Reusable Film cartridges on a Bessa?

[Disaster_Area]

I've seen alot of talk on the Leica boards about the two different Leica reusable metal film canisters. I'm just wondering if either of these or any others you've seen work well in the Bessa line.

 

[pdx138]

I don't know, but I don't think the Leica canisters would work on a Bessa. They have a mechanism that a Leica is designed to open when inserted and I doubt the Bessa is built to do that. Generic plastic bulk load canisters available from most online camera stores work great though. They're cheaper on an individual basis, but not really meant to last forever like the Leica ones. You need to throw them out when the felt starts to breakdown or collect any dirt, otherwise you will get light leaks and/or scratches. Just inspect each cartridge prior to reloading.

Bulk loading can be a great option for saving money and lets you load as many or few frames as you want, but I eventually got away from it as it was too much work for me... I'd rather spend my time shooting or printing.

 

[NickTrop]

I don't have a Bessa but how about going to the camera store, getting a trash bag full of their spent cartridges for free and using green 35mm film splicing tape to tape the film on to the remaining "tongue" sticking out the end of the cartridge and bulk loading? This is what I use/do - for years.

And YES, you absolutely save money bulk loading, and NO there's no issue scratching film IMO (I've maybe wrecked one roll of film by loading it with the light trap in the closed position), and NO it's not "a lot of work" to me and doesn't "take time away from taking pics" because I "multitask" and load when I'm watching Tee Vee or do it to keep me occupided in a coffee shop or something.

Just my $0.02.

 

[mr_phillip]

The Leica cassettes definitely DON'T work in Bessas. You can however either pick up cheap generic reloadable cassettes or do as NickTrop says and use spent cassettes from a lab.

I'd also second the view that bulk loading can save money and is no hassle at all. I also tend to do it while watching TV or listening to the radio using a pair of old Watron 66 daylight loaders.

 

[Seele]

I have been reloading cassettes for ages, and keeping my stash of reloadable cassettes in a very safe place. For many years film manufacturers switched to crimped cassettes to make proper reloading toughter as the end caps do not pop off and pop back on properly.

The only cassettes meant for reloading in the Leica style which works with all 35mm cameras with a pull-up rewind knob is the Shirley-Wellard. They can still be found occasionally, beautifully machined out of solid blocks of metal, and work really well. The only problem is the substantial weight.

 

[polaski]

I'll agree with NickTrop. I do not take the cassettes apart -- I just clean the felt a wee bit and feed in the new film. Never had any scratches.

 

[wyk_penguin]

Anyone know if the Shirley-Wellard's will work on a Bessa? I am thinking that it will foul/disengage the lock and we will have a lot of swinging back doors.

 

[Seele]

Just checked again; the Shirley-Wellard works correctly.

 

[Thardy]

I used some ( Kalt) reload-able cassettes in my Bessa with some way out of date Velvia and generally they worked well. I did have a light leak in one cassette though.