M6 "Quick" Loading Contest. How Fast are You?

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

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Contest Rules.

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1. Film in camera already rewound.

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

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3. Go.

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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.

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How fast were you?

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Please report back. I took 17 seconds.

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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?" :-)

I should add contest applies to M4/M$-2/M4-p i.e. any camera with

quickload system introduced in the mid-1960s.

"why doesn't the damn fool go out and take some pictures instead of

posting this silly and trivial stuff?" :-)

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?

Mani:

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

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Cheers.

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Mark J

15 sec, including turning the take up prongs to the right angle for

guaranteed load. 3 consecutive succesful loads. Any other trivia

requests !!

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.

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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.

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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.

Around 1 min. including rewinding a 36 exp. roll, I'd say. Only a

little bit slower than a Nikon F5 ;-)

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.)

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

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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.

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?

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.

Check here for the "phone card" method of loading your LTM

cameras (and other interesting stuff):

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<a

href="http://www.mediakyoto.com/camerashopper/lrc_e/index_e.

html">

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

a>

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Cheers,

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

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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.

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

<p> 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.

<p> The film lead did not engage the pick up spool.

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

<p> Speaking of fast loading, my Minox camea beats even APS, 3 TO

4 secs.

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.

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.

>>

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

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>>

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Having just looked at this, I'm now totally convinced that I won't be

getting a screwmount anytime soon.

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Is it just me, or does the guy in these pictures have really huge

hands? The cameras look like tiny toys in the pictures.

Your right Rob-are you sure that isn't one of those Minox Leica

replicas he's got pinned to the table?

My best time with M6TTL and RapidWinder - 12 sec. Usually it's closer

to 20 sec, but wot the heck.

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<<"why doesn't the damn fool go out and take some pictures instead of

posting this silly and trivial stuff?" >>

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Climbed Mt. Everest lately? ;-)

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Godfrey

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.

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!!)

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BTW: David Alan Harvey holds the base plate in his mouth (see NG

video/

Puerto Rico shoot). Where do you hold yours?

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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:

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