Leica M loading just plain rocks!

[Moriturii]

I've used Leica's and Hexar RF for a good while now, have no problems loading either, but I prefer the Hexar RF.

I just never understood why camera manufacturers that make film cameras that SWING OPEN, didn't put the hinges on the long side so that it flips open like Leica M cameras? Instead of having a humongous round-about swinging door.

 

[Gary Sandhu]

Compared to a F6 or hexar RF it still pales.

 

[muser53]

I'll be a curmudgeon and chime in one last time that I'm far more concerned about the 125/sec or so of light that falls on my film than however long it took me to load a particular camera. 🙂

 

[anjoca76]

I can't see how loading my M6 could be any easier. It takes less than 2 seconds. My M2 is a little slower, admittedly, but it's still not too bad at all. The slowest of my Leicas is my iiic, but that's a whole other beast, and truth be told, I really enjoy the process. It reminds me of changing strings on my guitar--a little tedious, but somehow relaxing. It helps that I'm rarely out reloading my Barnack on the fly, in which case it would be painful.

 

[loquax ludens]

Two seconds, that's good! I need more practice, I guess. Takes me about 10 seconds on my M6. Now, my IIIc is a whole 'nother animal. Takes me about a minute on that one, but that's including cutting the long leader and fiddling with the film to get the take-up sprocket to grab securely. I'm sure more practice would help me out there too.

 

[anjoca76]

My iiic takes me a lot longer than a minute! I'm envious. I use the method Youxin taught me, which doesn't require trimming the leader, but even still it can take me a fair amount of time to get it right. Sometimes it goes more smoothly than others.

 

[dabick42]

I have Leica 111g, M3 and M6, Nikon F and F3, Canon F1 and FTb, Rollei TLR with Rolleikin - all load differently to some degree, some are quicker than others but none give me a problem to worry about, and not one could be called a bad design.
Practice and familiarity are all that's required....

 

[semilog]

I can't see how loading my M6 could be any easier. It takes less than 2 seconds.

It takes me two seconds just to get the camera turned over and the bottom plate off. Video or it didn't happen.

 

[KoNickon]

More than once I've had an M5, with the quickload "tulip" feature, fail to take up the film, even when properly threaded into the tulip. Tucking the leader into a removable spool as with an M3 is a lot more sure. (And with an M5 you don't have a spinning rewind knob/lever to tell you if the film is advancing.)

As for your T4, I'm surprised the camera lets you take pictures -- I have the last version, and the frame counter blinks at you and refuses to shoot if it didn't take up the film correctly.

Hexar RF and Canonet -- open back, insert film cassette in recess on left. Draw out leader. Lay on takeup spool where marked (no slot to insert film into). Close back. Wind to frame 1 (Canonet) or do nothing (Hexar). Shoot.

As for the back door, at least it's not going anywhere. What do you do with the removable bottom of an M? Either you're holding it in your hand, or you've set it down somewhere or stuck it in a pocket. Say what you will, it's not a one-handed operation, while the Hexar really can be.

Well, I'd just read a professional review of the M7 vs the Ikon where the reviewer commented how the Ikon's backloading system was an improvement over the M's. I beg to differ. Hence, I started this thread.

I've never used a Canonet nor a Hexar so I don't know how they work. But to me, the M's tulip is far more elegant and effective than the typical manual backloader's slats-on-a-pillar. Just thread the leader to the middle, and you can be sure the spool will take. No worries about the film flying free off the slats as you're busy advancing the darned lever, or the film not turning cos the sprocket holes are not lined up properly with the gear's teeth.

Or, in the case of my electronic Yashica T4, the film not actually feeding through when the mechanism turns after you snap shut the back door. So you then happily snap away until the number reaches 39, and you wonder how come Kodak or Fuji decided to give you so many free frames, and then you open the camera and discover you haven't actually taken a single shot. Cos the film is still sitting unloaded in its canister.

Plus, while the back door is open, it blocks your right hand, so you have to place the camera on your thighs or table in order to use both hands to thread the film. And while loading film hurriedly in the field I'm always worried I might accidentally apply too much pressure on the back door that the hinges break.

 

[anjoca76]

It takes me two seconds just to get the camera turned over and the bottom plate off. Video or it didn't happen.

I've never timed myself (nor do I intend to film myself!), and besides I was using "2 seconds" as a form of expression, meaning it takes an extremely short amount of time. What I should have said was that of all my cameras, my M6 is the quickest to load--even quicker than my Canonet QL17.

 

[sepiareverb]

I've also never run into a situation where the time was that critical. But I don't shoot breaking news or sports.

 

[zauhar]

Takes me less than minute to load my M3, maybe a minute to two minutes for the iiif (I also don 't trim the leader, and I take the lens off and open the shutter to make sure the film slides behind the gate - is that Youxin's method?)

In any event , it usually takes the better part of an hour to shoot the roll, so the exact time is not that critical! And if something is happening fast , no loading system is going to save me. I kick myself for missing things that were right in front of my face, I avert my eyes while changing film.

Randy

 

[Rico]

I'm able to load an M4 while walking down the street, but not the IIIb. Nothing, however, matches a Contax RTS III which hits frame 1 in about 1.5 seconds: amazing what heavy metal gears, a massive motor and 6AA alkalines can do. 🙂

 

[rxmd]

Loading rocks may void your warranty though, plain ones or not.

 

[ChrisLivsey]

Slightly O/T but I recall the trade shows where Hasselblad, when they made real cameras, always having a competition to load an A12 back against the clock with a decent prize. The pro's assistants were just amazing to watch but you swore never to buy a S/H back they had owned.
For those who haven't an M, any M, is an absolute breeze and it must be nearly impossible, although I've never tried, to load the emulsion side the wrong way. Hands up those who have done that on a blad' and I'm not ashamed to lead the pack, but only once.

 

[f16sunshine]

"Leica M loading just plain rocks!"

Heißluft....

 

[philipus]

I'm surprised that quite a few have had experiences with the quickload failing to catch the leader. Could it be that the edges of the three "teeth", or more appropriately fangs I guess, get dull with time? My M6TTL BP is (obviously) only over ten years old and I don't even have to insert the leader very deep into the space between the teeth/fangs for it to catch.

 

[rxmd]

I'm surprised that quite a few have had experiences with the quickload failing to catch the leader. Could it be that the edges of the three "teeth", or more appropriately fangs I guess, get dull with time? My M6TTL BP is (obviously) only over ten years old and I don't even have to insert the leader very deep into the space between the teeth/fangs for it to catch.

With my M5 I have to insert the leader quite far (further than on the usual diagrams) or else it won't catch.

 

[Pete B]

More than once I've had an M5, with the quickload "tulip" feature, fail to take up the film, even when properly threaded into the tulip. Tucking the leader into a removable spool as with an M3 is a lot more sure.

+1

I've also never run into a situation where the time was that critical. But I don't shoot breaking news or sports.

The only time it critical for me is when it's raining or the light is perfect.
Pete

 

[maddoc]

Hands up those who have done that on a blad' and I'm not ashamed to lead the pack, but only once.

Yup, me... 😱 The first roll ever I had loaded myself into an A12 back was with the backing paper pointing to the lens ... Lesson learned, it only happened once.