Erm, why won't Leica cassettes fit in my M3?

[TheHub]

Hello everyone,

So I've finally got my hands on a lovely 1955 M3 - but for some reason it won't take Leica cassettes 🙁

I know there are two types of cassettes - for Barnacks and Ms - but neither will fit properly. As you can see in the attached photo, they get stuck half-way. With some pushing one will go in, but I'd need pliers to pull it back out again.

In the photo the cassette is opened and not lined up properly, but even in doing so, they don't slide in smoothly as they are supposed to.

Has anyone had/seen/heard of this problem before?

 

[Ljós]

Hi,

giving this a bump!
My only idea: the "inner" bottom-plate of your camera (with the loading diagram engraved) is totally brassed/stripped of the black paint it came with. That would suggest that it was taken out at some point, and then fitted again. At that time, maybe the curved "lip" was assembled incorrectly?

Greetings, Ljós

 

[ChrisN]

Run your finger down the inside of the chamber where the film goes - feel for a bump. The camera might have taken a hit on the side and been distorted. I think we saw this on another camera here a few years ago.

 

[colyn]

Another problem is the camera may have had service in the past and a screw was used on the front that is too long and protrudes into the chamber thus blocking the cassette from going in.

I have seen this on screw Leicas before.

If that is the case you can remove the screw and file the end down a bit..

 

[johannielscom]

All good suggestions above. I had a camera where the IXMOO would not fit (it's all very tightly designed) and a good thing is that the soft brass of the IXMOO will undoubtedly show where it jams.

My suggestions: the small brass curved lip that the bottom plate lock grips under might be misaligned (as Ljós suggested) or the stud at the end of the body that is there to allow a flash grip to mount, protrudes too far into the body.

In my case, it was a combination of both...

 

[raid]

What is good about using the old Leica cassettes? I have a few of them, but I have never used them.

 

[maddoc]

What is good about using the old Leica cassettes? I have a few of them, but I have never used them.

The cassettes won't have a light leak, scratch the film or collect dust. They are closed outside the camera and fully open via the baseplate key, similar also for Nikon RF (or F) cameras.

 

[raid]

So they are meant for use with bulk loaded film?

 

[MartinP]

Originally 35mm film was either bulk cut cine-film, or bought as a paper-wrapped roll, for use in re-fillable cassettes. The disposable cassette came a couple of decades (approximately) later.

 

[Tom A]

The IXMOO's are very tight fit at the best of time. If the lower edge of the camera shell has had a bump - even so small that it is barely visible - they will jam. Occasionally you can have IXMOO's that are "out of round" too - but in your case it doesn't sound likely.
The inside screw problem sounds more likely - or the "locking" lip of the camera being relpaced with the wrong sized one.
There are minute variations between various IXMOO's - and that can account for the tight fit on some of them.

 

[TheHub]

Thank you everyone for the replies 🙂 🙂

The brassed piece in question: I removed it temporarily and the cassettes still don't slide in smoothly (with my IIIc & IIIf they drop in nicely.)

I did move the cassettes in and out, and scratches showed up (shown in the attached picture.) With the camera facing lens-forward and the strap lugs at the 3 o'clock position, the scratches are at 4 o'clock. I don't see any wayward screw heads, nor feel any bumps inside the chamber 😕

The mystery deepens 😕