Looking for 35mm Cassette For Bulk Film recommendations

Maineiac · Jan 27, 2023

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

blee1996 · Jan 27, 2023

On eBay or your local photo store, they sell used 35mm metal cassettes once the lab is done with the original film. Typically they have a short leader left, and you can tape on new film. Since those film cassettes have only been used once, dust is seldomly a problem.

I myself saved lots of empty 35mm film cassettes after I developed my own film, so I can reuse them for bulk loading.

faberryman · Jan 27, 2023

Here's the deal. If you buy the metal ones, the tops pop off when you least expect it. If you buy the plastic ones, the tops come unscrewed when you least expect it. I have used both over the decades, and rarely had a problem with either. I like the metal ones better than the plastic ones, because I generally don't like plastic stuff - plastic camera bodies, plastic lenses, plastic developing reels and tanks... Of course, some plastic stuff is good, so it is not a hard and fast rule.

relistan · Jan 27, 2023

I do what @blee1996 does and buy commercial canisters that were used once, and then reuse them twice more. They work great. If you get enough of them you can even use the right DX coding for cameras that care about it.

John Wiegerink · Jan 27, 2023

I bought some soviet USSR canisters off eBay about a year ago. They are not cheap, but they are the best reloadable canisters I have ever had my hands on.

Steven Lee · Jan 27, 2023

John Wiegerink said:
I bought some soviet USSR canisters off eBay about a year ago. They are not cheap, but they are the best reloadable canisters I have ever had my hands on.

Agreed, I love those. A word of caution: they are slightly thicker than most cassettes and some cameras can be a tight fit. In my case that's Leica M7.

John Wiegerink · Jan 27, 2023

Steven Lee said:
Agreed, I love those. A word of caution: they are slightly thicker than most cassettes and some cameras can be a tight fit. In my case that's Leica M7.

You say tight fit, does that mean they won't work in the M7, or they are just a tight fit in the M7?

Maineiac · Jan 27, 2023

thanks all, I'll start saving my canisters and look for some at local stores.

cmacd123 · Jan 27, 2023

John Wiegerink said:
I bought some soviet USSR canisters off eBay about a year ago. They are not cheap, but they are the best reloadable canisters I have ever had my hands on.

yes, the metal soviet cassettes are quite good - resembling the first Kodak 35mm cassettes. Not sure what factories originally made them.

Steven Lee · Jan 27, 2023

John Wiegerink said:
You say tight fit, does that mean they won't work in the M7, or they are just a tight fit in the M7?

I use them with the M7 but always struggle to get the cassette out. All other cassettes simply slide out, but this one requires some finesse and thin fingers (another benefit of marriage)

M-88 · Jan 28, 2023

cmacd123 said:
yes, the metal soviet cassettes are quite good - resembling the first Kodak 35mm cassettes. Not sure what factories originally made them.

One that I have was made by Ural optical-mechanical factory (УОМЗ). Although I'm not sure if that's the only maker.

I also had a metal reloadable cassette (one with a thin cap) from Ilford, but it felt kinda flimsy compared to the Soviet one.

John Wiegerink · Jan 28, 2023

M-88 said:
One that I have was made by Ural optical-mechanical factory (УОМЗ). Although I'm not sure if that's the only maker.

I also had a metal reloadable cassette (one with a thin cap) from Ilford, but it felt kinda flimsy compared to the Soviet one.

If I had to guess it is the same company that made the T-72 tank by the way they are built. Just kidding, of course.

KitosLAB · Jan 28, 2023

John Wiegerink said:
I bought some soviet USSR canisters off eBay about a year ago. They are not cheap, but they are the best reloadable canisters I have ever had my hands on.

In Ukraine, we are now selling plastic reusable cassettes at a price of about 0.7 dollars

Ivo Stunga · Jan 28, 2023

Can I buy some and where?

KitosLAB · Jan 28, 2023

Ivo Stunga said:
Can I buy some and where?

Instagram: @svema_officiale I bought a film from them yesterday. This is the first time I get a message. The price of the cassette is 28 UAH, 1 dollar = 41 UAH

Ivo Stunga · Jan 28, 2023

Thank you!
Spotted a Telegram channel there where I saw price list PDF posted. In that document I saw e-mail of a person to use outside smelly Zucc garden - finally

koraks · Jan 28, 2023

I've been reusing Fuji Superia canisters. They work very well; the cap can be popped off using a beer opener (without bending the cap), and then reseated. I have some that must have gone through several cycles now, but I don't keep track. I didn't have similar luck with Kodak's or Ilford's; particularly Kodak's cans can't be opened without deforming the material.

