IXMOOs and light leaks

sanmich

sanmich

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I just received 10 IXMOOs and wanted to test them for light leaks.
I stuffed a small stripe of TX in each of them, closed them, and after marking each leader/cassette, I exposed them to daylight.

My conclusions are the following:
1- all of them seem to be quite light tight on the ends of the cassettes. Only a thin black border was apparent.

2- The door is another story: it looks like I overdid it and exposed them too much time. all of them showed a clear mark at what seems to be the door after one revolution of the film. One of them is extremely good (almost no trace) and one really bad (to the point I think it may not be usable, but I'll retest it).

I would like to ask the aficionados here about their experience with the IXMOO (and other cassettes) and light tightness...

1- Maybe I'm wrong to use the translucent kodak canisters instead of the opaque ones (original or not)?

2- Should one be extra careful when keeping/loading/unloading the cassettes?

3- Do you "burn" an extra couple of frames at the film beginning to make sure your first frames will be ok?

4- do you have a special discipline to relate every film you shoot to the cassettes it was shot in, in order to be able to know which cassette is leaking?

5- In you experience, how many of your cassettes are bad, and is there a way to make them behave?

so many questions... 😉

Thanks!!
 
Micheal, you can get a bit of a leak at the beginning of the film- leader. Always check that the IXMOO is properly closed (click from the spring lock),
I dont keep track of which "innard" goes in which outside shell ( with 200+ it would be to much work).
I always shoot 2 "blanks" when the cassette is in the camera and back door closed and baseplate is on.
 
IXMOO is loaded from a bench winder in total darkness, my darkroom. See Roger and Francis site for pics/details. I built my own.

All cassettes should be loaded in the camera and unloaded in subdued light, body shadow if nothing else. I never got light leaks.

I never use the translucent cans, If you have to, put them in a black bag.
 
Tom, Ronald, Thanks!
I have pulled out the old black canisters, and I guess the easy way to stay away from light leaks is indeed to minimize exposure to light.
Tom, I didn't mean keeping track of the cassette halves, but rather keeping track of which film was in which cassette to know where a leak comes from. I guess that if you manage your volume of IXMOOs without trouble, I should be ok 😉

Ronald, I have just bought an AFLOO. can't wait to receive it. It's hot here and loading cassettes with sweaty hands in not always fun.
 
I am nowhere Tom`s amount in IXMOO`s ( just 30pcs). What I have found out, when shopping for used ones, you have to be careful for not mixing the innards and outer shells.
I periodically go thru all of them, blowing the dust away and checking the play and roundness. When I am loading them, I remove the spool, but put back the halves in the pocket. When done with the loading ( in fingers, in dark) I have the same shells in respective innards again. It is a joy to load them in the M body, smooth turning of the closing mechanism etc... Btw, to use Double X is just fantastic because of the slippery film base.
 
Before I start a loading session I go through all the IXMOO's that are going to be loaded. Blow out some dust and check that they turn freely and that spring locks properly. Occasionally you get one that is stiff to open/close. Some light coating of vaseline or lithium grease helps - open and close it several time - then take it apart and wipe off the excess. Nothing is as frustrating as sitting in total darkness trying to fit an outside shell with the inside shell and have them jam!!!
 
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An old shot (5 years back) of some of my IXMOO's - unusually clean so I must have dusted them off in anticipation of loading them. Tuulikki must have taken the shot as it is a/color and b/digital.
My latest count on IXMOO's is 212 (and 78 Nikon cassettes).
 
Only 10 IXMOO here: no special precautions and no problems either. I do use the original black plastic containers for them, and I do load them in the darkroom with the AFLOO device.
 
They are secret passwords, understood only by members of the guild. They invoke powerful magic that promises effortless winding and unscratched film! Shhhhhhh!
 
You can say the word also backwards: OO MIX ?? That is the language used sometimes in Tom`s house when too much leica gear is on the table. It is a special mantra describing the relativity of Non Collecting, from which Tom is famous. ( the more usual spelling is Oh Miksi Noin paljon leicoja...)
 
Tom A said:
Before I start a loading session I go through all the IXMOO's that are going to be loaded. Blow out some dust and check that they turn freely and that spring locks properly. Occasionally you get one that is stiff to open/close. Some light coating of vaseline or lithium grease helps - open and close it several time - then take it apart and wipe off the excess. Nothing is as frustrating as sitting in total darkness trying to fit an outside shell with the inside shell and have them jam!!!
Click to expand...

Hi Tom,
That's a question I've always wanted to ask, but never got to it.

Wanted to know the type of lubricants I can apply on cassettes without affecting the film. All my IXMOOs are sufficiently smooth, but I have this particular Nikon cassette with dried up felt at the bottom, such that when loaded, it stiffens the film advance.

I'll give vaseline a try.
 
I have to admit that I simply remove the felt from the Nikon cassettes when it gets dry. It has a tendency to break down to small specks and migrate on to the film!
Dont forget that the IXMOO secret code has to be accompanied by the secret handshake - loks like you are holding a M without doing it. You can also show your affiliation to the IXMOO society by showing the band-aids on your fingers. These are used to stop the bleeding when you thought that the scissors only were cutting the film - not realizing that your fingers were there to!
 
Tom A said:
I have to admit that I simply remove the felt from the Nikon cassettes when it gets dry. It has a tendency to break down to small specks and migrate on to the film!
Dont forget that the IXMOO secret code has to be accompanied by the secret handshake - loks like you are holding a M without doing it. You can also show your affiliation to the IXMOO society by showing the band-aids on your fingers. These are used to stop the bleeding when you thought that the scissors only were cutting the film - not realizing that your fingers were there to!
Click to expand...

don't forget the small pieces of film between our teeth 😀
 
I am using childrens scissors...Not too big and quite blunt... just perfect for the darkness...
Besides: I usually load just 28 to 30 frames into IXMOO`s just to get away of that "last frames syndroome"- getting the best image on the last frame !
 
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