Reloadable 35mm Cassettes

pokerplayer269 · Dec 18, 2008

Hello. I've been hoping to start buying film in bulk but am a bit confused about the reloadable cassettes. The cassettes on B&H range from about 50 cents to almost 85 dollars per cassette. Why this huge price range? Are the 50 cent cassettes one-time-use or something?

bobwysiwyg · Dec 18, 2008

I only saw reloadables ranging from $0.59-$0.74 depending on metal vs. plastic.

jmcd · Dec 18, 2008

If you buy 5 rolls of film at Freestyle, over the phone, they will ship you 25 cassettes as a bonus.

pokerplayer269 · Dec 18, 2008

bobwysiwyg, this is the $85 one I was talking about. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/480600-REG/Omega_816018_Reloadable_Metal_Cartridges_.html

bobwysiwyg · Dec 18, 2008

pokerplayer269 said:
bobwysiwyg, this is the $85 one I was talking about. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/480600-REG/Omega_816018_Reloadable_Metal_Cartridges_.html

I wouldn't order that one, whatever it is. Must be some sort of mistake, or it gold plated.

Monophoto · Dec 18, 2008

pokerplayer269 said:
bobwysiwyg, this is the $85 one I was talking about. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/480600-REG/Omega_816018_Reloadable_Metal_Cartridges_.html

$85 is for 100 cartridges - that's 85 cents each.

These are a known brand. Brand-X is 59 cents. Range seems reasonable to me.

Actually I've been reusing the same Ilford cartridges for about 20 years. That's brought the cost way down.

Rol_Lei Nut · Dec 19, 2008

pokerplayer269 said:
Hello. I've been hoping to start buying film in bulk but am a bit confused about the reloadable cassettes. The cassettes on B&H range from about 50 cents to almost 85 dollars per cassette. Why this huge price range? Are the 50 cent cassettes one-time-use or something?

The only really (relatively) expensive reusable cartridges are the old Zeiss & Leitz ones, which open mechanically while in the camera, thereby avoiding using any felt (no scratches or friction).
Unfortunately they only work on classic Leicas, Contaxes and a few Soviet cameras (though I did get a Zeiss one to work on my Nikon F).

About metal vs. plastic cartridges, I prefer metal as the ends of the plastic ones seem to want to twist off by themselves....

Jim Jones · Dec 19, 2008

I've used a hundred Kalt brand metal cartridges over and over with almost foolproof results. However, it's messier to tape the film to the Kalt spools than to the spools from Kodak cartridges. Kodal spools fit the Kalt cartridges perfectly. The all-plastic cassettes may be easier to use, but otherwise are a pain. I've also used the metal proprietary cassetes for Nikon and Leica. They are expensive, but worth it for some applications.

naeroscatu · Dec 19, 2008

Hello. I've been hoping to start buying film in bulk but am a bit confused about the reloadable cassettes. The cassettes on B&H range from about 50 cents to almost 85 dollars per cassette. Why this huge price range? Are the 50 cent cassettes one-time-use or something?

most people myself included re-use film cassettes that are thrown away by photo labs. Just go and ask them, you will be surprised. It may be a problem to find a photo lab that still develops film these days but if you do you can get away with a full bag for the cost of $zero. The film is pulled out of the cassette by the developing machine and cut leaving out about half inch that you can use. You tape head to head your bulk film and the piece of film coming out of the cassette and roll in using your bulk film loader.

IloveTLRs · Dec 22, 2008

I use both plastic and metal ones. The plastic ones are easier to open because they have screw-on tops. I use some plastic tape I got at a $1 shop to tape the film to the spool - works like a charm.

Reusable cassettes are also good in case you rip a film inside a camera. Just open the camera in a changing bag/dark room and respool onto the reusable cassette. Easy!

2F/2F · Dec 22, 2008

Hi,

I'm considering starting to bulk load as well for a few projects I have in mind.

I am worried about metal cassettes popping open on me. I have had this happen on a factory cassette when I dropped it, and the reusable metal cassettes I have (my step dad's from the '70s; old but never used) don't seem to hold closed nearly as securely as a factory cassette. I was looking at the B/H plastic cassettes instead because they have a screw top. Whatever you do end up using, let us know how it works out, as I am curious myself.

white.elephant · Dec 22, 2008

Monophoto said:
Actually I've been reusing the same Ilford cartridges for about 20 years. That's brought the cost way down.

Those older Ilford cartridges were great. I used to do the exact same thing. I threw them all out, though. Sigh.

Reloadable 35mm Cassettes

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