Ivo Stunga · Jan 28, 2023

I've thought of doing exactly this - top can be popped off with a knife or scissors: just like a beer : D
Tested with Rollei canisters. And if I were going to do so - to avoid one extra avoidable sliding through the gate, I'd insert the film already spooled from the top, extending the life of canister.
Hardest part then would be to pop the top back on, as you'll have to hold the sheet metal to match the diameter of the groove in cap in dark - doable after training muscle memory in light.

John Wiegerink · Jan 28, 2023

KitosLAB said:
In Ukraine, we are now selling plastic reusable cassettes at a price of about 0.7 dollars

That's good to know, as I fully support the Ukraine.

koraks · Jan 28, 2023

Ivo Stunga said:
I've thought of doing exactly this - top can be popped off with a knife or scissors: just like a beer : D
Tested with Rollei canisters. And if I were going to do so - to avoid one extra avoidable sliding through the gate, I'd insert the film already spooled from the top, extending the life of canister.
Hardest part then would be to pop the top back on, as you'll have to hold the sheet metal to match the diameter of the groove in cap in dark - doable after training muscle memory in light.

That's right! There are several ways of doing this. When loading these cans, I tape the end of the bulk roll to the spindle, leaving out the smallest leader into the light so I don't lose the last frame on the roll. I then close the can, capping it tightly, and turn the lights off. With the lights off, I open the bulk loader gate (I use the Watson style loaders), pull out some film so I can put the can onto the axel with the handle on it, and close the cover. I can then spool on the film with the lights on again, open loader and cut the film. It's a simple operation that in practice results in no scratches, no loss of frames and no problems with cans popping open since the crucial part of reseating the cap can be done in room light.

Patrick Robert James · Jan 28, 2023

I just reuse cassettes. If you have a minilab near you then ask them. They will probably give whatever they have to you. Back in the day I got them from Costco when I picked up film. I have a few hundred of them I think.

armadsen · Jan 28, 2023

KitosLAB said:
In Ukraine, we are now selling plastic reusable cassettes at a price of about 0.7 dollars

I wonder if they're good. Mostly I'm concerned about the felt shedding like the easily available cheap ones. It would be nice to have a good source for new ones.

Moose22 · Jan 28, 2023

I had a terrible experience with the plastic cans I bought from Freestyle. They didn't shed a little, they shed a LOT. Took Freestyle months to address the situation, too. Last thing I bought from them, actually. But that's an aside.

It was bad. like will mess up your camera bad.

The metal cans I got from Ukraine to replace them have been great. Soviet made and I've done maybe 30 rolls reloaded and never had problems with ends popping off, shedding, or light leaks. They're easy to piece together when loading.

That said, I also reload commercial cans so I can use the DX encoding. Just tape to the end of the cut off leader with some artist's tape and it works just as well. I fish the leaders out with a tool I got for $7 on amazon rather than opening the cassettes, and I'd be perfectly happy doing that instead of using the nice metal reloadables.

The best for me are Kodak Snapcaps, but they're not super available and I got mine for $1 each. They're more expensive now. But they're the same size as standard cassettes, still very well built, and the end is secure. You open them by banging them on the counter, which is super easy to do in the dark bag.

TL: DR -- if I had to do it over, I'd just use my old cassettes and a piece of tape. They work great.

KitosLAB · Jan 29, 2023

armadsen said:
Интересно, они хорошие? В основном меня беспокоит линька войлока, как у легкодоступных дешевых. Было бы неплохо иметь хороший источник для новых.

пока ничего не могу сказать, недавно заказал, еще не доставили

Ivo Stunga · Jan 29, 2023

armadsen said:
Mostly I'm concerned about the felt shedding like the easily available cheap ones.

Yup, before use I chose to cut that poor quality material near the base so that only the glued parts remain. Took all what came off off and am using thsese in this circumsised condition - better, no shedding, no light leaks yet.
Terrible, terrible stuff. It's sad to see manufacturing of simple items getting worse over time.

Looking for 35mm Cassette For Bulk Film recommendations

Maineiac

blee1996

faberryman

relistan

John Wiegerink

Steven Lee

John Wiegerink

Maineiac

cmacd123

Steven Lee

M-88

John Wiegerink

KitosLAB

Ivo Stunga

KitosLAB

Ivo Stunga

koraks

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Ivo Stunga

John Wiegerink

koraks

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armadsen

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Looking for 35mm Cassette For Bulk Film recommendations

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