Any reason to use purpose-made "reusable" cassettes for bulk loading?

J N · Nov 9, 2023

I've decided these days that the best approach to bulk loading is to reuse existing cassettes that factory loaded film came in, rather than the horrible plastic things. I bulk loaded back in the 90s and must have been using some other kind of decent reloadable cassette (I think there must have been purpose-made metal cassettes then) but I have no idea what it was.

I make sure that they are opened carefully, then when closing the cassette back up, I put a narrow strip of thin light-tight tape around the top just in case it wants to get loose. I have some copper foil tape that works great.

Thoughts, experiences?

Also, when did bulk loaded film become just as expensive as film already in cassettes? That's just depressing.

vanishedarchive · Nov 9, 2023

I’ve only ever had trouble with the reusable plastic ones. Never tried the old metal ones, I’ve heard they’re slightly better, but honestly it’s so much easier to just reuse old cassettes and, on the odd chance I can’t grab them for free from my local shop, they’re incredibly cheap.

rcphoto · Nov 9, 2023

Why not just leave a small leader to tape fresh film to rather than opening the crimped cassette?

J N · Nov 9, 2023

rcphoto said:
Why not just leave a small leader to tape fresh film to rather than opening the crimped cassette?

That's an interesting idea. I think I might be inclined to do that for "redscale" if I ever get around to it.

Chuck1 · Nov 9, 2023

The kodak purpose made reloadable ones are good, I think it was ilford xp that came a very similar cassette, I worked in a one hour lab in high school I had many of those, should've kept them

AnselMortensen · Nov 9, 2023

I should have hoarded the reloadable cassettes that came through the labs I worked in in the '80's & '90's....
At the time there was an unlimited supply...(or so it seemed).

pentaxuser · Nov 10, 2023

J N said:
Also, when did bulk loaded film become just as expensive as film already in cassettes? That's just depressing.

I didn't think it was just as expensive for Ilford and Foma films. At least not in the U.K. . The exception to this here in the U.K. is Kodak film and yes I believe this is true of the U.S but maybe to a lesser extent and I got the impression but that's all it is, is that both Ilford and Foma bulk rolls are cheaper than the corresponding number of cassettes in the U.S as well

pentaxuser

Brad Deputy · Nov 10, 2023

Kodak Bulk films are in the $170+ territory now. Literally any other brand is much less. But it's been this way with Kodak forever.
Ilford's are a much better value, and Arista.edu is a bargain if Foma's your thing.

_T_ · Nov 10, 2023

The only downside to reusing a cassette not specifically designed for doing so is if you don’t know what sort of conditions the cassette has been through you might find that debris in the felt light trap can scratch your film.

This is not a problem with cassettes that you have personally kept clean and free of contamination, but if you are getting a bunch of empty cassettes from another source like a lab or online there is some risk that they have not been handled carefully enough to be used for reloading.

madNbad · Nov 10, 2023

The last several rolls of Tri-X I developed had very little tail between the last frame and the spool. I used to just cut the film along the lip of the cassette but recently have been using an opener so I can remove spool and trim the film. It could lead to not enough film emerging from the cassette to tape .

r_a_feldman · Nov 10, 2023

J N said:
... (I think there must have been purpose-made metal cassettes then) but I have no idea what it was.

There are Russian-made metal cassettes. You can find them NOS from eBay sellers in Ukraine. One current listing has 10 for $40 with shipping.

grain elevator · Nov 10, 2023

rcphoto said:
Why not just leave a small leader to tape fresh film to rather than opening the crimped cassette?

Is there a different way, can you really close some of the factory loaded crimped cassettes again? I've tried that in the light and it was near impossible, no way I would try with film in it in the dark.

rcphoto · Nov 10, 2023

grain elevator said:
Is there a different way, can you really close some of the factory loaded crimped cassettes again? I've tried that in the light and it was near impossible, no way I would try with film in it in the

I believed the OP stated this was what he was doing. I must have read it wrong.

grain elevator · Nov 10, 2023

rcphoto said:
I believed the OP stated this was what he was doing. I must have read it wrong.

OK friend, I'll rephrase. How does one even close crimped cassettes again, I have hardly got the cap back on, a problem not solved with tape either, as the OP does. The cassette body doesn't seem to want to conform with the circular shape if the cap again once it's off. I last tried this with an Ilford cassette the other day. I'd appreciated insights into the technique or what cassettes it works best with.

rcphoto · Nov 10, 2023

grain elevator said:
OK friend, I'll rephrase. How does one even close crimped cassettes again, I have hardly got the cap back on, a problem not solved with tape either, as the OP does. The cassette body doesn't seem to want to conform with the circular shape if the cap again once it's off. I last tried this with an Ilford cassette the other day. I'd appreciated insights into the technique or what cassettes it works best with.

