Developing Film from Leica after cutting the leader - home only?

[Vince Lupo]

I know I might be opening up a can of worms here, but....

If you check the thread on 'Loading a Bottom Loader' at the top of the Leica TM Forum list, there's an easy (relatively) way to use film in a Leica TM without having to cut the leader at all (you'll have to scroll down to almost the last page to find it)....I've been doing it this way for 25+ years with a Leica III, IIIa, IIIb, IIIc and IIIf and have never had a problem doing it this way, nor have I ever had to cut the leader to make it longer. The only issue is having to juggle the lens, baseplate, film and takeup spool, but is only really a challenge if you're doing it on the fly. And if you have a MOOLY motor attached there's even more juggling!

So put the scissors away!

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

I hate to start an argument, but this statement is incorrect. It would have been correct in the 1950s and 60s, because the commercial leaders were cut to what was essentially the Leica template.

The present commercial loads have a shorter leader and are NOT designed to satisfy the requirements for Barnack Leicas. Look at the pattern shown when the base plate is removed from an early Leica. It shows the proper shape of the leader.

Jim N.

Thank you.

I last used a Barnack Leica in the sixties and used Ilford FP3 film straight out of the box.

I hadn't realized that the modern leader is different from the older leader.

 

[rgripp]

As a slightly different take on this, I try and leave a small length of film protruding from the cassette when removing an exposed cassette from one of my pre-war Leicas. When removed, pull out the leader until a couple of sprocket-lengths of full width film are visible, and cut the leader off.

This makes it easy-peasy to load onto a spiral at home without opening the cassette (see other threads for discussions re: multiple passages of film through felt), and allows re-use of the cassette if bulk loading by simply taping a square cut of film to the protruding remnant.
It would save the technician at the lab having to insert a film retriever before processing.
Enables swapping a film from one camera to another - useful once in a blue moon.

When rewinding, watch the collar surrounding the shutter release button - when it stops revolving, the leader will have left the LHS of the camera but still be outside of the cassette. Stop rewinding at this point, and you should be able to remove the cassette with some leader still visible. Even if the collar is missing, the screw base will still revolve during rewinding.

Please do not try this for the first time on a film that you have just used for your daughter's wedding!

Robin.