35mm reusable cassettes

MCB18 · Feb 11, 2023

Hi!

I know that this topic is by no means new, but it seems like it’s been a few years since it was asked. I have been bulk loading from vision3 (and one time E100D!) for a while, rolling some cassettes for other folks to make money to cover the cost, and using the rest for myself. However, I would like to start using dedicated reloadable cassettes instead of used cassettes from the lab, at least for personal use. No real reason besides just not liking taping the film to the small bit of film outside the can in the dark. (Yes, I know about daylight loaders, but I have found the old “measure 5 ft of film on a table” approach to be much more consistent.)

All this to say: the current options I have found seem to SUCK. Ultrafine no longer sells metal cassettes, and the newer plastic ones seem to annoy everyone because not only are they super expensive, but the felt seems to fall of onto the film, and into your camera, making a big mess. Kodak Snap-Caps do come up, but I don’t want to spend $50-75 on a NOS box of 10 cassettes that might be caroled anyway.

Seems like the only good cassettes are in people’s darkroom “junk” bins, or possibly in Eastern Europe (though I haven’t found a good scourge of those). Anyone have any suggestions? Or just want to vent about how “nothing is a built as well as in the old days”?

Thank you.

xkaes · Feb 11, 2023

This exact topic was discussed very recently. I didn't follow it, but if you SEARCH (TOP RIGHT CORNER) you'll find out what others are doing.

blee1996 · Feb 11, 2023

Here

Looking for 35mm Cassette For Bulk Film recommendations

I see very mixed reviews on the ones at B&H, wondering what brand people here are having good luck with.

www.photrio.com

MCB18 · Feb 11, 2023

blee1996 said:
Here

Looking for 35mm Cassette For Bulk Film recommendations

I see very mixed reviews on the ones at B&H, wondering what brand people here are having good luck with.

www.photrio.com

Ahh. I found an older thread about it, about 8 months since last reply. This didn’t come up. Probably a setting I just don’t know about that makes more recent stuff first.

I’ll have to look for the Soviet cassettes. I personally don’t care if they smell bad, ir if the paint comes off with tape. I load a grand total of 1 type of film, so labeling isn’t a concern, and I can label the outer plastic container anyway.

jim appleyard · Feb 14, 2023

Kalt was/is a popular brand, but I don't know if they're still made.

MCB18 · Feb 14, 2023

jim appleyard said:
Kalt was/is a popular brand, but I don't know if they're still made.

They are, but certainly not to the quartet were.

I ended up getting some pre-crimp sealing Ilford cassettes from the classifieds. Perfect timing!

Autonerd · Feb 14, 2023

I've always preferred metal to plastic -- in newer cassettes, I did get some fuzz off the plastic ones. However -- Freestyle (store) told me the last batch of metal cassettes they got were recalled because the felt was not properly glued to the can. Yowza! I also like that the plastic cassettes have tops that screw on -- easier to get on and they won't open if you drop them. I'm hoping to buy metal cassettes, but I am thinking of going plastic and just replacing them every year or so. At a couple bucks a piece, I'm still saving money.

PS, I use your method of loading too -- I do it in the dark bag, been at this long enough to know what around 30 exposures feels like.

Aaron

Melvin J Bramley · Feb 14, 2023

The pre crimp Ilford cassettes are the best.
I have some 35 years old and still re loading.
They have been more durable than the store bought 'reusable' ones.

BAC1967 · Feb 14, 2023

I recently bought some Ferrania P-30, the ends aren’t crimped. They work great for re-loading.

MCB18 · Feb 14, 2023

Melvin J Bramley said:
The pre crimp Ilford cassettes are the best.
I have some 35 years old and still re loading.
They have been more durable than the store bought 'reusable' ones.

Glad to hear that, I must have made a good investment.

Marcelo Paniagua · Feb 15, 2023

Soviet metal ones often pops up on the bay. They are quite good and durable. Prefer them over Kodak snapcap ones. Be careful since there are soviet plastic one too.

B&Wpositive · Apr 9, 2023

BAC1967 said:
I recently bought some Ferrania P-30, the ends aren’t crimped. They work great for re-loading.

Interesting! What method did you use to open them without damage, and how easy was it to reuse them? The more info you can provide, the better. Thanks.

This just may be the most underrated post in this thread.

BobUK · Apr 9, 2023

For about three months I followed a topic like this on another forum.
The original poster wanted someone to identify the name and retailer of a certain cassette that he had found to be excellent, felt seals, re-opening etc.
It ended with his last post thanking everyone for their help and telling us he had remembered the seller and name of the cassette.
No mention of who, what, where.
What a let down.

