How To Load 35Mm Film Into A Manual Camera - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Load 35Mm Film Into a Manual Camera PDF download Download Article Explore this Article Steps Steps Other Sections Questions & Answers Video Things You'll Need Related Articles Expert Interview References Co-authored by Corey Reese

Last Updated: February 19, 2026 Fact Checked

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This article was co-authored by Corey Reese. Corey Reese is a Photographer and VR developer based in Atlanta, Georgia. He has over 18 years of photography experience across various industries, including fashion, fitness, and entertainment. He has educated over 55,500 students about photography through online learning platforms. Corey’s impressive client roster includes Essence Magazine, BET, Bravo, Adidas, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Emory University. Corey is the creator of “Immersive Exposure,” a virtual reality app designed to revolutionize photography education by providing immersive, interactive learning experiences. Through Immersive Exposure, Corey blends his expertise in photography with cutting-edge VR technologies. He holds a degree in Computer Information Sciences from Catawba College. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 250,755 times.

People take photos in all environments and it is important to make sure you have the right film selected for your lighting conditions and to make sure the film is loaded properly to ensure that your photos come out. This article will prepare you for an outdoor photography setting, using no flash.

Steps

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  1. 1 Decide upon what lighting conditions will be present for desired photography.[1]
    • On a sunny day choose a slow film speed 100ISO or 200ISO Watermark wikiHow to Load 35Mm Film Into a Manual Camera
    • Near dawn, dusk, or dark clouds choose a faster speed such as 800ISO
    • If you will be shooting all day or are unsure of the exact light, choose 400ISO
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Load 35Mm Film Into a Manual Camera 2 Pick-Up your camera and roll of film.[2] Advertisement
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Load 35Mm Film Into a Manual Camera 3 Look to the left of the top of the camera.[3]
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Load 35Mm Film Into a Manual Camera 4 Find the circular disc that is on top that has an arrow drawn on the disc.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Load 35Mm Film Into a Manual Camera 5 Look to the left of this circular piece.[4]
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Load 35Mm Film Into a Manual Camera 6 Find the small black knob.[5]
  7. Watermark wikiHow to Load 35Mm Film Into a Manual Camera 7 Slide the knob towards you and as you do this, pull up on the circular disc.
  8. Watermark wikiHow to Load 35Mm Film Into a Manual Camera 8 Pull gently but firmly up on the disc until you hear the back door of the camera pop open.
    • You have now successfully opened the back of the camera and are ready to load film.[6]
  9. Watermark wikiHow to Load 35Mm Film Into a Manual Camera 9 If you were unable to open the back door, push the circular disc back down and repeat.
  10. Watermark wikiHow to Load 35Mm Film Into a Manual Camera 10 Un-package your roll of film.[7]
    • There should be roughly an inch of film hanging out of the roll of film. This is called the leader.
    • If there is not a leader, you will need a special tool. Consult your teacher for help.
    • If no teacher is available, use another roll of film.
    • You may assume that the top of the film is the end with the circle protruding from the main cylinder. However, this is not the case; this is actually the bottom.
  11. Watermark wikiHow to Load 35Mm Film Into a Manual Camera 11 Take the roll of film and lay it on top of the cradle (not in) on the left hand side. Ensure that the flange out of the roll of film that has the leader sticking out is to the right over the back of the camera. (It’s hard to mess this up if the roll of film is oriented properly in the cradle.)
  12. Watermark wikiHow to Load 35Mm Film Into a Manual Camera 12 Pull up on the same disc from before as you do this. Push the roll of film down into the cradle.
  13. Watermark wikiHow to Load 35Mm Film Into a Manual Camera 13 Next, with the roll of film securely in place, pull the leader across the back of the camera by grabbing the sides of the film so no fingerprints make it on the surface of the film.
  14. Watermark wikiHow to Load 35Mm Film Into a Manual Camera 14 Once the film has reached the other side of the camera, you must lock the film into the winding mechanism so that the film will move across the film plane when it is winded after every exposure.
    • On the back of the camera on the right where the tip of the leader is, you will notice two spindles; one with sprockets and another to hold the tip of the leader.
  15. Watermark wikiHow to Load 35Mm Film Into a Manual Camera 15 Insert the leader into one of the two slits on the right spindle.
    • On the top and bottom of the sprocket, (left) spindle are sprockets, and on the top and bottom of the film there are sprocket holes.
  16. Watermark wikiHow to Load 35Mm Film Into a Manual Camera 16 Line up the sprocket holes on the sprockets.
  17. Watermark wikiHow to Load 35Mm Film Into a Manual Camera 17 Holding the film in place on the sprockets and with the leader in a slit on the spindle, with your left hand, find the advancement mechanism which is connected to the right spindle but on top of the camera and spin it out and to the right with your right thumb. If the advancement mechanism does not move out, push down the shutter release, which is the silver button to the top of the advancement mechanism if looking from above.
    • The spindle will move clockwise, which will appear to be wrong because it takes the film and bends it around the spindle in what looks to be backwards. This however is correct, and the film is wound on the spindle in this manner to ensure it does not slide off.
    • The film should wrap around the spindle and move a short distance, once the advancement mechanism stops release the shutter and you will get another crank out of it.
  18. Watermark wikiHow to Load 35Mm Film Into a Manual Camera 18 Repeat previous steps three to four times to ensure that the film is firmly connected to the spindle.
  19. Watermark wikiHow to Load 35Mm Film Into a Manual Camera 19 Shut the back door.
  20. Watermark wikiHow to Load 35Mm Film Into a Manual Camera 20 Repeat two more times.
    • The numbers on the top of the camera should read anywhere from 0 to 3.
  21. Watermark wikiHow to Load 35Mm Film Into a Manual Camera 21 Push down the circular disc on the far left that you lifted up originally to load the film.
    22. Advertisement