Basically the same way you would snap the Kalt reusable cassettes together. Granted, not as easy as purpose made cassettes.

mshchem · Nov 10, 2023

grain elevator said:
OK friend, I'll rephrase. How does one even close crimped cassettes again, I have hardly got the cap back on, a problem not solved with tape either, as the OP does. The cassette body doesn't seem to want to conform with the circular shape if the cap again once it's off. I last tried this with an Ilford cassette the other day. I'd appreciated insights into the technique or what cassettes it works best with.

You don't re-crimp. That's not very doable in my book. However it is possible to reuse a factory cassette by leaving a bit of film sticking out of the cassette (after removing the exposed film in your darkroom) then taping this "tail" to your bulk film. Then you close up your bulk film loader and wind on as usual.

Anon Ymous · Nov 11, 2023

grain elevator said:
OK friend, I'll rephrase. How does one even close crimped cassettes again, I have hardly got the cap back on, a problem not solved with tape either, as the OP does. The cassette body doesn't seem to want to conform with the circular shape if the cap again once it's off. I last tried this with an Ilford cassette the other day. I'd appreciated insights into the technique or what cassettes it works best with.

I have, but not with any cassette. Kodak cassettes are too tightly crimped and impossible to reuse, they're destroyed while trying to reopen. The best way to open a cassette is with the handle of a screwdriver, you tap the protruding end of the core gently with it. It will force the other end symmetrically and eventually it will pop off. This way, the bottom end isn't bent like when using a bottle opener.

So now you attach film to the core with your loader open and reassemble the cassette, before inserting the whole film to it. To be on the safe side, you use some electrician's tape to hold it together. I never had problems with film loaded so, but have since bought about 25 reloadable metal cassettes and stopped doing so. The best cassettes were old Rollei one which had Retro 80 film, the easiest to pop ruining them. The others I used had Agfaphoto CT Precisa 100 film, so probably Fuji ones.

But if you have some film sticking out of a cassette, just attach your film to it, much easier and obviously safer this way.

guangong · Nov 11, 2023

Except for cassettes for Minox and Minolta 16, I only use cassettes that allow film to be drawn without touching mouth of cassette...Leitz and Zeiss. (Would use Nikon if I could find some). Years ago I would reload Kodak and Agfa cassettes for use once or twice before discarding, but the factory loads then were much easier to open without damaging cassette, unlike factory loads today.
Considering the time devoted to finding subject, shooting, developing, printing, and the expense of camera, lens, etc., why risk scratching film as it exits a damaged cassette?

snusmumriken · Nov 11, 2023

pentaxuser said:
I didn't think it was just as expensive for Ilford and Foma films. At least not in the U.K. . The exception to this here in the U.K. is Kodak film and yes I believe this is true of the U.S but maybe to a lesser extent and I got the impression but that's all it is, is that both Ilford and Foma bulk rolls are cheaper than the corresponding number of cassettes in the U.S as well

pentaxuser

In the UK, the saving is about 10% for FP4+ (as an example). You also save environmentally on the use of a lot of packaging and non-reusable cassettes.

Sirius Glass · Nov 11, 2023

Back when I was bulk loading 10' Ektachrome film I was using the Kodak reusable cassettes. Part of the reason I stopped bulk loading is that the film processors would not return my cassettes which ran up the costs.

eli griggs · Nov 12, 2023

grain elevator said:
OK friend, I'll rephrase. How does one even close crimped cassettes again, I have hardly got the cap back on, a problem not solved with tape either, as the OP does. The cassette body doesn't seem to want to conform with the circular shape if the cap again once it's off. I last tried this with an Ilford cassette the other day. I'd appreciated insights into the technique or what cassettes it works best with.

I suggest you use a small, abore press with a cassette sized hole in a small block of wood, to keep the cassette from deforming when pressing in the cap.

When you bore the block of wood, have a hack saw ready to cut into the "mold" that small lip all 135 format cassettes have.

While you can simply drill out a through hole for the cassette you might want to use/make, a second piece of wood on the bottom of the hole for the protruding film spindle.

snusmumriken · Nov 12, 2023

How Ilford does it. Skip to 9:23. If you blink, you'll miss it.

FotoD · Nov 12, 2023

snusmumriken said:
How Ilford does it. Skip to 9:23. If you blink, you'll miss it.

Thanks for sharing, it was a very nice video. And yes, I missed it.

JerseyDoug · Nov 13, 2023

I bulk load 35mm film because I prefer to shoot 12-exposure rolls. Before I started doing this I would buy 24-exposure rolls and rush through the last shots so I could develop the film. Even with the extra heads and tails of unused film I still get forty 12-exposure rolls out of a 100' bulk roll.

I use Leica reloadable cassettes in my LTM Leicas and Nikon reloadable cassettes in my Nikon F's. For everything else I use Kodak Snap-Cap cassettes.

Any reason to use purpose-made "reusable" cassettes for bulk loading?

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