Perhaps we may get a result here.

redbandit · Apr 9, 2023

BobUK said:
For about three months I followed a topic like this on another forum.
The original poster wanted someone to identify the name and retailer of a certain cassette that he had found to be excellent, felt seals, re-opening etc.
It ended with his last post thanking everyone for their help and telling us he had remembered the seller and name of the cassette.
No mention of who, what, where.
What a let down.

Perhaps we may get a result here.

midwest midwest is selling them... they be a different design as both ends are poppable... ill see what they work like soon enough..

But the question is, why the Ilford had to stop making them/providing them to Foma for resale..
Or why did Foma stop production of them...

We know that the first 4000 count unit run of P30 and their new film is in the old style ilford snap tops.. and new production is in something else..

BAC1967 · Apr 9, 2023

B&Wpositive said:
Interesting! What method did you use to open them without damage, and how easy was it to reuse them? The more info you can provide, the better. Thanks.

This just may be the most underrated post in this thread.

I used the gizmo pictured below, but once I got it opened I discovered it snapped back together just like a Kodak Snap Cap. That gizmo is better than a bottle opener as far as not damaging the cassette. I have film re-loaded in all my cassettes now so I’m not going to try opening any but I think you can probably pry it open with your fingers like you would do with the snap caps.

edit: I just easily opened and closed one in a changing bag with my fingers.

B&Wpositive · Apr 10, 2023

Thanks to those who replied since my question above about P30 cassettes, especially BAC1967.

But sometimes I have trouble understanding posts on this site...

@redbandit - What is "midwest midwest"? I looked at Midwest Photo's site and did not see any film cassettes.

And how do you know that the current P30 cassettes are not reloadable, and only the first 4,000 ever produced are? 4,000 is not many, and this film has been around for a few years. @BAC1967 just recently bought some and said it was reloadable. I just bought a roll, and am not going to take it apart now, but was hoping it would be reusable. There is no date or anything on the box that I can see. How can I tell which type of cassette it is by looking at it??

Edit: just saw this post: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...30-ilford-pan-f-plus-etc.196266/#post-2628585
And checked my film cassette. It has chrome colored end caps and the bottom one rotates a bit, so I assume it's reloadable. But I still see no serial number. And how do we know what serial numbers are reloadable? The only # is 00000357, printed on the label on the canister below the 2D barcode.

Finally, what methods are other people here using for opening "snap cap" style metal reloadable cartridges? I had been banging the spool onto a surface because I remember seeing that in some instructions at some point, but maybe there's a less destructive method...? Any other methods not yet mentioned?

Nitroplait · Apr 10, 2023

B&Wpositive said:
But sometimes I have trouble understanding posts on this site...

People are mostly just talking to themselves on the internet.

guangong · Apr 10, 2023

Many decades ago I reloaded bulk film using cassettes made by Kodak. Now I limit my reloading to cassettes without felt, and where film does not touch cassette mouth. So I limit 35mm reloading to Leitz and Zeiss cassettes. I have never come across Nikon cassettes that were affordable. I buy bulk film only because more convenient for reloading Minox and Minolta 16 cassettes and reload 35mm only to hasten use of bulk roll slightly.

redbandit · Apr 10, 2023

B&Wpositive said:
Thanks to those who replied since my question above about P30 cassettes, especially BAC1967.

But sometimes I have trouble understanding posts on this site...

@redbandit - What is "midwest midwest"? I looked at Midwest Photo's site and did not see any film cassettes.

And how do you know that the current P30 cassettes are not reloadable, and only the first 4,000 ever produced are? 4,000 is not many, and this film has been around for a few years. @BAC1967 just recently bought some and said it was reloadable. I just bought a roll, and am not going to take it apart now, but was hoping it would be reusable. There is no date or anything on the box that I can see. How can I tell which type of cassette it is by looking at it??

Edit: just saw this post: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...30-ilford-pan-f-plus-etc.196266/#post-2628585
And checked my film cassette. It has chrome colored end caps and the bottom one rotates a bit, so I assume it's reloadable. But I still see no serial number. And how do we know what serial numbers are reloadable? The only # is 00000357, printed on the label on the canister below the 2D barcode.

Finally, what methods are other people here using for opening "snap cap" style metal reloadable cartridges? I had been banging the spool onto a surface because I remember seeing that in some instructions at some point, but maybe there's a less destructive method...? Any other methods not yet mentioned?

Midwest Film Company 35mm Metal Reloadable Cartridge — Midwest Film Co

Metal snap cap style 35mm cartridge for bulk loading 35mm film. Whether you're into black and white or motion picture color negative these reloadable cartridges are a perfect fit!

www.midwestfilmco.com

As for the commentation on the P30 cartridges,, in this actual website there is a thread or two on P30 and its company. That states that the first 4000 cassettes of P30 were madeusing traditional ilford or kodak snap cap cassette design.

35mm reusable cassettes

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