Community Q&A

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  • Question What do I do if the lever won't pull back when I get to stage 20? Community Answer Community Answer Click the shutter button. The lever will release when the shutter button is pushed. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 1 Helpful 5
  • Question What do I do if the window shows 36 even after I loaded new film? Community Answer Community Answer Some cameras count down instead of up. The window says you have 36 exposures available, and it should count down with each shoot: 35, 34, 33... Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 3 Helpful 2
  • Question Do I need to do this in the dark? Community Answer Community Answer No. The only time the film needs to be in the dark is when it is being developed. However, try not to load your film in direct sunlight. Load it inside or in a shaded area outdoors. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 2 Helpful 7
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Things You'll Need

  • Camera
  • Film, which is 35mm

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Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about film photography, check out our in-depth interview with Corey Reese.

References

  1. ↑ Corey Reese. Photographer, VR Developer & Digital Marketing Expert  . Expert Interview
  2. ↑ Corey Reese. Photographer, VR Developer & Digital Marketing Expert  . Expert Interview
  3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwPYUgJeAgs
  4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwPYUgJeAgs
  5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwPYUgJeAgs
  6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwPYUgJeAgs
  7. ↑ Corey Reese. Photographer, VR Developer & Digital Marketing Expert  . Expert Interview

About This Article

Corey Reese Co-authored by: Corey Reese Photographer This article was co-authored by Corey Reese. Corey Reese is a Photographer and VR developer based in Atlanta, Georgia. He has over 18 years of photography experience across various industries, including fashion, fitness, and entertainment. He has educated over 55,500 students about photography through online learning platforms. Corey’s impressive client roster includes Essence Magazine, BET, Bravo, Adidas, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Emory University. Corey is the creator of “Immersive Exposure,” a virtual reality app designed to revolutionize photography education by providing immersive, interactive learning experiences. Through Immersive Exposure, Corey blends his expertise in photography with cutting-edge VR technologies. He holds a degree in Computer Information Sciences from Catawba College. This article has been viewed 250,755 times. 5 votes - 100% Co-authors: 17 Updated: February 19, 2026 Views: 250,755 Categories: Featured Articles | Film Cameras In other languages Russian Japanese
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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 250,755 times.

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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Corey Reese Co-authored by: Corey Reese Photographer Co-authors: 17 Updated: February 19, 2026 Views: 250,755 100% of readers found this article helpful. 5 votes - 100% Click a star to add your vote

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Tag » How To Put Film In A Camera