Help needed loading film into a Fujica Half

After really enjoying an Olympus Pen ee that I picked up, I decided to give a Fujica Half a try. The Pen loads like most 35mm cameras where there is a slit in the take-up reel that you insert the end of the leader into and that "grabs" the film to start the loading process. I can't seem to find that slit on the take-up reel of the Fujica Half, so I went online to find the manual. I followed the loading instructions from the manual and I am still at a loss for getting the film into this camera. There is a metal "tooth" that grabs the film by a single sprocket hole to start pulling the film, but it does nothing to keep the film tight against the take-up spool as I advance the film. Since the film is not held tight onto the take-up spool, it does not want to load. Any help would be MUCH appreciated.

Will

Welcome to Apug!

Is there actually a finger/cam on that take-up spool? (The photo in the manual is not clear on that.)

Basically with this design of camera (I got a similar Fuji full-frame model, but with a different take-up spool) there is no hook-up and thus no cam necessary.
The film is transported by the sprocket-wheel and by this pushed onto the take-up spool.

It should be sufficient to turn the take-up spool so that the arrow at that coaxial clamp around it is located at the right side, and then to push the leader-start into the slit between the take-up spool and that clamp.
By closing the back door the pressure roller holds the film onto the sprocket wheel.
Whilst actuating the transport lever (and releasing inbetween) you see the rewind crank moving, as indicator of film transport.

(At first there will be a lag though, unless you rewound the film with the rewind crank just after closing the door, then you should feel the crank moving right away.)

Thank you! And by the way, I finally figured out the loading system on the Fujica Half! There is no slit on the take-up spool for the leader to go into. The leader has to go UNDER the silver plate that is on the take-up spool, and THAT is what holds the film tightly on the sppol while you load. The good thing is that not knowing this previously inspired me to sign up to APUG. I was always reading forum posts before, now I'm signed up!

Will

NOLA sapiens said:

There is no slit on the take-up spool for the leader to go into. The leader has to go UNDER the silver plate that is on the take-up spool,...

Click to expand...

That is, so to say, the slit.




Later cameras that indeed tansport the film by the take-up spool (rather a drum then) have one little cam (finger) on that drum.
By closing the back door a pressure spindle holds the leader to the rotating drum and the cam shall hook-up one perforation hole and wind the leader on the drum.

This camera has a piece of metal screwed onto the spool where you have to slip the leader under that piece of metal. The metal piece holds he leader tight against the spool as you get it started. This is the first time I have seen this kind of system to get the leader started. All of my other film cameras (from box cameras to SLRs) have the slit on the take-up spool that you feed the leader into, so this system threw me off a bit. Now that I have it figured out, I can get out and do more fun things, like take photos! Thanks again for your input and welcome.

Will

Yes, what you described about rotating the metal clamp further to the right makes more sense than what is described in the manual. Rotating the metal clamp to face right makes the film easier to push under the metal clamp. The manual says to make the arrow on the metal clamp face outward, but that makes it a bit more difficult to slip the leader under the clamp. Rotating the spool a little further exposes the edge of the metal clamp where the leader needs to slip under. Had your recommendation been described in the manual, I think I would have figured things out sooner. Thank you again.

Will