Leica M film cassette problem

[colyn]

I have been loading my own film and using Leica film cassettes for a number of years but recently noticed a problem when using these cassettes in my M4. After finishing a roll rewind is somewhat difficult but I don't have this problem when using them in the M3's. Store brand film works fine..

I have verified that the key is opening the cassette when locking the door and I am using the right cassettes (chrome tips) for the M-series cameras.

Advancing film is fine but it is when rewinding film that it gets hard to turn and yes I am setting the rewind lever to rewind and it is staying put during rewind.

This is the first time using them in my M4...

I have checked the cassettes for damage and cannot find any..

 

[Artorius]

When you find the answer, let us know. I just purchased a dozen of these carts for use in my M3&6. I hope there isn't any problems like this for me.

 

[colyn]

When you find the answer, let us know. I just purchased a dozen of these carts for use in my M3&6. I hope there isn't any problems like this for me.

I believe I got it figured out.

I noticed when I would remove the base plate it would rewind fine but with the base plate on it was tight.

I removed the wheel on the base plate that holds the film in place on the take-up spool and cleaned and lightly greased it with lithium grease and put it back together. It now rewinds easy like it should.

Must have been a bit dirty causing it to drag..

Since this wheel is not used on the M3 base plate the cassettes worked fine on them..

 

[Artorius]

Thanks for this info.

 

[Tom A]

The "Roller" as is the correct German term can indeed induce drag on the film rewind. It is plastic and with time it collects dust and dirt from the base plate. Supposedly it assists in loading, but I remove them when I use a baseplate as it slows down loading (the cut-outs in the wheel are never exactly where the "tulip" leafs are and you have to fiddle with it). I make a correct post for switching the roller on my Rapidwinders, but I recommend to users not to bother as it makes it slower to put on. The IXMOO cassettes are usually very reliable and if they open properly, will close with the key too. If you are using them a lot, it is a good ides to clean them inside and put a very light film of lithium grease on the inner walls of the outside shell. just put some on your finger and run it around the inside wall and wipe it off. The brass can tarnish and make it sticky and that can jam it. It is a better design than the Nikon cassette which very easily can jam and is virtually impossible to remove without damaging the base-plate "latch".
The center take up spool of the IXMOO has a slot and two small ribbed bars that hold the film in place (you cut the end in a > shape and insert it). This is a one shot job as, if it is working properly, you cant pull it back out. You simply tear or cut the film at the spool and then pull it out from the other side. Be sure that no pieces of flm are left in the slot of the spool or you will have difficulty inserting the new > shaped bit or it wont catch and pull out when you rewind.
At the moment I have about 180 of these cassettes, enough to spend a boring day loading 1000 ft of film - but also a month or two of shooting. Dont use the IXMOO on the M7 and the MP as on the M7 it will destroy the electronic "reader" for the ISO coded regular cassettes. On the MP's there is a small narrow ledge that prevents it from being fully inserted and if you manage, it will be stuck! The newer MG TTl/MP needs an older baseplate to work as these have "flat" locks that do not open/close the IXMOO's. I tend to use the IXMoo's with my M2's as I make a Rapidwinder that will open and close them. I have a couple of custom Rapidwinders for M6 that can do it too, but I will not make them as there is a chance that some-one somewhere will stick it on a M7 and scream their head off!

 

[colyn]

The "Roller" as is the correct German term can indeed induce drag on the film rewind. It is plastic and with time it collects dust and dirt from the base plate. Supposedly it assists in loading, but I remove them when I use a baseplate as it slows down loading (the cut-outs in the wheel are never exactly where the "tulip" leafs are and you have to fiddle with it).

If I were to remove this roller it would not cause any problems?

 

[Tom A]

I have never trusted the tulip as the sole loading confirmation. I always check thst the film is on the sprocket gear, with sprockets protruding both at the top and bottom. Even if the film would not be held by the tulip, the sprocket would feed it through. The plastic "roller" is just another peice that can induce drag when you advance or rewind. On some cameras you can actually feel the smoothness increase when you remove it, on others it makes no difference.
Only drawback is that you do put some more stress on the tulip as it is not supported from the bottom. I know of one case where the advance mal-functioned, but the user is a Magnum shooter and probably goes through more film in a week than most of us do in a year- so the advance could be worn out anyway!