Leitz Cassettes

[Neil Purling]

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How many different types of Leitz re-loadable casette are there?

I wondered how to recognise the different sorts, and which type is compatible with my 1938 III. The usual source is ebay, and the vendors do not necessarily know much about what they are selling.

 

P.S. The Nikon re-loadable cassette is supposed to be a copy of the Leitz type.

Would they work in my Leica III I wonder?

[tobey bilek]

Look at your private messages. Click the box upper right. I put one in there yesterday.

 

Simply put there are two with a lot of variations. Screw and M mount ones. M mounts are shorter and backwards compatable with screw cameras. Screw mt ones can not be used in M cameras.

 

This use was the last step in eliminating spotting of prints. They can be loaded with a most versions of bulk loaders. Some just wind up what the spool will hold. Some use a bench crank, AFLOO, or some variation. ABLON template to cut the tail properly if you choose the crank in the dark method.

 

load bulk

 

You will find the link helpful.

 

Send me the e-mail

[Neil Purling]

I use one of those 'Computrol film loaders which will open and close the Leitz cassette with a struggle.

[giordano]

AFAIK the Nikon cassette is a copy of the Contax one and won't fit. Contax cassettes are superficially similar to the Leica ones; the biggest obvious difference is that where Leica cassette shells have rectangular apertures for the film to pass through, on the Contax they are open at one end.

[Neil Purling]

I managed to get a pair of Leitz M cassettes off ebay. I could do with some more.

I have tried to contact Tamarkin, who are said to do a fair trade in Leitz stuff but my message doesn't seen to get through.

[Apo]

My experience with Leica cassettes was not a happy one. I had used the superb and superior Contax cassettes for many years in my IIa. When I bought my first M4 in 1967, I quickly bought several Leitz cassettes since I routinely bulk-loaded Tri-X from the 100-ft. rolls then offered.

 

The main problem with any self-loaded cassette for the Leica is getting the infamously trickly shape to the tongue. If the length and curve are not perfect, the lead won't align itself with the feeder sprockets and probably, little bits of film base with shear off and jam the shutter.

 

The problem stems from Leica's non-removable back which flipped up in the M series but which still provided little access. The great design innovation of the Contax - an even more, the Ektra - was a fully-removable back to aid in easy, accurate loading.

 

I will not go into the obvious QC problems associated with loading one's own cassettes in a less that dust-free environment.

 

I finally went back to factory-rolled cassettes for the M and especially for my screw mount Leicas. The SM bodies had bottom access only and were not forgiving of less that perfect leaders and a calm, steady loading.

 

Apo

[jolefler]

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I haven't had any trouble loading my Leitz cassettes in my darkroom. I did get alot of dust when using a changing bag during my early efforts. I don't crank them, rather I just cut the length I need off the bulk roll, tape it to the spool and wind it up. I never remove the bulk roll from it's plastic bag.

 

I've never used a leader template and not had trouble there, either. I cut them by hand with a small scissor, making sure to round off the square corners that may catch on the internals of the camera.

 

Using them is really worth the effort as it prevents the image from dropping onto the sprocket holes, not to mention saves some money over factory loaded cassettes.

 

Jo

[Apo]

Thanks for your reply. Jo.

 

I like not having to use a crank to transfer the film from the bulk reel. It must help cut down on static build-up and airborne contaminates. But how do you know how much to cut off? I go through a time-honored, but laborious process. I guess when I've taken enough raw film off the bulk roll, based on experience, take-up spool/film type, number of turns and of course, by gauging how close the film is to the outer edge of the take-up spool. It's a technique I learned from my father many years ago. He used film editing cranks and built the rig out of ply wood. Generally, it works well, but the quality control on the Kodak cassettes is not great and the Leitz cassettes are hard to source and tricky for me to load.

 

Thanks.

 

Apo

[Apo]

Thanks for your reply, Jo.

 

I like your technique of not using a crank to transfer the film from the bulk reel. It must help cut down on static build-up and airborne contaminates. But how do you know how much to film to cut off? I go through a time-honored, but laborious process. I guess when I've taken enough raw film off the bulk roll, based on experience, take-up spool/film type, number of turns and of course, by gauging how close the film is to the outer edge of the take-up spool. It's a technique I learned from my father many years ago. He used film editing cranks and built the rig out of ply wood. Generally, it works well, but the quality control on the Kodak cassettes is not great and the Leitz cassettes are hard to source and tricky for me to cut the tongue and to load into the screw mount models.

 

Thanks.

 

Apo

[jolefler]

Hi again, Apo.

 

To get the right length, I have a couple of pieces of masking tape on the underside edge of my table in the darkroom. I hold the end of the bulk roll at the edge of the table and pull the bag containing the roll out to the piece of tape that marks the length for the number of exposures I'd like to wind. I like to shoot 12 exp. cause they're out of the camera so much faster, though it's slightly wasteful as there are fewer frames per leader. BTW, when I need 36's, a length from between outstreched arms is close enough for me and most people.

 

I just leave the raw end out of the cassette slightly, then after the room lights are on, I pull a length out of the cassette that is the width of my palm. Using a small scissors I run a cut parallel to the edge and curve it sharply toward the other edge as I approach the cassette. Nip off the sharp corner on the shorter edge.

 

I have a II and a III and really very rarely have loading or winding problems. I'd like to say "never", but you know how that affects future karma

 

Jo

[bobs]

Thanks for your reply. Jo.

 

I like not having to use a crank to transfer the film from the bulk reel. It must help cut down on static build-up and airborne contaminates. But how do you know how much to cut off? I go through a time-honored, but laborious process. I guess when I've taken enough raw film off the bulk roll, based on experience, take-up spool/film type, number of turns and of course, by gauging how close the film is to the outer edge of the take-up spool. It's a technique I learned from my father many years ago. He used film editing cranks and built the rig out of ply wood. Generally, it works well, but the quality control on the Kodak cassettes is not great and the Leitz cassettes are hard to source and tricky for me to load.

 

Thanks.

 

Apo

 

If you go to Index of /photoschool and scroll down the list to How to Load Bulk film you will find all the details needed re Expoure numbers/film length. Good Luck

 

Regards

 

Bob Showers

Melbourne