I'm not sure if this is the correct board but Mods please shift it if not! I'm quite close to finally obtaining a Leica M4 (see my boring Leica thread )but in the process of trawling the dealers and e-bay I came across a Zorki Leica 1B copy on the auction site for a few pounds. I bought it as a curiosity. Problem is I can't see a way to get the take-up spool out of the camera. The spool does not seem to want to come away from the shutter cocking knob. Can anyone help? I'm not expecting the camera to work but I thought I'd try a film through it anyway. - John
Have you tried rotating it both ways while prodding it in towards the camera? Can't remember how those things work on the Russian cameras as I may have only seen it done once, decades ago. Have a notion that on my M2 I needed only to push it in towards top plate of camera for it to spring out a little and to then be available to be pulled away quite freely from the camera body... or am I mis-remembering that? I have to admit that compared to loading an OM1/OM2etc, loading a Leica is a real pain and is best done while sitting down at a table with a coffee & other sustenance at hand!
