Source for quality metal cartridges ?

Laurent

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Hello all,

I dislike more and more the plastic cartridges I bought some time ago, and as they are on their last leg I think it's time to find better. I'd like to be able to load a batch when needed, rather than loading a few.

I have 4 Pentax ones that I like (even if they are sometimes hard to open, maybe because overloaded) and would be happy to find their likes.

The FILCA/IXMOO are perfect for my Leicas, but I have no equivalent for the Canon SLRs.

So if you had sources for this that would be great. If it was in EU it would be even better ;-)
 

koraks

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How about used disposable ones? They tend to recycle quite well if they're handled with reasonable care. If you network your way towards a lab that processes a decent amount of film, you might be able to get a bucket or so for free.
 

beemermark

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Based on a recommendation on this forum I bought a number of Russian metal cassettes from a seller on eBay. They were better than sliced bread. Unfortunately I don't remember who he was. And this was before the shooting started.
 

Nicholas Lindan

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Laurent

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Thanks, this is exactly what I was looking for! I ordered two sets, will see how good they are but they aren't more expensive than plastic ones.

Thanks to all who responded also!
 

armadsen

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The ones Midwest Film Co were selling have worked well for me (shot a few rolls in them today, in fact). But they’ve been sold out since shortly after they came out, with no indication of a restock. I emailed them about when they’d get more, but got no reply. I reuse commercial cassettes too, and that works just fine for me.
 

eli griggs

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Canon made reusable metal cassettes for it's rangefinder cameras (or at least some of them) but I've never heard of one for Canon SLRs.

Call around to schools that use to teach film camera and darkroom photography but now only does 'imagining' aka, computer or digital camera use.

It might get better some of them might have reloadable cartridges that were not used or abused back in the day.

Some photography instructors are loath to just trash any photo gear, so you might get lucky.

IMO.
 

Cheshire

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I have been using the Midwest Film canisters.. im kind of on the fence. The plastic tab they use to connect the film to the spool,, is not teh greatest. You REALLY need to be careful when winding the tape through the felt if you tape it to the plastic tab. It CAN do damage to the felt other wise, or cause a major risk of the tape coming off the film/tab via catching on the felt.

Also you need to be careful with them. Its been very common for the used, and spooled up cannister to cause "mystery light damage" to the film in the rebate/sprocket holes on the leader end if its not put into a film can. Sometimes the first and second frames can be damaged as well.

They can also hold a massive amount of film. Had one roll on the weekend that i somehow managed to get 48 usable frames, and my standard 2.5 frames of follower and 5 frames worth of leader.
 

loccdor

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I also used the Midwest Film canisters.

The main flaw I found with them is their shiny outside can create light leaks/internal reflections in cameras that have a window to display the film type. I suppose it could be fixed with black tape or paint.

I also haven't gotten the hang of the attachment of the film to the plastic tab inside, a little tricky to tape it in a changing bag without a tool to help with alignment, and I found I sometimes can't rewind them in-camera - have to open the camera in a changing bag. I'm surely doing something wrong but they didn't come with instructions and I just winged it.
 

ic-racer

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What is wrong with the plastic ones sold by B&H? I'm still using the metal ones I got in the 1980s but would like some new ones. I used to scratch marks on them each time they were used and then throw them out but I stopped doing that about 20 years ago, seeing as replacements are hard to come by.

 

tokam

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loccdor said:
The main flaw I found with them is their shiny outside can create light leaks/internal reflections in cameras that have a window to display the film type. I suppose it could be fixed with black tape or paint.
Click to expand...
Check the inside of the back door on your camera for missing foam around that window that shows the film speed on the cassette. Two of my cameras that have that window have slim foam that presses against the film cassette to prevent light entering.
 

loccdor

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I think the plastic sold by B&H (the ones that come in two halves and click together) are similar to the ones that Flic Film, new Foma, and Lomography are using. They can be apparently opened with a $20 Flic Pic tool and reused. I have not tried this yet.
 

loccdor

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tokam said:
Check the inside of the back door on your camera for missing foam around that window that shows the film speed on the cassette. Two of my cameras that have that window have slim foam that presses against the film cassette to prevent light entering.
Click to expand...

