Topic: opening newfangled plastic 35mm film cartridges

[hookstrapped]

I have this roll of 35mm Lomo Potsdam film to develop, and I was wondering if there's anything I should know before I try to bust it open with a can opener...





I've never come across this type of cartridge before. The caps don't have much of a lip for a can opener to grab onto. They almost look like they're hinged...

[Kai-san]

I've never seen these before either, but I notice that there are two tabs in each end of the cartridge. Maybe it will pop open if you push them with a small screwdriver? Just remember to do it in the dark. 

[Bryan]

I have heard about these but never had to open one.  I think you need to take the label off, it splits on a seam down the side.  The problem is I think that seam is where it's fused together.  I don't think they are easy to get into, may need to put a chain saw in your changing bag just in case.

[Francois]

Well that's a new one.
A film retriever would be the best option but without one I'm sure it's going to need a bit of surgery (and hopefully not on the fingers).
I often use a thin guitar pick to open the snaps on electronic devices.
Hopefully they used some brittle plastic that can just break open.

Though after looking at it some more, I would probably cut the label first and then use a screwdriver and use the spindle as a lever to pop it open (use the lip on the top). A wide blade and a twisting motion should do the trick.

[hookstrapped]

All good suggestions. I emailed Michael Raso at FPP and he got back to me right away, passing along the illustrated Lomo instructions. As I replied to Michael

Thanks. Pressing two screwdrivers against two little tabs in the dark. Brilliant design :rolleyeyes:

I came up with an alternate method. I jammed a screwdriver into the crack between the bottom lid and the canister and tore off the lid.

Had to battle the dreaded film sweats (it's humid today) but got it done. Thanks for your quick reply. And please tell Lomo for me, "Hahaha! No really."

[Indofunk]

If you just followed my practice of leaving the leader out and loading the film with the cartridge intact you wouldn't have this problem! 

[Sandeha Lynch]

Not all film-pickers are equal, but when you find a good one hold onto it.

[Francois]

I got the one from Kodak and I recommend it.
The only times that it doesn't work are when the leader is bent and when there are broken sprockets at the start.

As for the lomo cassette, you could use a dull oyster knife, jam it between the lips and crack it open just like an oyster.... Should work, but I'd wear work gloves if I did that.

Looking at the teeth in the spindle, these cassettes were made for disposable cameras

[jojonas~]

huh. I had heard about these but not seen any. I dunno if my usual thumbs-in-the-felt-and-pry-open method would work well with these. I wouldn't want to get stabbed by sharp plastic bits as it breaks.

do you have a photo of how it looks opened?

[John Robison]

Too bad they have to be destroyed to open. A re-useable cartridge would be nice, especially since the empty plastic ones sold today have such a bad report by users.

[Francois]

I guess that it depends a lot more on who's using them than anything else. Granted that you don't want to drop them on the floor, but I've been using some for many years now and really can't complain. You just have to adapt yourself a bit to them. So far I like them better than the metal ones.

[Kai-san]

I just ordered 40 metal re-usable cartridges. Not because they are better or worse than plastic, but because they are NOT plastic.

[Pete_R]

40?

What are you going to do with them?

[astrobeck]

yeah, I'd like to see the opened up one as well.
It looks almost like if you gave the cartridge a little squeeze that it would pop open easier...easy to say while looking at it in daylight...

[Kai-san]

40?

What are you going to do with them?

Fill them up with film, what else?

[Francois]

 
First degree question, first degree answer...

[Kai-san]

I've got one 100ft/30,5m roll of Adox HR-50 and one roll of Rollei Retro 400S in the fridge ready to be rolled into 36 frame cartridges. One roll of film makes 19 cartridges with 36 frames, so that should be about right. I have quite a few of these re-usable cartridges already, but they are loaded with Fomapan 100, Ilford Pan-F, Rollei Retro 80S and Maco TS Eagle. I like to have a selection of different films in the fridge ready to load a camera, I'm not a one type of film only guy. All these films I have listed here are quite cheap, the Pan-F is probably the most expensive and Fomapan 100 the cheapest. I would have liked to get Kodak T-Max 100 and 400 in bulk, but I have not seen anybody sell those in Europe. Maybe Kodak doesn't offer T-Max in bulk rolls? I can get Tri-X locally at 170 USD per roll, that should be 9 USD for 36 frames! Not exactly economical. 

[Pete_R]

Whereas....

I've got a single roll of Rollei RPX25 and I load what I need when I need it (because I often use short lengths) and process immediately. So my 'three' reloadable cassettes are more than enough for my needs. Hence I couldn't see why anyone would need forty of the little critters.

[Francois]

I've got maybe a bit over a dozen or so, but most of them I didn't buy as they came in two huge boxes of random darkroom stuff that I got at a garage sale.

[Bryan]

I would have liked to get Kodak T-Max 100 and 400 in bulk, but I have not seen anybody sell those in Europe. Maybe Kodak doesn't offer T-Max in bulk rolls?

You can get T-Max in bulk rolls in the U.S.  T-Max 400 is $99.99 per roll and T-Max 100 is $89.99 at B&H.  I took advantage of a sale of Tri-X 400 a few years ago and got a roll for $75, it's back up to $99.99 now.  I also have a bulk roll of PanF+ that I bought new.  Right now PanF+ is $79.95 at B&H.  The rest of my bulk rolls are all expired that I got for a few dollars each, Panatomic-X and Tri-X.  It will take me years to get through all this film. 

I usually load as I need them like Peter does, that way I can do short rolls to test cameras.  I also keep a few loaded rolls on hand as well. 

[Francois]

I always try to make rolls of 25, 30 or 35 exposures so that I don't waste space in the printfile sheets.

[Bryan]

I always try to make rolls of 25, 30 or 35 exposures so that I don't waste space in the printfile sheets.

I try to do that but always seem to end up with more than I wanted on the roll.  I try to stop shooting at 35 but don’t usually pay close enough attention to the count. 

[hookstrapped]

Back to the original weird Lomo plastic cassette... For the second roll I reluctantly followed Satish's suggestion (a sure sign of desperation) of simply leaving a leader out and feeding it into the Patterson reel and just cranking it onto the reel directly from the closed cassette. It worked! I'm now a convert to the Indofunk(TM) method.

I still prefer eating pizzas unfolded.

[Francois]

That definitely works.
Get a Kodak Film Retriever. It works well, and it's got a fairly long tongue... only thing is it doesn't give wet kisses