I've been loading my film wrong for a year and only noticed at a family picnic

I was taking photos at my cousin's birthday in Sacramento last weekend and my Pentax K1000 kept making a weird grinding noise. After the third roll, my uncle, who used to be a photojournalist, asked if I always left that much leader out when I loaded it. I realized I'd been threading barely an inch into the take-up spool, which was causing the film to slip. How do you make sure your film is loaded tight enough without risking a tear?

2 comments

2 Comments

anthonygarcia11d ago

You just need to feel a little resistance when you start to wind.

spencerw7211d ago

Feel for resistance? That's how you get a tear. Just thread it and close the back, the advance lever will catch it right.