Alright, folks, time to put this one to bed... How fast are you at loading your M6 in the field?

Contest Rules.

1. Film in camera already rewound.

2. Fresh film in pocket or bag-out of package.

3. Go.

4. Procedure ends when base plate is back on with key turned, new film advanced to frame 1 and used film cartridge back in pocket or bag.

How fast were you?

Please report back. I took 17 seconds.

Already I can hear the more sensible posters say "why doesn't the damn fool go out and take some pictures instead of posting this silly and trivial stuff?" :-)

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), June 04, 2001

Answers

I should add contest applies to M4/M$-2/M4-p i.e. any camera with quickload system introduced in the mid-1960s.

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), June 04, 2001.

"why doesn't the damn fool go out and take some pictures instead of posting this silly and trivial stuff?" :-)

-- Paul Nelson (clrfarm@comswest.net.au), June 05, 2001.

What the heck, the CLE and M3 needed film to be put in anyway. how about 34 seconds to load my M3 with old style removable take up reel. only 15 seconds to load my Minolta CLE with opening back. How about some numbers from the screw mount guys?

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), June 05, 2001.

Mani: What is the prize? Your M6? Is it a TTL or "classic", .72 or .85?

Cheers.

Mark J

-- Mark A. Johnson (logic@gci.net), June 05, 2001.

Can I "GO" with my fingernail on the baseplate key?

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), June 05, 2001.

15 sec, including turning the take up prongs to the right angle for guaranteed load. 3 consecutive succesful loads. Any other trivia requests !!

-- Sait Akkirman (akkirman@clear.net.nz), June 05, 2001.

To make this a significant test, you should time yourself while shooting a wedding. You run out of film just as the rings are about to be exchanged. How long does it take to do it then? And rewind time is a significant factor in this situation.

Of course, a real professional would a) have a assistant loading bodies while he takes the snaps b) discretely throw a smokebomb behind the altar c) be so calm and collected that he can load a leica under stress in 5 seconds d) have reloaded when he got to frame 27 so as to be sure to have enough film in the box for the money shot.

I recently did a wedding where it seemed the bride and groom were trying to break speed record for getting the ceremony over. Unbelievably stressful. My camera loading skills are not at their best in these situations.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), June 05, 2001.

Around 1 min. including rewinding a 36 exp. roll, I'd say. Only a little bit slower than a Nikon F5 ;-)

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), June 05, 2001.

Well, let's see. First stick a fingernail in the slot and pull down the key. (Don't forget to file fingernail after loading's finished). Turn key to OUF and pull bottom plate off camera. Goddamn, why is on so Goddamn tight? (All right, don't forget to file thumbnail, too). Now, where the hell am I gonna put the damn baseplate? Okay, shirt pocket, just remember not to bend over with it half in-half out. Grab end of film cassette takeup spool and put out old film. Shit! It's stuck. Whack end of Leica against palm of hand to loosen cassette. Again. Again. Ouch, that bruised. All right, here it comes. Why did I forget to bring an empty plastic plastic can to put the cassette in? Never mind, just drop it in pants pocket for the time being. Now, open the new box of film, drop it on the floor. Pick it up. Pick up bottom plate where it fell out of shirt pocket. Goddamn. Did it bend? No. Damn good metal these Krauts used. Glad it wasn't the black enamel one. Put it back in shirt pocket. Remember, don't bend over. Take film out of plastic can and hold in right hand while fishing old film out of pocket with left. Try not to drop IIIF while juggling all this shit. Notice own fingers clamped tightly on the viewfinder glass. Goddamn. Drop container with old film back into pants pocket. Start to drop new film into camera. Whoa! Where the hell is the ABCON (film trimming template)? Bottom drawer in the darkroom. Walk to darkroom, open drawer and rummage around for ABCON. Good, this time the baseplate fell into the drawer not on the floor. Darkroom floor is not good place for anything clean to land. To kitchen for sharp knife to cut leader with ABCON. Put film into ABCON and cut leader. Trip to bathroom for bandaid for fingers. Back to the kitchen and open cold beer. Ooh, that's better. Okay, ready to go. Extract takeup spool from Leica. How the hell can I get my damn fingers on it with this damn bandaid? There, wasn't that easy? Okay, jam leader under spring on takeup spool. No, turn the cassette so the emulsion is OUT, dummy! Pull out leader until two holes show outside the cassette. Drop the whole thing into the camera. Replace baseplate, turning the key to Z. Wind rewind knob until there's tension on it. Wind the takeup knob two exposures, keeping an eye on the rewind know. Shit! It didn't turn backwards. Remove baseplate, film cassette, and takeup spool. Repeat proceedure, until it all works. Set counter to #1. Return to kitchen for unfinished warm beer. Have seat in the den, setting Leica where you can see and admire it. Enjoy beer. Mani, I'd say: about 10-15 minutes. Tops. (Fingernail care, healing bruise and cuts extra.)

