Last Updated on 09/10/2018 by Mark Beckenbach
Planning to give film photography a go? Pay attention then; this is NOT how you should load your camera of choice.
One of the mind-boggling yet crucial things about film photography for first-time shooters is most likely how to load the film. It could take some getting used to before you get the hang of it, but please, if you can’t figure it out, DO NOT do this to your film!
Those who have been lurking on the Film Photographers group on Facebook might have come across a recent gruesome post in the group by Kip Praslowicz. “I can’t get film to load in my camera. Am I doing something wrong?” he said, and included a video of him trying to load a Mamiya 6 with medium format film. It seems like a genuine plea for help, but watch the video below and you’ll be horrified:
It turns out be be just a ploy for us to check out Praslowicz’s actual tutorial on how to load the Mamiya 6. He cheekily shared it on the original Facebook group post saying, “Edit: NVM. I figured it out.”
Okay, so turns out it’s all fun and games. But of course, anyone who especially loves shooting medium format films won’t be able to unsee the “assault” on the poor precious emulsion. Some are laughing, but many seem to be not amused. All we can hope is that the film roll used in the violent “film loading” video to be a “sacrificial” test roll of some sort from long ago, and not an actual fresh or unused one. Or else, we’re definitely going to be really angry!
Praslowicz’s quick tutorial is actually useful for those who are planning to get or have just purchased a Mamiya 6. Loading that precious roll properly is one of the first things you should do to not mess up your photos!
Screenshot image from the video by Kip Praslowicz
