Hard to load cameras and tips

Pentacon Six

I'm not saying it's difficult to load. But it is tricky to load. You have to know the step-by-step procedure to load it in such a way that frames will not overlap.

A great camera by the way. As long as you remember to either not go below 1/125 or use a tripod due to significant shake caused by mirror flap.

eddym said:

But the best tip I ever heard was from a Pentax rep. Basically, he said to reverse the loading instructions: first, holding the open camera in your right hand and the film casette in your left, insert the leader into the takeup spool (yes, BEFORE you put the film cassette into the camera); then turn the spool with your thumb, wrapping the film around it securely; THEN pull the cassette back over to the left side of the camera and drop it into its place. Take the slack out with the rewind lever, close the back, and fire off a couple of frames... and you're done. Once you get the hang of this "backwards" technique, it is very fast and secure.

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I have always used this method. When I started shooting at the age of 16, the camera store that I used to hang out at had the obligatory resident expert that actually knew what he was talking about (find that guy at Best Buy today, you can't) and he showed me that little trick and it has served me well over the years and hundreds of different cameras I have owned. The only camera's I don't use this method on are the Canon QL17 GIII with the almost automatic wind system and the Minolta Maxxum 400si.

Adam Podstawczyński said:

I'm not saying it's difficult to load. But it is tricky to load. You have to know the step-by-step procedure to load it in such a way that frames will not overlap.

A great camera by the way. As long as you remember to either not go below 1/125 or use a tripod due to significant shake caused by mirror flap.

Click to expand...

It is great isn't it. I love mine. The step by step insures that you have all the slack out of the take up spool, which is what causes the overlapping frames.

I've thought a few time about getting the modification from the guy in Europe for the positive indicator, but once you get the hang of it mine has never failed to advance properly.

The MLU mod, however, might end up getting my attention in the long run.

I have never had any problems loading a conventional 35mm camera, always using the "reverse" method, nor have I had any problems with bottom-loading FSU cameras or my M3. BUT, the Horizon panoramic camera is in a league of its own. You have to insert the cassette with the film slot downwards and away from you, thread the leader under a roller, across the top of the curved "gate", then under another roller and under the take-up spool at the same time, then extract the leader from the back wall behind the take-up spool to feed it into the slot in the take-up spool. I have found it slightly easier to fold the first 1/2" of the leader backwards and then use tweezers to feed it into the take-up spool slot.

I 'reverse' load all my cameras. And I'm 'generous'.