Reusable film cassette recommendations

[tomkatf]

The best we ever found at the lab I managed were Ilford cassettes. Heavy duty, positive snap caps, XLNT light traps. I have 100 unused NOS if you're interested.

T

 

[AgX]

What does XLNT mean?

 

[Pentode]

What does XLNT mean?

I believe he means "excellent".
Since this year-old thread has been dredged back up, I'll add my experience. I'm sure the OP has worked something out by now, but it may be handy information for the next person asking the same question.

I have no experience with plastic cassettes so I can't speak to them, but I have a big stock of various metal cassettes.
In order of construction quality, low to high, this has been my impression:
Freestyle - perfectly serviceable cassettes. Clearly a copy of the Kodak Snap-Caps. Well made and reliable. The metal's a bit thin, though, which can make the caps a bit fiddly to put on.
Re-used cassettes from Efke, Rollei or Orwo film - I suspect these are the same as what Freestyle is selling. Maybe the heavy-duty version?
Kalt - Much tougher than the Freestyle cassettes, but mine are old. Not sure about the new ones.
Kodak Snap-Cap - Pretty much the industry standard. Tough and reliable. Easy to work with.
Ansco - these old cassettes from the '70s are really well made. They're hard to find and usually expensive but they're nicer than the Snap-Caps, IMO.
FSU - Believe it or not, the old Soviet cassettes are the toughest and easiest to work with I have seen. These things are built like battleships. They pop up on the auction site from time to time. I paid a little too much for mine, I think, but I don't regret it. They're bomb proof. They have little clips built into the spools but using them would require cutting a little tongue in the end of the film, which I don't bother with. Tape works fine.

These are just my impressions so take all of it with a grain of salt. Also, even though the Freestyle cassettes are at the bottom of the list, I'm not suggesting they're bad. I've used them plenty and I've never had a mishap.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I used and reused both metal and plastic cassettes and I have always taped directly to the plastic spool, never taped to the end of the old film.


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[Pentode]

I used and reused both metal and plastic cassettes and I have always taped directly to the plastic spool, never taped to the end of the old film.


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Taping to the old film is a trick for reusing commercial spools that can’t be opened without tuining them.

There would be no reason to do it with spools that are designed for reuse.

 

[kingbuzzie]

Good grief Charley Brown; it's B&W: process it yourself. I could understand this if it were color, but black and white???

Where exactly did I say it's b&w?

 

[kingbuzzie]

Taping to the old film is a trick for reusing commercial spools that can’t be opened without tuining them.

There would be no reason to do it with spools that are designed for reuse.

I didn't even realize it was a problem, but then again how many people are respooling color film on to old cassettes besides film photography project? Live and learn. I'll warn them next time.

 

[martinola]

Where exactly did I say it's b&w?

Uhh... You kinda said it by posting this in the "B&W: Film, Paper, Chemistry" forum. In any case, good topic. I'll be looking into some of these options.

 

[kingbuzzie]

Uhh... You kinda said it by posting this in the "B&W: Film, Paper, Chemistry" forum. In any case, good topic. I'll be looking into some of these options.

HA, oops yes I guess so.

 

[Agulliver]

As this thread seems to be alive again I'll add my .02

I use plastic cassettes, some are over 30 years old, some I don't know the age of and some are brand new "Kaiser" branded. I have no issues with any of them.

My first came from a school teacher who ran a photo/dark room club in the mid 80s. Some came with my first bulk loader which was an eBay purchase circa 2001, they were used then. I've picked up three buying bulk rolled film from bargain bins of camera shops. I received five new as a Christmas gift.

They all work fine. I do check the felt light traps for dust, and give them an air blow as necessary.

I have never heard of any quality control issues. But some people do claim plastic cassettes are less reliable than metal.

 

[trendland]

I'm primarily interested in metal cassettes, as I'm familiar with them and am fond of the snap-cap design, which has always worked well for me.

