Olympus reloadable cartridge

[rodinal]

Hello,

Among a lot of camera stuff I bought from a friend, I found a like-new Olympus reloadable cartridge for 35mm film. It looks similar to a Leitz or a Contax cartridge, but it's beautifully painted black. I've found no reference regarding this item and I have no camera this will fit in. Can you give me a hint about what camera did use this cartridge and the approximate value of it ? (I can post a picture later, but it will not add much information, I think)

Thank you!

 

[ColinW]

Rodinal,

Could it be this one?

http://zuserver2.star.ucl.ac.uk/~rwesson/esif/om-sif/motordrivegroup/250_film_magazine.htm

 

[rodinal]

Thanks Collin, but no, that's not my cartridge.
The thing I found is similar to a Leica IXMOO, for 36 exposure loads. If you don't examine it closely, it might be confused with a regular 35mm cartridge, but it has a rotating inner gate and a small pin to operate it. Ah!... and it says OLYMPUS.
Maybe for one of those Tower rangefinder cameras ?
Seems to be rather uncommon, but does it worth much?

Marcelo

 

[Roger Hicks]

¡Dear Marcelo!

Wow. Never even heard of it, let alone seen it. Any chance of some pics? Please take a look at http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps how choose cassetes.html (lots of pics of cassettes).

Cheers,

R.

 

[rodinal]

Hi Roger,
Nice collection of yours!
I think I have something you don't... 😉
I want to share this, I'll post some photos later today (when back at home).

Marcelo

 

[rodinal]

Ok, here are the promised images.

My description had an error, there is no rotating inner gate as in the Leitz/Nikon/Contax cartridges, but a felt lined gate, this cartridge has "lips" as a regular one. I think this feature makes it "universal". Closed, it may work as a regular cartridge with any camera. If the camera knew how to open it, then it works in the same fashion as a Leitz cartridge.

Brand name

Open

Disassembled.
On the background, IXMOO, FILCA, Nikon and Contax cartridges.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Thanks very much indeed. Didn't Pentax do something similar? This is half remembered from the 1960s...

Looks like an invitation to scratches, though, if the film always goes through that length of labyrinthine gate.

Cheers,

R.