Loading a camera with a 35mm inner spool, no cassette casing?

Yobo57 · Mar 31, 2025

Trying to shoot some 35mm film in a 616 Super Ikonta. The film chambers are very narrow and a 35mm cassette doesn't fit unless I really jam it in, not very optimal.
I was thinking of popping open the cassette in the darkroom and loading the inner spool only. Is there any potential downsides, will the tensions be ok without the casing?

MattKing · Mar 31, 2025

If you have a couple of 616 spools and some backing paper, I would suggest instead that you tape the 135 film to the backing paper, reroll the sandwich back on to feed spool, and then use it as if it was 616 film.

Jonathan-sv · Apr 1, 2025

When I was in high school (we're talking the 60's) and we did things for the school newspaper and such, there were some people that would take a piece of bulk film and just stick it in their 35mm camera (I believe they were using Argus C3's) and I don't remember any issues. I think putting the film on backing paper and spools might be a better idea, though.

Yobo57 · Apr 1, 2025

MattKing said:
If you have a couple of 616 spools and some backing paper, I would suggest instead that you tape the 135 film to the backing paper, reroll the sandwich back on to feed spool, and then use it as if it was 616 film.

Jonathan-sv said:
When I was in high school (we're talking the 60's) and we did things for the school newspaper and such, there were some people that would take a piece of bulk film and just stick it in their 35mm camera (I believe they were using Argus C3's) and I don't remember any issues. I think putting the film on backing paper and spools might be a better idea, though.

Good idea.
I don’t currently have any 616 backing and only 1 spool though. Maybe I’ll try with some 120 or just go for it and see what happens.
Hoping for some nice weather so I can finish the 4 other rolls I have in progress before starting a new project!

reddesert · Apr 1, 2025

I think the Super Ikonta for 116 (Super Ikonta D) has manual frame counting and a red window, although I have never had one. If so, and you load it with bare 35mm film, you have to close the window - I think you'll have to tape over one or both windows - and guess how many turns to wind the film. It will be easier to get 116/616 backing paper, or adapters for 116/616 to 120 spools and use 120 spools and backing paper.

Yobo57 · Apr 2, 2025

reddesert said:
I think the Super Ikonta for 116 (Super Ikonta D) has manual frame counting and a red window, although I have never had one. If so, and you load it with bare 35mm film, you have to close the window - I think you'll have to tape over one or both windows - and guess how many turns to wind the film. It will be easier to get 116/616 backing paper, or adapters for 116/616 to 120 spools and use 120 spools and backing paper.

Yeah it has the red windows with a sliding metal cover, but I would tape over anyways. I think it’s about 6 turns to advance 1 frame with a 120 or 35mm spool but need to do some more testing

Donald Qualls · Apr 4, 2025

Yobo57 said:
I think it’s about 6 turns to advance 1 frame with a 120 or 35mm spool but need to do some more testing

The number of turns actually decreases as you build up thickness of film on the takeup spool. There was at least one 120 camera that had numbers in an odd-looking sequence on the advance knob for advancing without a red window. Overall though, you can do well enough (for things like lens testing and sprocket hole photography) by guessing or sacrificing a strip of film to test in the light and write down how many turns for the 1st, second, third etc. frames.

Yobo57 · Apr 4, 2025

Donald Qualls said:
The number of turns actually decreases as you build up thickness of film on the takeup spool. There was at least one 120 camera that had numbers in an odd-looking sequence on the advance knob for advancing without a red window. Overall though, you can do well enough (for things like lens testing and sprocket hole photography) by guessing or sacrificing a strip of film to test in the light and write down how many turns for the 1st, second, third etc. frames.

I seem to have loaded it successfully in the dark (hopefully) I’ll shoot the roll and see how the spacing comes out and adjust accordingly on the next one. I think there’s about 10-12 shots given the length of the 35mm reel so maybe I’ll do 6 turns for the first four, 5 for the next four and 4.5 turns for the rest.

Loading a camera with a 35mm inner spool, no cassette casing?

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