Trying to load my first roll of 35mm took me 45 minutes

The film leader kept slipping out of the take-up spool, and I was too scared to open the back to check. Any tricks to get it to catch on the first try?

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3 Comments

kelly_coleman616mo ago

Too scared to open the back" is the real problem.

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linda_clark6mo ago

Honestly, I read a tip once that really helped me. You gotta make sure the leader is pulled tight across the back before you try to hook it on the spool. If there's any slack, it just slips right off. Tbh, @kelly_coleman61 is right about the fear though, you just have to get over opening the back in a dark bag or a really dark room. The trick is to give the take-up spool a little turn with the rewind knob after you think it's caught, to make sure it's actually gripping the film. If it doesn't turn the film advance lever, you'll know it's not caught and you can try again. It saves you from wasting a whole roll on bad loading.

4

kevin_flores5mo ago

Oh man, totally agree! I ruined my first two rolls of film because I didn't check if it was actually catching. Now I always wind the rewind knob slowly after I close the back and listen for that little click. If I don't hear it, I just open it up again in a dark closet and reset it. Better to waste 5 minutes than an entire roll of expensive Kodak. Have you ever had a roll come back totally blank from a bad load?

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