Dimensions of Minolta 16 film cassette

OeT · Oct 23, 2016

I just bought myself a Minolta 16 MG and waiting for it to arrive.
Sadly it doesn't have any film cassettes with it so I'm thinking of designing and 3d print my own.
So I'm looking for some good pictures and dimensions of the cassette just to get started.
Anyone who can help me out?

guangong · Oct 23, 2016

No need to go to such trouble. That auction site usually has used or very old film cassettes for Minolta 16. However, you will need a film slitter to make strips of unperferated 16 mm film. The cameras are well designed and well made. There are really only 2 subminiature camera marks that have survived as everyday users: Minolta 16 and Minox 8x11.

OeT · Oct 23, 2016

Ok maybe there easier to find than i thought.
Just need to find one who are willing to ship to Sweden.
Maybe I'll put my time in to designing a film slitter instead.

mgb74 · Oct 23, 2016

There are a few curved and beveled surfaces to the cassette; so rather difficult to measure.

Someone was selling "knockoffs" a while back, but with mixed reports about their fit. Kiev brand cassettes may, or may not fit. There were a couple of other brands of film sold for Minolta back when these cameras were popular. I don't know if the cassettes they used were sourced from Minolta, but I haven't heard of issues with their fit.

Genuine cassettes often sell for more than the cameras. And sometimes cheaper to buy and camera with cassette.

A slitter is the best way to go for film, but single perf 16mm motion picture film can be used.

ciniframe · Oct 23, 2016

Kiev cassettes will not fit, the wind spool in the Minolta cassette is bigger than in the Kiev. You can use Minolta cassettes in Kiev but not the other way around.

ciniframe · Oct 23, 2016

Don't know where in Europe their film is sold but ORWO sells 16mm single perf, negative movie film. Don't think it has a Remjet backing and is intended for shooting and making duplicate positives so that is why it is developed as a negative. This means you can just spool off a 50 cm. length and load it into the cartridge. To spool film use a home made 'spinner stick'. This is a round wooden dowel with a 16mm deep slot cut into one end with a very thin saw blade, X-Acto razor saw's work well for cutting that slot. You then place the film in the slot and, using your thumb and forefinger riding along the edge of the film, turn the film (emulsion side in) around the stick. Then holding the spooled film tight, slip it off the stick and into the feed chamber of the cartridge, letting a couple of cm hang outside the cartridge slot. Put on the feed chamber cap and the rest can be done in room light. Sounds complicated but it becomes only a manner of doing it several times before it gets easy.

One thing about shooting 16mm cameras. It is a very do it yourself, hands on experience. Be ready to load your own, develop your own and enlarge or scan your own. I you have to send this stuff off to be developed and printed you better have a lot of money to burn.

ic-racer · Oct 23, 2016

Any super 16 film will work.

Gerald C Koch · Oct 23, 2016

Some of the Minolta cameras like the MG modals require single perf 16 mm film to prevent the perforations from intruding into the image area. For these models it is important how the film is loaded relative to the bottom of the cassette. You can also use 16 mm microfilm but they require special developers. But they are available unperforated. You can also slit 35mm and 120 film to fit. You can buy slitters.

If you buy cassettes make sure they are genuine Minolta ones. Some years ago there was a guy selling VERY shoddy copies that had light leaks.

In order to develop your own film you will need a 16mm (110 size) reel preferably two as a SS tank would otherwise require a spacer. Certain plastic reels will also go down to 16mm size but check first. Having an enlarger lens with less than 50 mm f/l would be a plus as would a 16mm carrier.

BTW Yashica made the Atoron which also uses the Minolta cassettes. Some consider them a step up from the Minoltas. http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Yashica_Atoron

ciniframe · Oct 23, 2016

Gerald, only the Minolta MG-S and QT models requires the single perf film. The original MG has the 10X14mm format and even double perf will not intrude into the frame. The OP says it is a MG, so if it is not the later 'S' model then it is not important, either film will work. The MG-S is a completely redesigned camera, it was not a upgraded MG. The Minolta's were nice cameras, too bad they were killed off by the introduction of 110 cartridge cameras. I like to shoot the 16II due to the compact design and simple and sturdy reliability.

OeT · Oct 23, 2016

I have converted som regular film spools to work with 16mm so developing is no problem.
I have made a quick film slitting prototype now to slitt regular 135mm film (maybe it deserve it's own thread).
I might work some more on the design, maybe adding a crank to wind the film and a hinged lid.

