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

[Mudman]

So I've read and seen that you need to cut the leader on the film before using it in a Leica Three. After cutting this leader however, can you get it developed commercially or does that screw up their auto developers?

Thanks,
Eric

 

[ruby.monkey]

There are ways to get round having to cut the film leader when loading a screw-mount Leica, but they all seem far more effort (and far less reliable) than just pulling out a penknife and hacking away; and I have never found a film processing centre that couldn't handle the film afterwards.

The only problem I have with my IIIf is having to explain why it has a little Swiss Army knife dangling from a strap lug.

 

[rxmd]

Shouldn't be a problem. I regularly have self-cut film developed on minilabs.

 

[pdx138]

I've never had an issue getting cut film developed by my lab, but I use a good one. Blue Moon in Portland, OR.

 

[photobizzz]

Yea, I agree with rxmd. I have taken film from a III and IIIf I had straight to the minilab with no issues.

 

[Mudman]

great thanks so much!

 

[Big Hairy Bee]

No issues here--even at the corner drug store...

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

So I've read and seen that you need to cut the leader on the film before using it in a Leica Three.

When they tell you to cut the leader they mean for you to taper it if you bulk load so it's just like retail film out of the box.

Hence any lab can handle it.

 

[Mudman]

One more somewhat silly question I suppose. Do you have to hold down the shutter button in order to reset the film counter?

 

[thomasw_]

it is manually reset.

 

[kully]

I havn't had any refusals, just twice in supermarket minilabs where they didn't develop it because they started pulling it out - saw that is was thinner and longer (oo-err missus) than they were expecting and stopped in case they were splitting it. They were fine once I explained.

Jon, I assume this is concerning the 'long leaders' of the barnacks rather than the shorter modern leaders.

 

[Mudman]

it is manually reset.

I realize it is manually reset, I just don't know how.

 

[kully]

Mudman - Once you've put the new film in and fired a couple of blanks turn it until it points to '1'.

More difficult for nail-biters.

 

[Mudman]

I got it thanks! I didn't realize you could turn the bottom part of the dial separately. I screwed up my first roll of film a bit - I think I'm going to end up with a 20 shot roll instead of 24.

 

[colyn]

I realize it is manually reset, I just don't know how.

The answer to your question is no. The button does not have to be pressed.

Make sure the R-A lever is set to A then turn the counter counterclockwise to 1 after loading and advancing to the first frame.

After loading I advance twice then set to 0.

 

[Mudman]

Thank you all. Here's a picture of the camera that you just helped me work!

 

[john neal]

I have had comments from a couple of the mini-labs local to me. One of the techies explained that they have had machine mis-feeds with the longer Barnack leaders.

The answer could be to make sure you don't rewind all the film back into the cassette - you can then shorten the leader to look more like a standard one.

Works for me 😉

 

[payasam]

I cut the leader short before handing film in for processing. Playing safe.

 

[OldNick]

I cut the leader short before handing film in for processing. Playing safe.

I do the same. I had one local lab comment that the film was splitting when they pulled the longer leader out. I pulled it out for them and showed them it was cut with a Leica template. They seem more comfortable with a modern-length leader.

Jim N.

 

[OldNick]

When they tell you to cut the leader they mean for you to taper it if you bulk load so it's just like retail film out of the box.

Hence any lab can handle it.

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.