M5 & CL issue with Pentax reloadable cassettes

[TomB_tx]

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The Leica instructions for the M5 & CL caution about this, but never running into it for decades I forgot to check. I picked up several Pentax reloadable cassettes (from a Leica dealer!), as they are very well made and use a felt trap, so work in “any” camera. The shell unlocks and separates like the FILCA, so loading is easy. The spool has a capture slot like the FILCA, so no tape is needed.

However, what I didn’t notice is that the “long” end of the spool has no internal web - just a smooth hole. The M5 &CL rewind from this bottom end, so when I tried to rewind my M5 tonight the crank just spun freely, without a web to catch in the spool. Luckily this was just a short test roll to do comparisons with my new scanner, so I removed the bottom in a changing bag and wore out my fingertips trying to turn the end of the spool to rewind. Along with a little urging of the film sprocket holes through the open back I eventually succeeded.

So if you use an M5 or CL (or Zeiss Ikon ZM), check to see that the long end of the cassette spool has a rewind-web to engage the crank!

I’ll continue to use these Pentax cassettes in my R bodies where they work great.

[Pyrogallol]

I have three of these Pentax cassettes and had not noticed that before. The two crackle finish ones are Pentax and do not have the cross bar in the long end, but the smooth paint one with Asahi on does, but it looks a long way down inside the spool and probably too far down to engage. I assume the Asahi one is older then the Pentax ones.

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[TomB_tx]

Yes the smooth finish Asahi branded are earlier, and were marketed with the Asahiflex, before the first Pentax. I believe these were made in Germany. Notice also they have a different latch mechanism to separate the shell. The crackle finish are the later ones, and most of mine came in a plastic case instead of the painted aluminum ones.