I'm always a little wary of trying something new, something with which I have no personal experience, which is why I made this thread. Of the cassettes with a decent number of reviews, I see mainly positive reviews for some of the various brands of plastic cassettes which are available through the popular photo supply websites such as b&h, and others but there is usually either a paucity of reviews, or I see the same problems being mentioned over and over even though the reviews are mostly positive. Mainly problems with unreliable caps, poorly adhered felt (quality control), difficulty in loading 36 frames worth of film, and problems with the shape and size of the cassette causing it to turn inside the camera leading to scratched film.

If you have a particular brand of plastic cassette that you prefer and know to be reliable, I would greatly appreciate your recommendation. I just haven't been able to find one myself that I feel comfortable purchasing based on the reviews or lack of reviews.

Ok you are primarily interested in metal cassettes. That you found out ? Fine - what would you like to pay for? Max. 5 bucks or more a piece? How it would be to get it for less?To me - max. 2 bucks should be ok !But what about the idea to pay nothing ? You cut the exposed film from the end (without opening the original new brand film cassette 135-36).You develope your film - and the original cassette (let's say for example to make it more clear to each others : "The Ilford Delta100 film cassette") and then you tape your bulk film from the loader at the remaining original Delta100 film end.Sure you have to buy some films original before and have to expose it (no problem - I would say).I guess the quality is on the best level then and how often it would work ? To reload an Ilford original cassette ? Perhaps you try to find out differences to Kodak Originals....


I guess you may use it nearly 100 times.

with regards

PS : But you have to use a manual camera for example Voigdländer Bessa R2a, Nikon Fm3a a.s.o.


PS : Don't ask why a camera with manual film advance.....

 

[darkroommike]

I just got a rather persnickety note from a lab about taping new film to the end of the leader of a used canister. Apparently they used a dip and dunk machine, and cut the film off flush with the core. The developer loosened the tape below and my film was ruined in the tank. First time that's ever happened. Emailed the business that bulk loaded it, he says that's the first time he's ever heard a complaint. I guess I'll make sure to mention it next time when dropping off. Insult to injury they listed it as my error and charged me anyway.

The bigger issue is that the lab is not going to know what is really in the cartridge, our policy, when I worked in a one hour lab was to refuse all bulk loads and all relabeled cartridges since all such mystery fodder could really gunk up a roller transport C-41 machine. We had folks trying to get black and white through the machine because they needed the prints in a hurry and even a roll of Kodachrome slipped through once--that was a half day of lost production, a rack scrub down, and a dump of the developer tank.

 

[trendland]

The bigger issue is that the lab is not going to know what is really in the cartridge, our policy, when I worked in a one hour lab was to refuse all bulk loads and all relabeled cartridges since all such mystery fodder could really gunk up a roller transport C-41 machine. We had folks trying to get black and white through the machine because they needed the prints in a hurry and even a roll of Kodachrome slipped through once--that was a half day of lost production, a rack scrub down, and a dump of the developer tank.

......yeah this might happen. Sometimes labs today don't know what film is inside an original cassette......
And it was all time hard to say to some lab trainees what the difference to negative/positive film is.
Till the day they found out......


with regards

 

[Agulliver]

The labs I visit in person always check that a film is C41, even ask the customers. In the past they'd offer B&W and E6 services even if that might mean sending the film elsewhere. But I know of no lab outside of those catering to professionals whicih will take bulk loaded cassettes. They do not want to take the risks described above.

 

[foc]

I have accepted bulk loaded cassettes in my minilab, but I always ask (cross examine) the customer about film type and how it is attached to the centre spool.
We then take the film (in the bark box) from the cassette and reload it into a dark cassette. That way we can remove any tape used to attach the film to the centre spool.

One customer used electricians tape and it caused big problems for the processor film cutter,( this is where the film is cut from the cassette at the film end) hence the reloading. By doing this you can see if it's C41 or K14 or B&W, just look at the leader.