Blades mounted

It will give one strip of 16mm and one strip of 9,2mm that might work with 8x11?
I will try it out tomorrow still need to print out the lid to press the film down.

Gerald C Koch · Oct 23, 2016

OeT said:
I have converted som regular film spools to work with 16mm so developing is no problem.
I have made a quick film slitting prototype now to slitt regular 135mm film (maybe it deserve it's own thread).
I might work some more on the design, maybe adding a crank to wind the film and a hinged lid.

Blades mounted

It will give one strip of 16mm and one strip of 9,2mm that might work with 8x11?
I will try it out tomorrow still need to print out the lid to press the film down.

Really nifty!!!

Gerald C Koch · Oct 23, 2016

ciniframe said:
Gerald, only the Minolta MG-S and QT models requires the single perf film. The original MG has the 10X14mm format and even double perf will not intrude into the frame. The OP says it is a MG, so if it is not the later 'S' model then it is not important, either film will work. The MG-S is a completely redesigned camera, it was not a upgraded MG. The Minolta's were nice cameras, too bad they were killed off by the introduction of 110 cartridge cameras. I like to shoot the 16II due to the compact design and simple and sturdy reliability.

Since the OP didn't specify it was better to mention the problem with modals.

summicron1 · Oct 23, 2016

OeT said:
Ok maybe there easier to find than i thought.
Just need to find one who are willing to ship to Sweden.
Maybe I'll put my time in to designing a film slitter instead.

Wait until your camera arrives--you may get lucky.
It is not all that uncommon to buy one of those cameras and find a cassette in it. Has happened to me a couple of times. You DO want original Minolta, however. The "aftermarket" ones sold by some folk that already have film in them are poor quality, made of resin or epoxy or something, and don't work.

mgb74 · Oct 23, 2016

6 hours between "Maybe I'll put my time in to designing a film slitter instead" and posting a photo of your prototype. What took you so long?

ic-racer · Oct 23, 2016

Gerald C Koch said:
BTW Yashica made the Atoron which also uses the Minox cassettes. Many consider them a step down from the Minox. http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Yashica_Atoron

Corrections added.

I have both Minox LX and Atoron. Comparing the two is like comparing a Leica M4 to a Yashica Electra 35.

mgb74 · Oct 23, 2016

ic-racer said:
Corrections added.

I have both Minox LX and Atoron. Comparing the two is like comparing a Leica M4 to a Yashica Electro 35.

Correction added.

Gerald C Koch · Oct 23, 2016

ic-racer said:
Corrections added.

I have both Minox LX and Atoron. Comparing the two is like comparing a Leica M4 to a Yashica Electra 35.

Sorry about that. The mind does play tricks after so many years. I have an Atoron which I have never used. I personally am put off by the Minox film demands like having the Minox enlarger. But should have dug it out before making the comment.

ic-racer · Nov 7, 2016

I enlarge Minox with a 4x5 enlarger:

ic-racer · Nov 7, 2016

mgb74 said:
Correction added.

Yes, thank you.

Botu · Feb 20, 2020

OeT said:
Ok maybe there easier to find than i thought.
Just need to find one who are willing to ship to Sweden.
Maybe I'll put my time in to designing a film slitter instead.

Har du hittat någon kassette eller har du printat någon?

OeT · Feb 21, 2020

Botu said:
Har du hittat någon kassette eller har du printat någon?

Jag har köpt men kan vara intresserad av fler

StanMac · Feb 21, 2020

OeT said:
I have converted som regular film spools to work with 16mm so developing is no problem.
I have made a quick film slitting prototype now to slitt regular 135mm film (maybe it deserve it's own thread).
I might work some more on the design, maybe adding a crank to wind the film and a hinged lid.

Blades mounted

It will give one strip of 16mm and one strip of 9,2mm that might work with 8x11?
I will try it out tomorrow still need to print out the lid to press the film down.

I would suggest that you incorporate a recess along the length of the splitter as wide as the distance between the perforations so you won’t be dragging the emulsion against the surface of the splitter.

Stan

guangong · Feb 21, 2020

Actually, if you are only going to shoot one roll, film can be loaded without cassette in changing bag.

Dimensions of Minolta 16 film cassette

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