M6 film loading: Take first picture when counter is at 0 or 1?

[doug_hagerman]

I've had an M2 for a long time, and this question doesn't come up

because you have to reset the film counter yourself. Now with my new

M6 I'm totally confused.

 

According to the instruction book, you put in the film and wind three

times: Once to get it started, once to make sure it's advancing, and

once to get it to the first usable frame. This all makes sense, and

lines up with what I actually see on developed film.

 

But then the book goes on to say that after you have done this (wound

three times) then the counter will be at "1", indicating it's ready

to take the first picture. But it isn't, it's still at "0"!

 

So from a practical, film-observation viewpoint, it makes sense to

start at 0, but it sure does seem like this should have been figured

out a long time ago...

 

???

[fotografz]

Wind it to 10 just to be safe.

 

Just kidding. Get it to 1.

[pcg]

Marc's right.

 

1 it is.

[al_kaplan1]

99% of the time you're safe starting on #0 and most cameras will let you shoot 37, for a total of 38. #0 is risky for important shots, it may be partly fogged. If you're shooting a whole bunch of fast paced pictures,what the hell, why not! You could just as easily have lost "The Great Shot" while you were changing film.

[hadji_singh]

I start from 0 and regularly get 38 or 39 photos from a 36

exposure roll. I don't purposely put anything crucial on 0 or 37-39,

but I have gotten some keepers from 0.

[chi_huang]

You can shoot at '0' but when you bring it to a photo lab, they might accidently fog the '0' frame. This is not Leica's problem anymore. I also start shooting at "1".

[lacey_smith4]

my negative sheets stop at 35 per sheet, so I no longer try to squeeze the extra 2-3 shots, and my B&W developing/drying style likes extra stuff on the ends.

 

Back to the issue. Shooting from zero, even home developing, I have had partial loss of #0. Whatever.

[ray_moth]

If I do what the book says, i.e. wind 3 times, the counter is at 1.

[henry_chu2]

Doug, It all depends on where the counter settles after the

bottom plate is removed. It is usually at -2. However, I did have

an M6 that would rest at -3. I try to squeeze every frame I can

from a roll of film. With a roll of 36 exposure Tri-X, I can usually

get 39 frames. To achieve this, I pull out enough leader to slip

into the "tulip" take up spool, replace the bottom plate, wind and

fire once, and the rest yields 39 frames. The 36 exposure roll of

Delta 400 is a bit shorter. In order to get 39 frames, I wind the

shutter a quarter of the way across then load the film, wind and

fire once and I get 39 frames.

[wind.dk]

The M6 I borrowed recently gave me 36 exposures if I started around -2. In the beginning I thought it just didn't reset, and you could say it didn't do it properly, but as with any other manually loaded camera, I just wound the film until I was sure the frame was clear. I don't recall ever owning a 35mm camera where that coincided with the frame counter being at 1.

[karl_yik1]

I dont bother looking at the counter, but slowly wind the film and make sure that the rewind lever is turning. If it is, then I just shoot from there.

[albert knapp md]

I play it safe and start a 1. I usually get 37 exposures this way.

[pete_su]

I always wind to 2 or 3... this gives me a bit of latitude when I develop the film myself.

 

Mistakes in film developing always seem to hit me at the start or end of the roll.