Thanks. There is foam there but it wasn't enough to protect it from direct sun hitting that shiny metal. It may have degraded a little, or just wasn't intended for these canisters.
 

guangong

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I stopped using reloadable cassettes long ago, with the exception of those made by Leitz and Zeis. With these two the film does not touch the cassette when in camera, so no danger of scratching film. I would use Nikon cassettes if I could find a bunch at a reasonable price.
 

eli griggs

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I use or have, several types, including the black plastic, lid type, which only needs a silver of black gaffer's tape from the lid to the body, about centimeter long or half an inch long.

The Leica reloadables, of both types, which are heavy duty, no felt lips, a wide film feed opening and they worked fine with my IIIC, but will not function in the CL analog camera, don't bother trying, you can damage something.

The black metal cassettes sold in lots of 100, typical snap cap, but it needs barcodes for various ISOs.

Some old yellow Kalt's, not many.

All of them are usable with consideration of you attending to their quirks.

Some old retail cassettes, Ilford made the best, IMO, and I believe that's what I have the most of, though not many.

Off topic type, metal, pop on (2) end caps for Hasselblad A-70 cassette backs.

The have plastic spools with a metal band to secure the film to them.

I've never seen or used the plastic two halves but I find these so easy to use, I don't see myself buying any in the future.
 

tokam

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eli griggs said:
Some old retail cassettes, Ilford made the best, IMO, and I believe that's what I have the most of, though not many.
Click to expand...
I have about 20 of the Ilford and a few AGFA from this period. They are the best.

I also bought about 40 of the plastic screw top cassettes in the late 80's and they have all survived well. No branding on them but I've never had issues with the end caps popping off.

No problems with scratching as I always clean them including running a folded Post-It note through the light trap. The felt (velvet?) fabric have never shed particles or detached themselves from the cassette. Build quality was good in those days.
 

eli griggs

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Yeah, the one only thing I've ever encountered that had me tossing a cassette was when some sort of hard grit, that some how made it's way to the felts and scratched newly loaded film.

Any of the film making/packing companies, that still sell bulk films, could do well to once again, offer 1980's Ilford quality cassettes, which in this environment of scarce metal cassettes, would only build consumer loyalty.

IMO.
 

Steven Lee

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ic-racer said:
What is wrong with the plastic ones sold by B&H?
Click to expand...

They shed. The plasticy "felt" material is cheap and deteriorates on contact, filling your camera with tiny plastic fibers. Also they tend to pop open when dropped. This horrendous quality is a relatively new phenomena though, I still have a few identical looking plastic cartridges from maybe 5-ish (?) years ago, and their quality is vastly superior.
 

Joel_L

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I bought some Kalt plastic ones from BH a while back. They work fine. What I find though, the metal cassettes tend to spread when the cap is off, this makes sliding the film between the felts easier. With the plastic ones the felt stays tight together. This makes it harder to get the film in, you tend to saw the film into the felt and that makes it come apart. The trick I learned was to turn a half or so turn of film on to the spool and then pull that out as I'm sliding the film between the felts. Once I got the hang of doing that, no felt problems with the plastic cassettes.
 

Rrrgcy

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Midwest Film Co. aluminum metal canisters back in stock, shipped to me in a few days quick. Trouble is I can’t pop them open! I just checked its website and these new versions DO NOT pop open (like the last/original batch). So use them carefully…
 

eli griggs

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Try to find the steel cassettes, if able, they hold up best to normal uses and you can replace the felts without too much difficulty, IMO.
 

Rrrgcy

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Thanks, I’ve ixmoo and filco (and plastic bulk loading types w removable tops). I liked the old (the last year’s) Midwest pop top version. If I lose the leader back into the new Midwest non-removable tops, does that device which cracks open the entry felt slit (to get the leader out) essentially destroy the slit so you can’t bend it back parallel and re-use the Midwests?
 
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ant!

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How are the Foma ones mentioned above? I might ship some to family in Germany to have them forward it with other stuff to Canada...
Midwest seems not to ship to Canada (and they never answered my email), not sure what I should think about the Flic ones with the special tool required...
 
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