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), June 05, 2001.

rob--If you're going to use "wedding rules" don't forget the last one:

13: The film must fail to advance through the camera, placing all remaining 84 shots on the roll on the first two inches of the leader.

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), June 05, 2001.

While we're racing through this loading don't drop that baseplate or it'll end up looking like Mani's. Mani, post some shots of the damage acquired during your Japan adventures, will you?

-- Jim Shields (jim.shields@tasis.ch), June 05, 2001.

Leica IIIg. Okay this may be considered cheating a bit because I pre- trim all my leaders (manually, I've never found a trimmer). My Lowe Pro Reporter 100 camera bag is great because when it is open the padding allows the camera to sit unassisted, base up quite steadily. My secrets, unscrew the lens, and set the shutter to B. Best out of three - 43 seconds, worst 103 seconds. Luckily I did't have one of those rolls that just refuse to load. I seem to get one of those every 7 or 8 rolls and have just learned that if it doesn't load on the 2nd or 3rd try to go to another roll and recut the leader on the problem roll when I get home.

-- Bob Todrick (bobtodrick@yahoo.com), June 05, 2001.

Check here for the "phone card" method of loading your LTM cameras (and other interesting stuff):

http://www.mediakyoto.com/camerashopper/lrc_e/index_e.html

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), June 05, 2001.

hmmm... I can't see myself getting a screwmount anytime soon...

As for rule 13, one thing I will say is that when the film's finally in there, it definitely gets advanced, that's my experience anyway. I have no problem with the M6 loading at all. Actually I like it. Just slightly fiddly sometimes.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), June 05, 2001.

Loading IIIf was a struggle for me. It took about a minute.

During one summer vacation, I took my IIIf and travel to Shandong province to climb the Mount Taishan. Took many shots along the way up and followed another route down, including some sun rise shots at the peak of Mount Taishan.

The film lead did not engage the pick up spool.

Some day, I may go back with my Leica. Sigh.

Speaking of fast loading, my Minox camea beats even APS, 3 TO 4 secs.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), June 05, 2001.

Bill, it's a good thing you didn't set your shutter on T (or turn shutter to cock shutter, set to B, then fire shutter to keep it open on a IIf), take the lens off (where you gonna put that?), push film against pressure plate up into body (at least you don't have to trim leader) without breaking anything, put lens back on, proceed from there, while nekkid wimmin dance in front of you.

-- John Fleetwood (johnfleetwood@hotmail.com), June 05, 2001.

20 minutes. 32 minutes if I have to rewind the film. I'm so slow because I'm very, very, very careful with my Leica.

-- richard le (rvle@bellatlantic.net), June 05, 2001.

>> Check here for the "phone card" method of loading your LTM cameras (and other interesting stuff): http://www.mediakyoto.com/camerashopper/lrc_e/index_e.html

>>

Having just looked at this, I'm now totally convinced that I won't be getting a screwmount anytime soon.

Is it just me, or does the guy in these pictures have really huge hands? The cameras look like tiny toys in the pictures.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), June 05, 2001.

Your right Rob-are you sure that isn't one of those Minox Leica replicas he's got pinned to the table?

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), June 05, 2001.

Loading film is just another excuse to fondle your Leica.

-- John Fleetwood (johnfleetwood@hotmail.com), June 05, 2001.

My best time with M6TTL and RapidWinder - 12 sec. Usually it's closer to 20 sec, but wot the heck.

<<"why doesn't the damn fool go out and take some pictures instead of posting this silly and trivial stuff?" >>

Climbed Mt. Everest lately? ;-)

Godfrey

-- Godfrey DiGiorgi (ramarren@bayarea.net), June 05, 2001.

Hexar RF - two seconds.

-- Suetonius (suetonius@netzero.net), June 05, 2001.

My time: Leica M4-P, about 30 seconds; Minox 35 GT, about 20-25 seconds; Minolta CLE, about 15-20 seconds. Assembling a field- stripped M-16 rifle, 15 seconds flat.

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), June 05, 2001.

M4-2 - 24 seconds Nikon F - 35 seconds Hexar RF - 16 seconds Nikon FM2 w/MD-12 - 21 seconds R4s - 90+ seconds (leader would NOT stay in the little white plastic grip on takeup spool!!)

BTW: David Alan Harvey holds the base plate in his mouth (see NG video/ Puerto Rico shoot). Where do you hold yours?

Also BTW: the best Leica loading instructions I've ever seen (they helped me get my time down from 90 seconds to 24) are at this site:

http://www.nemeng.com/leica/index.shtml

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), June 05, 2001.

picking another aready loaded body from the bag, 3 seconds, other wise I never hurry so, enough bad experiences with hurry loadings, but if any one needs to know from 15 to 30 seconds depending on the mood.

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), June 06, 2001.

