For Sale $90 3x Leitz FILCA cassettes

Oldwino · Jan 14, 2025

Nice Leitz FILCA bulk load cassettes, with original canisters (bakelite?). All three work well. Will fit any Barnack Leica camera. I don't know if they will work in the early M-series.
Solid (brass!), scratch-free cassettes of the proper size for your Barnack Leica. No more "crooked" negatives!

Asking $35 each net to me. I will cover postage. USA sales only please.

** $90 gets all three! **

Jonathan-sv · Jan 14, 2025

Filca won't work in an M

Oldwino · Jan 14, 2025

Jonathan-sv said:
Filca won't work in an M

That’s what I suspected. The one for the M is IXMOO.

Kodachromeguy · Jan 14, 2025

Oldwino said:
No more "crooked" negatives!

Can you explain what you mean? Thanks!

Oldwino · Jan 14, 2025

Kodachromeguy said:
Can you explain what you mean? Thanks!

When the early Leicas were designed, there was no standard for the length of a 135 film cartridge. So Leitz made their own cartridges (the FILCA), and designed the camera to work with those. Contax did the same with their cameras, and I believe others, too. Everyone eventually settled on Kodak's cartridge size, since they were the market leader, but this is slightly shorter than what Leitz had. So Kodak cartridges aren't "full-size" for the Barnack cameras, and they can slide downward as you shoot, meaning that the film is traveling across the shutter gate at a slight angle. Sometimes, the image can extend down on the the sprocket holes.

Here's an image I found on the web:

Some just ignore this. Others can be bothered by it. Solutions include a small shim or washer in the baseplate to keep the film cartridge high, or...use the cartridges the camera was made for...the FILCA.

Kodachromeguy · Jan 14, 2025

Oldwino said:
When the early Leicas were designed, there was no standard for the length of a 135 film cartridge. So Leitz made their own cartridges (the FILCA), and designed the camera to work with those. Contax did the same with their cameras, and I believe others, too. Everyone eventually settled on Kodak's cartridge size, since they were the market leader, but this is slightly shorter than what Leitz had. So Kodak cartridges aren't "full-size" for the Barnack cameras, and they can slide downward as you shoot, meaning that the film is traveling across the shutter gate at a slight angle. Sometimes, the image can extend down on the the sprocket holes.

Here's an image I found on the web: View attachment 387895

Some just ignore this. Others can be bothered by it. Solutions include a small shim or washer in the baseplate to keep the film cartridge high, or...use the cartridges the camera was made for...the FILCA.

That is an excellent explanation. Could the slipping film cartridge explain why some of my IIIC frames are out of focus or fuzzy for maybe 2mm on the right side? This would be the left side in the film gate (near the film cartridge). Could the film be buckled a bit?

Oldwino · Jan 14, 2025

Kodachromeguy said:
That is an excellent explanation. Could the slipping film cartridge explain why some of my IIIC frames are out of focus or fuzzy for maybe 2mm on the right side? This would be the left side in the film gate (near the film cartridge). Could the film be buckled a bit?

I've never heard of any issues with focus because of the cartridge. It sounds like something else might be at fault, maybe something not quite square with regard to film gate and lens mount?

Don_ih · Jan 14, 2025

Kodachromeguy said:
Could the slipping film cartridge explain why some of my IIIC frames are out of focus or fuzzy for maybe 2mm on the right side?

No. That seems like a lens issue. Or the flange is not shimmed properly.

Saganich · Jan 15, 2025

The FILCA's only work in the Barnack's and are distinguishable by the black pin on top. The FILCA's came in 4 varieties (A, B, C, D), the ones pictured above are B variety with the longer spools. The IXMOO's work in M's and Barnacks and are distinguishable by the shiny pin on top.

Oldwino · Jan 19, 2025

Oldwino · Jan 22, 2025

Oldwino · Jan 25, 2025

Oldwino · Jan 29, 2025

Oldwino · Feb 4, 2025

Oldwino · Feb 11, 2025

Bumpito

eli griggs · Feb 11, 2025

Oldwino said:
I've never heard of any issues with focus because of the cartridge. It sounds like something else might be at fault, maybe something not quite square with regard to film gate and lens mount?

No, the slippage is from the slight differences in "standard" Kodak cassettes and the "taller" Leica, no other reason.

Placing a strong compression cone shaped spring beneath the cassettes will force the cassettes to be pushed up and stay in place, no worries.

Flashlights are your best source for finding these springs, most days, so spend some money in junk shops, at yard and sidewalk sales and you should be good to go.

The spring in the IIIc I had sort of hooked itself onto the baseplate, the perfect location for loading and unloading cassettes, a semi permanent position where I seldom had to be concerned about loosing it in the middle of a film change.

I think old "C" sized battery, silver finish metal flashlights, from the sixties and seventy's, are the best general flashlight to work in the IIIc, etc.

Whether or no you decide to restore the black finish and making sure you have the right sort of felt, trimmed and in place in the cassettes should be the only questions left, all said and done, IMO.

Cheers

Besk · Feb 11, 2025

I just used my FILCA for the first time with no problems. It's hard for me to make 36 exposures in a few months so I am loading only 12 or 15 exposures in mine.

In the future I plan on loading 15 exposures from a 36 exp. factory cartridge - into the FILCA --therefore in effect splitting the roll in two.

eli griggs · Feb 11, 2025

eli griggs said:
No, the slippage is from the slight differences in "standard" Kodak cassettes and the "taller" Leica, no other reason.

Placing a strong compression cone shaped spring beneath the cassettes will force the cassettes to be pushed up and stay in place, no worries.

Flashlights are your best source for finding these springs, most days, so spend some money in junk shops, at yard and sidewalk sales and you should be good to go.

The spring in the IIIc I had sort of hooked itself onto the baseplate, the perfect location for loading and unloading cassettes, a semi permanent position where I seldom had to be concerned about loosing it in the middle of a film change.

I think old "C" sized battery, silver finish metal flashlights, from the sixties and seventy's, are the best general flashlight to work in the IIIc, etc.

Whether or no you decide to restore the black finish and making sure you have the right sort of felt, trimmed and in place in the cassettes should be the only questions left, all said and done, IMO.

I have kept my cassettes from when I owned my IIIc, hopefully to be put in place on a future, Barnack or "M" and would buy yours but that will be putting the horse in front of the carriage.

Good Luck and Cheers,
Eli

Mike Lopez · Feb 11, 2025

eli griggs said:
I have kept my cassettes from when I owned my IIIc, hopefully to be put in place on a future, Barnack or "M" and would buy yours but that will be putting the horse in front of the carriage.

Good Luck and Cheers,
Eli

It works out best when the horse is, in fact, in front of the carriage/cart.

For Sale $90 3x Leitz FILCA cassettes

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