After inserting film into the take-up spool and two swings of the cocking lever, with preceeding setting ther shutter, turn the frame counter dial anti-clockwise until the last mark before #36 lines up with the body mark. The counter will then count down showing the number of frames left to be exposed.
Thanks AgX. When I use the winder, there's a metal lever that moves round the shutter speed ring. Do I use this to set the shutter before winding the film to the first frame?
The exposure time can be set with cocked or uncocked shutter.
The lever you refer to may be the knob on top of the lens near the body. Moving this further to the left after cocking will install the self-timer, which is realeased by pressing the release button.
Well..., as most 35mm cameras the Altix has a button at the underside to disengage the transport mechanism, thus allowing the film to be re-spooled by means of the re-wind knob.
That's the one next to the screw that holds the back on right? I wondered if that might be it. I'll remember not to play with it whilst there's film in the camera ;-)
It says on camerapedia that it's a sophisticated camera and I can agree that it is. No, it's not that complicated, but as an older camera, it's less standarised and less automatic than newer ones. But when you find where all the controls are and how to use them, it is a very elegantly designed camera.