Loading a Leica M6

mynewcolour · Feb 2, 2017

jho said:
I find the M6 super fast and easy to load and can be done while walking unlike swing back loading doors.

I'm late to the party here ...

I don't use an M6 but an M4-P but I agree. I find the type of loading quite good for exactly the type of shooting the camera is designed.

I thought I'd put that down in writing for anyone potentially put-off by opinions out there that M cameras are all awkward to load.

rpavich · Feb 3, 2017

jho said:
Here is how I load mine. Never had a miss using this method, I find the M6 super fast and easy to load and can be done while walking unlike swing back loading doors. Just make sure the end of the film leader is right in the middle of the prongs on the take up side and the canister is fully seated with the film flush along the top rail. Perfect loading every time.

This is the way i started to load my M6 and haven't had a problem since then. I guess that the issue is a mechanical problem.

pentaxpete · Feb 6, 2017

I did a Video on my M6 and showed how to get 'extra frames' 27 from a 24 exp and 38 from a 36 exp and showed some actual prints ----

Helinophoto · Feb 6, 2017

pentaxpete said:
I did a Video on my M6 and showed how to get 'extra frames' 27 from a 24 exp and 38 from a 36 exp and showed some actual prints ----

Thanks, love your videos ^^
Both funny and informative, wish I had you as my teacher when I was back in school

pentaxpete · Feb 7, 2017

Thanks -- in 1980's i got a job as a Part-Time Tutor in the Photography Department at Barking College of Technology, Essex, England and the Students told me I was their 'Favourite Tutor' as I actually took photos !! Unlike the full-time Tutors who did everything by the black-board and theory ! Came the big Depression and all the Part-Timers lost our jobs !

Huss · Feb 8, 2017

jho said:
Here is how I load mine. Never had a miss using this method, I find the M6 super fast and easy to load and can be done while walking unlike swing back loading doors. Just make sure the end of the film leader is right in the middle of the prongs on the take up side and the canister is fully seated with the film flush along the top rail. Perfect loading every time.

Still don't know if he loaded the film properly as we never saw the rewind knob turn when the film was advanced. Surprising that he wouldn't wind it one more time after apparently taking up the slack.
I've been using the tip to fold over the tip of the film leader, and it works seamlessly now.

Puma · Mar 23, 2017

I've used a M6 for twenty years and put untold amounts of film through it. You don't need to advance the film before closing the camera. But as someone above mentioned you do need to make sure it's sitting on the sprockets correctly. Thin film can get up into position easily. The thick stuff has be finessed up in there. I kinda push it up and literally hear it fall into place. After that I close the door, fire and advance, and always start on zero. Before I figured out this your situation happened to me. And you probably already know the advance lever has a different feel to it when the film isn't seated correctly on the sprockets.

Hope this helps.

Puma · Mar 23, 2017

I agree completely, I can walk, chew gum, and load an M lickety-split resting the lens against my torso.

mynewcolour said:
I'm late to the party here ...

I don't use an M6 but an M4-P but I agree. I find the type of loading quite good for exactly the type of shooting the camera is designed.

I thought I'd put that down in writing for anyone potentially put-off by opinions out there that M cameras are all awkward to load.

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37th Exposure · Mar 29, 2017

Maybe I'm missing something but has anyone read the instructions that Leica themselves provide? I have an M6 and an MP (the new version). Both the M6 and new MP are designed to be drop in loading. Read the owner's manual!

I've never had a misload ever when I do it by the book. Fully seat the cartridge and draw the film according to the diagram on the camera bottom. Close bottom and so on. No winding with the back open! Just read the manual. It even says not too be too fussy. The action of the bottom plate will engage the film correctly. Just be sure to watch the rewind knob turn ( which is also in the manual).

Loading a Leica M6

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