddling involved)

 

If you ignore having to rewind the film, this is actually faster than switching SD cards in a digital M ;-)

[Stealth3kpl]

Pete, in the video Mr. Quick pushes the film's edge into the camera body.

I instead move the film into the camera body by pulling it into it's final position with my left thumb, which automatically finds the sprockets without fumbling or extra time.

 

(left index finger pushes the film canister into the film chamber, while at the same time the film leader is held between left middle finger and thumb and placed into the tulip - once the left thumb touches the camera body and wouldn't go any further I slide the film the rest of the way with my left thumb into position - automatically resting it into the sprockets - no slower than in the video, also no fiddling involved)

 

If you ignore having to rewind the film, this is actually faster than switching SD cards in a digital M ;-)

I can't quite picture this. Make a video

Pete

[menos I M6]

I can't quite picture this. Make a video

Pete

film loading---for_pete by teknopunk.com, on Flickr

[rpavich]

film loading---for_pete by teknopunk.com, on Flickr

that's just awesome.

[pico]

Ah, Menos, it is good to see another guy who has a dial caliper on his desk.

[menos I M6]

Haha - it is actually a standard item in the job for me, like a pencil or a toothbrush for others ;-)

[TomB_tx]

While M4 and later are easy to load, the easiest loading camera I ever had was a Canon FT QL of about 1968. Open the back, put the cassette in the chamber and lay the film flat across overlapping the grabbers on the take up spool. Close the back and wind. Always worked, no threading at all.

The lenses were pretty good (except for flare), but the auto diaphragms on the FL lenses got sluggish closing within a year, giving uneven exposures when stopped down. So the Canons were traded on a Leicaflex SL. (Where the 50 Summicron was also flare prone.)

[semi-ambivalent]

FWIW, I too found that loading my first Leica was much easier than I had imagined it would be, sliding the film in from the bottom as opposed to my Nikons. But, different from the video, I often have the 'upward' curl of the film right after the tongue turn into a slight downward dip when the film is straightened across the gate. This dip then catches on the top of the shutter gate when sliding the tongue into the tulip and the cassette onto to rewind prong.

 

In real life it's all very minor compared to my describing it but I wish I could load the MP as suavely as in the video. I would mightily impress the ladies and so infuriate ex-college football jocks.

 

(Very nice drawing style menos! It immediately reminded me of the North Face catalogs from the 1970s; perfect detail yet so casually rendered.)

 

s-a

[AAK]

 

Our brains trick us into thinking: "You have to make it more complicated in order to make it good!" ;-)

 

In this case it is really perfectly engineered and simple to use - drop in the film, place the leader into the tulip while guiding the sprocket holes roughly onto the sprockets, close the camera, wind to first frame, tighten the film to taste and simply shoot.

 

 

 

Agree completely. At first with my new M-A I couldn't see how the tulip would even grab the film securely enough to pull it. Then I futzed with checking to make sure the sprockets were neatly engaged. Then I wondered if I should do the first wind or two with the door open just to be sure everything was OK.

 

Now I just pull out enough film to make sure the leader is in the tulip, close the camera, wind once, tension the film, wind one more time to get the counter to zero, and that's it. No checking the sprockets. No winding once or twice with the camera open. Trust the design...it works.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[menos I M6]

FWIW, I too found that loading my first Leica was much easier than I had imagined it would be, sliding the film in from the bottom as opposed to my Nikons. But, different from the video, I often have the 'upward' curl of the film right after the tongue turn into a slight downward dip when the film is straightened across the gate. This dip then catches on the top of the shutter gate when sliding the tongue into the tulip and the cassette onto to rewind prong.

 

In real life it's all very minor compared to my describing it but I wish I could load the MP as suavely as in the video. I would mightily impress the ladies and so infuriate ex-college football jocks.

 

(Very nice drawing style menos! It immediately reminded me of the North Face catalogs from the 1970s; perfect detail yet so casually rendered.)

 

s-a

There is a trick to prevent the catching of curly film in the film gate (film is especially curly when reloading a half finished roll):

 

Don't pull the film out the whole length before inserting it into the camera.

 

Just grab the film like in my sketch above, insert the film can into the body still holding the film leader as in my sketch as far as you can.

 

Only NOW pull the film leader as far as you need to reach the tulip and drop the film the last few mm into the camera.

This way even the curliest of several time reloaded rolls will smoothly load without catching or handing ;-)

 

Thanks about the comment - I did't sketch in 25 years but did it a lot as a kid. The sketch above was a quicky and it was fun to see that it still sort of works - got to pick this up again, very relaxing.

[pico]

Perhaps this is a repeat, but Tom Abrahamsson's method is graceful.

See it here.