Length of "Imperialist" vs Soviet Film Casettes

[Thomas78]

Hello,

I did the first roll of film trought my Zorki 4 and realised that the film was exposed a bit diagonally. I found that the film casette is positioned to low at the bottom of the chamber and has some slack.

I suppose that the original soviet film casettes were a bit longer than the western ones. So I want to put a washer under the film casette to compensate for the different length.

Do you know how much difference is in the length between this two types of casettes?

Regards,
Thomas

 

[Penny Lane]

Here's the fun bit: that difference doesn't exist. Leicas suffered from the same 'problem'. If you look at the photos Stanley Kubrick made of Chicago in 1949 with his Leica III (such as here at Retronaut.co), you'll notice that many of the shots have the same issue...

Though a washer will go a good way to cure the problem, I've found that winding can easily get uncomfortably difficult so I've simply stopped worrying about the whole phenomenon altogether 🙂

Derk

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Try this thread for some sizes:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=120930

Regards, David

 

[Thomas78]

Thank you, Derk and David!

 

[MartinP]

As I recall (from when I checked, having bought a nice Zorki 1) the original cameras were sized for the reloadable metal cassettes made by their manufacturers. These days the disposable (ie. normal, pre-loaded, metal) cassettes as originally standardised by Kodak (for Retina?) are a millimetre or so different, and the same goes for current reloadable (plastic or metal) cassettes. So, there was evolution with the cassette measurements and the designs of the older bodies simply preceded that 'new' standard. I'm out of time, but can anyone find whatever historical article there is out there?

 

[Coldkennels]

I do know that by the time the Leica IIIf came out, the cartridge length was standardized enough for Leica to take it into account - so that's what, 1950? At any rate, I've noticed it on both the Zorkis I own (Zorki 1 and 5, both bottom-loaders), but on none of the Feds I own (or have owned in the past - two Fed 2s, a Fed 4, and a Fed 5).

Easy enough to fix, though. I used some self-adhesive foam from a light sealing kit; a small disc on the baseplate is just enough to keep the canister straight.

David, that's an interesting list, but wouldn't bottom of canister to tip of center spindle be a better measurement?

 

[Thomas78]

...
David, that's an interesting list, but wouldn't bottom of canister to tip of center spindle be a better measurement?

IMHO Davids method is better because the casette is fixated between its upper and lower ends and not at the spindle.