Ok - here goes. (And note that I HAVE used this technique on new M6 TTLs with no misloads, but that I use M4-2/Ps.)

1. Hold the camera in shooting grip - right hand, three small fingers on the front, index finger on the shutter button, thumb on the wind lever.

2. Keeping this grip, flip the camera over to expose the bottom, and remove the base plate with left hand. Usually I stick the base in a pocket, but occasionally just hold it between the 3rd and 4th fingers of my right hand (against the camera body).

--- Don't open the camera back! ---

3. Grasp the film casette with the middle three fingers of the left hand - casette top towards the fingertips, and with the film leader coming out between, and gripped between, the left index finger and thumb.

4. Push the casette into the camera while retaining the finger/thumb grip on the leader, until the bottom line of sprocket holes is still just outside the camera (about a 1/4 inch edge), and then draw the leader across and through the prongs of the takeup spool with the thumb/index finger. I usually pull it just a tad further than the baseplate diagram, so that the tip goes all the way through the prongs, with two on one side of the film and one on the other. The natural curve of the film tip usually guides it right into position.

5. Push the bottom of the CASETTE in hard with the left thumb to be sure it has seated all the way in. Sometimes the casette hangs up on the rewind forks, but they are beveled, so a good push will rotate the fork into alignment.

6. Put the bottom on and lock it.

7. Wind and fire the camera twice.

8. THEN, and only then, backwind the rewind knob JUST ENOUGH to take up slack (i.e. not TIGHT!), and wind and fire once more, watching the rewind to make sure it turns fully (about 3/4 turn).

The key, as Andrew Nemeth points out in his FAQ link, is to let the auto-load system work as designed,and don't short-circuit it by opening the back and fiddling with the film to get the holes over the sprockets or the film exactly lined up in the film gate. That's one reason I don't even open the back anymore - it's too much temptation. Plus on a couple of occasions early on I closed the bottom with the back still open, and fogged 3-4 frames before noticing.

You may need to practice even this technique if it's very different from what you've done in the past - like a golf swing, it becomes a nice fluid set of movements with time - and takes under 20 seconds from bottom closed to ready-to-shoot (I just timed myself while this post was on the screen.)

This works both with factory-load film and my occasional bulk-loaded casettes. I cut the top corner off my bulk-loaded film to approximate the shape of modern short-leader film, and have noticed no difference loading either factory or home loads.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), January 02, 2002

Answers

After a few misloads with my M-6, I have essentially adopted Andy's method of loading, which I discovered by trial and error. Completely unnecessary to open the back. I have found it also unnecessary to tension the rewind crank. After replacing the base plate, crank and fire twice or three times. You will be able to see the rewind crank turning on the second or third crank, at least with Ilford HP5+ cassettes. Another advantage to the extra crank is that you only get 36 exposures rather than 37 or more. Easier to file negs in Printfile six strip, six frame pages.

-- Lewis Lauring (eyeye@citlink.net), January 02, 2002.

This comes up all the time and all I can say is that it depends on the camera. I have used a number of M cameras and NEVER had a misload when following the above technique. However on my new TTL, the film will catch in the film gate EVERY time if I do not flip down the back and wiggle it past. The only way the above technique will work with my TTL is to trim the film leader long.

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), January 02, 2002.

I can't figure how to hold the M6 in shooting grip and then flip it bottom-up. My wrist won't bend that way without hurting.

Anyway, I believe it is essential to flip the backflap up and with the tips of left-hand fingers gently help the film up into the upper guide channel. If the film is the slightest bit wavy it won't go in by itself. But once the film's into the channel, you can just close up and wind. For a time I used to pre-trim all my leaders with an ABLON before a shoot with the M cameras, but since I began opening the back and making sure the film's into the upper channel, I've never had a misload.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), January 02, 2002.

Yikes, The 8 Steps To Loading sound so complicated! Here's what I do:
- Turn camera upside down
- Unlock and remove baseplate
- Let old cassette drop out, stuff new cassette in half way
- Pull film across until it will drop into takeup claw, push cassette and leader down
- Replace baseplate, wind/fire shutter twice

That's it. Sometimes I take up the slack with the rewind crank and watch it wind on when I have lost The Faith, but usually not. It's never failed me.

-- Godfrey (ramarren@bayarea.net), January 02, 2002.

Godfrey - The Eight Step Plan is for Leica-Loaders' Anonymous. I like your executive summary, though.

Stopped by the camera store again today to experiment with M6 TTL loading (they're beginning to wonder about my fetish for trying to jam an M6)

Tthe film WOULD occasionally buckle against the film rail. (I was breaking my own rule and loading with the back open to see if and where the film got caught), but if I just ignored the buckle, shut the back and wound on, the tension would straighten out the film and the loading worked as designed.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), January 02, 2002.

Andy: is the FLIP accomplished by rotating the camera about the lens axis (left-for-right inversion); by rolling the top plate forward (away form the body); or by rolling the top plate towards the body and under.

With the first method I find myself looking over my right shoulder to see the camera. With the second method I wind up with the camera bottom plate pointing at my stomach. With the third method, the bottom winds up above eye level, so I can't see in.

Can you post a photo of the Piper Flip being demonstrated?

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), January 02, 2002.

Sounds like a cure for hiccups!

-- Ray Moth (ray_moth@yahoo.com), January 02, 2002.

I, in essence, use Godfrey's technique. However, I have a couple of modifications which allows me to obtain 39 frames on each 36 exposure roll. Prior to loading the film, I advance the shutter 1/4 of the way across, adjust the take-up "tulip" to receive the lead, insert cassette and close as directed by Godfrey, advance a bit, tighten the rewind lever, advance the rest of the way making sure the rewind lever is turning. Fire once. The second advance is ready to shoot.

-- Henry Chu (heninden@yahoo.com), January 02, 2002.