I've had several M Leicas but I'm new to the world of the "Barnack" cameras. Not only am I finding the IIIf devilishly difficult to load, but on several occasions the film has managed to slip mid-roll and not advance any further, making for a rather interesting but useless pile of multiple exposures.

My gut feeling is that the camera is not at fault. It's an EX user that has obviously been serviced by Leica: it has a new shutter and the RF and viewfinder are immaculate.

Can anyone suggest a foolproof method of loading and/or assuring that this does not happen? I know about watching the rewind crank but in the heat of a shoot sometimes I forget.

-- Peter Hughes (ravenart@pacbell.net), July 30, 2001

Answers

Here is a page that shows several methods of loading a LTM camera:

http://www.mediakyoto.com/camerashopper/lrc_e/b_e/index_e.ht ml

It is important to load a LTM camera correctly otherwise you will break chips of the film off. These film chips are the number one source of trouble in LTM cameras.

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), July 30, 2001.

The leader (tapered cut portion) on today's films are not as long as they were years back. Loading a screw mount is somewhat dependent on the longer leader, although many people seem to get along ok with the short leader. My loading problems disappeared when I got the Leica film cutting template (codeword ALBON, if I recall correctly). This is a cutting template that allows you to trim the film leader to the perfect length and shape. It solved my screw mount loading problems, withoug getting my fingers in the wrong places to nudge the film into place. You can find the template on eBay from time to time.

-- Ken Shipman (kennyshipman@aol.com), July 30, 2001.

You don't really need to pay collector prices for an ABLON, you just need a pair of small manicure scissors like they sell at the drugstore. Cut the leader to double its length making sure where it tapers up to the full width you round off the sharp corner but don't cut into a sprocket hole.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), July 30, 2001.

I never bother to trim the leader. I use the "thumb through the lens hole" method and I've never had a problem.

Key points are making sure that the take-up spool has a good grip on the film, the film sprocket is engaging the teeth, the film is in the film gate, and the rewind crank is turning.

It is possible, though, that there a film chips in your camera. Always a good idea to have these serviced immediately, even if they appear to have been serviced by the previous owner.

Joe

-- Joe Buechler (jbuechler@toad.net), July 30, 2001.

I know that many people have their own techniques, but I've always found it worthwhile to use the ALBON, and watch the rewind knob. Never a slipped roll since that horrible day when I was 15, taking the trip of a lifetime through the Great American West, and discovering that I had shot 41 phantom pictures on a roll of 36 exposure Kodachrome, right after Yellowstone, the Tetons, Glacier, Banff, etc.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), July 30, 2001.

I use my teeth when nothing else is handy. Primitive camera brings out the basics. I think you hit the nail on the head, Peter: You're a new user. You might have also been scared by all the stories about how hard loading a Barnack is. It's not really once you get the hang of it; and it will come quickly and naturally. (I'm joe kluz and I did it.) Try this. Get a roll of film that you can part with and play with it.

There is one thing that very important. Round out the bottom edge of the leader. Also, you might have to jiggle the spool a little to get the teeth to catch. Once you've got it you'll love it. There is something sensual about loading a Barnack Leica.

Actually I prefer Leica's old spools to the new system. But I findly found a more or less way of dealing with the new model. Bend the tip of the leader in--crease it even.

But I like the certainy of the good old removable spools.

-- Alex Shishin (shishin@pp.iij4u.or.jp), July 31, 2001.

I have a Leica III and usually use reloadable Leica cassettes with bulk film. I think the key is that you need a very long (by modern standards) film leader - about 4" from the tip of the leader to where the top edge of the film falls away. I cut the leader with scissors - about half the film width, 4" long, then smoothly up to the top edge, between 2 sprocket holes, rounding of the top corner. The exact profile doesn't seem to matter. However, you don't want much more than 4" of film protruding from the cassette. After inserting the take up spool and cassette, make sure that they are equally 'deep' into the camera (some commercial cassettes need wiggling slightly). This is important, as the film needs to be horizontal across the camera to feed the take up sprocket properly. Then, look up into the camera from near the base of the take up spool, where you can see the film lying over the lower sprocket teeth. As you advance the film, you can now check that the film is moving smoothly over the sprocket (teeth in film sprocket holes). I normally advance the film two frames before fitting the base (this ensures that the top of the film has also passed over the upper sprocket). Take up the slack in the film, by turning the rewind knob. When the film is advanced, the knob then turns smoothly indicating that the film has taken up properly. This procedure seems reliable. I use my Leica every day.

-- Jonathan Coleman (jonathan.coleman@poole.siemens.co.uk), July 31, 2001.

Hold the Phone guys. Todays modern short-trimmed leader is FINE.... Here's how: Place leader in tab of takeup reel. Now Before you insert much of edge of film in body... just wind that short leader right on to the takeup reel.... What you have in essence is just like square cut bulk loads. Easy, no sweat. Works well my IIIf that Shintaro painted black... (maybe it's the black paint:))

-- Larry Welker (lwelker@turbont.net), August 29, 2001.