haeberlein
Is there still any film available for GDR cameras that used the so-called SL cassettes, also known as Agfa Rapid cassettes (e.g. Beirette SL 100 or Penti)?
If so, where and from which manufacturers?
Thank you.
Wolf_XL
...yes, of course they still exist – just as useful as any ordinary 35mm film... All you have to do is slide the film from a 35mm cassette into an empty Rapid cassette in the dark – that’s all. Rapid cassettes differ from 35mm cassettes only in the absence of a spool and the fact that the film is not rewound from the exposure cartridge back into the film cartridge. Incidentally, this system is much older than many people think – it is based on the Agfa Karat, which was developed before the Second World War. In 1963, Kodak successfully launched a new film format with the Instamatic system, whose cassette was protected by several patents, meaning that Agfa could not develop a comparable system. Consequently, they recalled the cassette from the Agfa Karat cameras and re-released it, slightly modified, under the name Rapid. The innovation consisted of a tab on the cassette for detecting ISO sensitivity – this allowed the light meter to be switched from ISO 50 / 18° to ISO 100 / 21°. Apart from that, the cassettes were identical; Rapid cassettes can also be used in a Karat camera.
haeberlein
Yes, I have two more questions—
Firstly, where can I get blank SL cassettes?
Secondly, can I hand in the film with exposure at any photo lab, as I can’t develop it myself at the moment?
Wolf_XL
...as far as I know, these cassettes are no longer available anywhere – I managed to get hold of some for my Agfa Karat by buying two old Rapid cameras on eBay. That should probably make Part Two of the question redundant. You can certainly get the film developed anywhere – it’s just that you’re unlikely to get the empty cassette back...
haeberlein
Well, you could use 12- or 24-exposure 35mm film, rewind it into the 35mm cassette after the exposure, and then hand it in at the shop. I’ll give it a go with my Penti. I just thought FOTOIMPEX might still stock those cartridges, as they still support a lot of older formats.
MirkoBoeddecker
We can’t supply those cassettes straight away either, but I think I’ve still got a few under the counter.
If I’m not there, please ask a member of staff to look where the 16mm film cameras from Czech Television are kept – one shelf up, in a small old cardboard box.
The price is (was) 5 marks each, so 2.50 EUR :-)
Best regards,
Mirko
orwograph
It’s really easy to get hold of SL cassettes: just search for ‘ORWO’ on eBay, and you’re very likely to find packs of 10 of some sort of NP20 film in SL cassettes. You can then choose whether or not to use up the 10 films (I’ve had no bad experiences with ORWO films that have been left for a while), and afterwards you’ll have 10 cassettes. If you can’t find any on eBay, just check back at least once a week – they keep popping up.
Peter.
