OK - one more newby question and maybe I can quit asking until I've had more experience. I've been practicing the loading and unloading in my first 2 weeks of use of my M6 and have the bottom loading down pat. In fact, it's much faster and easier than I anticipated after reading the rants. However, when I try to unload an exposed roll, I'm slowed up by the cartridge failing to drop from the chamber. This usually requires me beating the base against the palm of my hand a few times to get it to fall. Any suggestions? BTW, for those like me without fingernails, a piece of thin fishing line looped around the bottom release latch sure makes things easier. Thanks, JLee

-- JLee (jlee@sccoast.net), July 02, 2001

Answers

Hmmm..my problem is usually catching the film when it falls out by itself before I'm ready!

Some background questions: factory-loaded cassettes or film bulkloaded by yourself (and if the latter, metal of plastic cassettes)? Film leader rewound completely or left out for processing? And do they seem to be hanging up on the little lip near the bottom of the chamber, or at the top on or around the rewind mechanism/shaft?

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), July 02, 2001.

Thanks for the quick reply Andy. These problems occur with both the XP2 and Fuji Films so far, all factory loaded. Seems to be catching around the shaft as I have trouble reaching in to get a hold on it. Leader completely rewound though, I've considered leaving the leader out everytime which would allow me to slide down on the leader but may be a bad habit as I'm sure I'd eventially, carelessly but a finger through the shutter.

-- JLee (jlee@sccoast.net), July 02, 2001.

I'm on the verge of deciding once and for all to rewind my leader all the way in. Two reasons: 1) no way to mix up exposed film with non; 2) much easier to fall out of chamber when changing film with one hand while walking on top of a moving train in a wind storm (you know what I mean). The only time (I mean, most of the time until now) I've had trouble with removing the cartridge is with the non-perfectly flat leader portion of the film protruding away from the film gate area and catching. It really only happens when your next photograph is happening NOW. Murphy's law.

It's not difficult to tear the film in the darkroom if you bend and crease it against itself. Interestingly, I've never had a problem getting it attached to my developing spool after subjecting it to this slight barbarity.

With the leader all the way wound in, I've never had any trouble removing the cartridge from the camera. Always has just fallen right down into my palm.

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@mail.com), July 02, 2001.

I have no problem getting Fuji cassettes to drop out on their own. Have you shined a light up there to see what's going on? I can only think that one or both prongs might be bent enough to hold on to the spool. Both are thin enough that they might have been bent somehow. Both prongs should be straight as an arrow.

What happens if you continue to turn the rewind crank back an forth with the bottom plate off?

-- Ken Shipman (kennyshipman@aol.com), July 02, 2001.

personally, i never turn the camera rightside up when the baseplate is off. with the camera updside down, baseplate off, i just reach in with two fingers and grab the film roll.

-- Tristan (tristan@tristantom.com), July 02, 2001.

I kind of like slapping the camera into the palm of my hand to make the film fall out! It's kind of a familiar ritual in a changing world. Rituals are good.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), July 02, 2001.

Some cameras it falls out, some it sticks. Yours sticks -- don't worry about it. Reminds me of the instructions for loading the old Contax cameras. Step 1: Twist two keys on bottom to "open." Step 2: remove back. Step 3: pick up takeup spool from the floor. Etc.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), July 02, 2001.

The cassette usually falls out for me; if not, just wiggle it with the tip of a finger and it should. Tear off the end of the film carton and fold it over once and it's usually strong enough to lift up the baseplate latch. A plastic guitar pick in your pocket works too.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), July 02, 2001.

I'm with Kenny...use a light to see if anything looks bent/crooked up in the chamber/shaft. ....and try backwinding...maybe the rewind tips are digging into the plastic of the cassette's spool if they're bent - a backwind might pull them loose. (Like getting your cat's claws out of the upholstery...) *:<

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), July 02, 2001.

i dont see this as a problem.....a problem would be not being able to eat for a week or so...that sounds like a problem....

-- grant (g4lamos@yahoo.com), July 02, 2001.

For me, not being able to eat for a week would not be a problem. It would be more of a solution. But if we take all these postings too seriously, we might as well pack it all in.

-- Ken Shipman (kennyshipman@aol.com), July 03, 2001.

Thanks guys, in essence it sounds like one of those "challenges" (right, not a "problem") that I'll have to work out a routine to deal with. Will try backwinding. Haven't tried that yet but it makes since. Actually this weekend when I was slapping it in the palm of my hand a press photographer walked up and said, "must be a Leica. Pretty quirky but you got to love 'em." Gets that sums them up. Regards, JLee

-- JLee (jlee@sccoast.net), July 03, 2001.

I've been examining my M4-P's cassette chamber to see what might be catching your film cassettes (mine doesn't catch). I see three possible suspects besides the rewind shaft - you might check your body and see if any seem to 'feel' right or seem to protrude enough to hang up the cassette:

1. The internal rivet or screw head that anchors the strap lug.

2. A ridge or flange that runs the full depth of the film chamber where the front of the shutter box meets the body (sort of a wedge- shape). It ends a mm or so below the top of the chamber - maybe just enough space for the top rim of the film cassette to hook on and catch behind it.

3. A thin curved flange of metal that is an extension of the inside bottom plate (the one decorated with the loading diagram) - I think it is supposed to be a cassette stabilizer, but maybe it's a cassette trap instead.

It just occurs to me that maybe one of these items was just a little 'out' during assembly - it wouldn't take much, since the Leica cassette chamber is such a relatively tight fit - and if so it would be an easy passport repair to flatten a rough rivet head or some such. Try putting a rewound cassette back in and removing it several times in a comfortable setting and see if any of these becomes more suspect.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), July 06, 2001.

One other idea - if you can find one of those plastic cassettes for bulk loading (99¢ each US), they HAVE no end cap at the 'top' of the cassette, only at the bottom. Try loading and unloading one of those - if it doesn't hang up, you'll know that the metal rim on your factory cassettes is what's catching, which narrows the problem down.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), July 06, 2001.

The white zone is for loading and unloading only. The white zone is for loading and unloading only.

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

For the sake of the archives: Backwinding worked like a champ. Now, if I just remember to backwind after rewinding and then take the bottom off, I've got a good chance of dumping the film on the floor. Thanks guys.

-- JLee (jlee@sccoast.net), July 12, 2001.