>> My time: Leica M4-P, about 30 seconds; Minox 35 GT, about 20-25 seconds; Minolta CLE, about 15-20 seconds. Assembling a field- stripped M-16 rifle, 15 seconds flat.

>>

The M4-P looks like a pretty antiquated option next to the M16, with its full auto mode. But the M16 always has people looking right at you with their mouths open and piss stains on their pant legs. _And_ a noisier shutter release.

I'd stick to the M4-P.

>> Where do you hold yours?

>>>

To quote Jack Nicholson (Five easy pieces): you can hold it between your _knees_!

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), June 06, 2001.

LOL (again), Rob! You always have the funniest answers! (Man, I love this forum!!!)

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), June 06, 2001.

Hehe, not an M6, but I can load my M2 with the removable film take-up spool sitting down in 30 seconds. MUHAHAHAHAHA!

-- Ron Gregorio (rongregorio@hotmail.com), June 06, 2001.

1. LOL, everyone, especially Bill Mitchell-that is truly hilarious! I'm sure glad I asked :-)

2. Thumbnail on the key is OK, Jack. Hope you haven't been waiting too long, poised-you can go ahead now ;-)

3. Jim, I'm happy to show off my dented baseplate. Just buy me a throwaway digital camera or a Nikon LS4000!

4. Rob, speaking of huge hands, that is probably Henri Cartier- Bresson loading that Leica IIIf. Remember this link?

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/08/arts/08ARTS.html

5. And for those who must know, I hold the baseplate between my middle and ring fingers on the hand that is holding the camera upside down.

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), June 07, 2001.

Okay, now that I've been given the go ahead to "GO"...

M6: First try 18 sec. Ten minutes after a single-malt scotch & soda, 15 sec. Ten minutes after a seconfd sinlkle malp scith & sosa, 28 sec.

Nikon F5: 8 seconds -- 7 seconds of which was spent fumbling with trying to remove the exposed film cannister. Film was also inadvertanly advanced to frame 5 on one occasion. No significant difference after the scotch.

Field stripping AND reassembling a Colt 45 Gov't model auto -- yes, including the barrel bushing, and done without the wrench Hoyin -- A mere 28 seconds, but only ever done sober.

Oh, and before anyone asks, Glenlivet 18 -- which is best diluted with Pellegrino 1:1 and served at about 5 degrees C. Small twist of lemon peel optional. :)...

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), June 07, 2001.

Now it becomes important to record the drinking time of your scotch, we may find a good reason to say chears!

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), June 08, 2001.

Roberto:

It's Padron "Oro" when I come visit you! ;-)

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), June 08, 2001.

Hey, film loading is only half the film change process, it takes time too to rewind the film.

LTM, smallish pull out winding knob : one minute

The rewind crank on modern manual camera is a big improvement, 10 sec. ( I wonder who invented the rewind crank, Leitz or Zeiss ?

compact camera : zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz 10-15 sec

Minox spy camera: 0 sec: No rewind necessary.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), June 09, 2001.

Mani says: (Snip) Already I can hear the more sensible posters say "why doesn't the damn fool go out and take some pictures instead of posting this silly and trivial stuff?" :-) _______________________________________________________________

What makes you say they're sensible? If they are, why aren't THEY out taking pictures instead of reading this 'silly and trivial stuff'? And can't they think of something more original to say? Still, I have to admire anyone who has the same stock answer to any question ;-)

BTW, I have absolutely no right whatsoever to reply to this thread, having never used an M camera, so please disregard this post.. The R8 seems easy enough to load, though. ;-)

Regards, Ray

-- Ray Moth (ray_moth@yahoo.com), June 11, 2001.

Any time Jack; I still have a view to the pacific ocean in Mazatlán, Mexico; I would love to try that Padron Oro, salud!

-- R Watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), June 11, 2001.

In between 10-13 seconds in good lighting condition and around 17-18 seconds in totally dark, including to advance to frame one and preset the shutter to 1/60 sec.

-- Kaisern Chen (kaisern@gbi.co.th), January 04, 2002.

Why do you preset the shutter to 1/60 in the total dark?

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), January 04, 2002.

Mani,

First attempt, illumination 350 lux, wind out of the north 5-7 knots, I completed the exercise in 40 seconds or so. Second attempt, well there was no second attempt because I rewound the leader from a perfectly good unexposed roll of E100S into the cassette after the first attempt. Rats. (BTW I also set the camera’s meter speed which Mani’s instructions don’t require. Without this laborious step I might have been down in the low teens, for sure.)

Kaisern, I had a watch like the once. Maybe it just needs a new battery?

Also, I’d like to try Bill’s technique but I don’t have an ABCON. Is it OK to just go in the kitchen and have a beer, skip the ABCON and the bleeding part?

Cheers,

-- Jeff Stuart (jstuart1@tampabay.rr.com), January 04, 2002.