Samoca 35 II Film Loading

Question

I recently inherited a Samoca 35 II camera (a small scale-focus camera with a view finder from Japan). It seems to work well mechanically, but I can’t get the film to load and close the back. The issue appears to be the small “ears” inside the film canister. The “top” lines up okay, but the small ears inside the “bottom” (pointy-out part) interfere with the stud on the bottom of the back.

Looking at this video: the left-hand side is interfering. I feel like I have seen older film canisters that have a completely empty barrel at the “pointy out” end of the canister but none of my film (vintage and modern Kodak, CineStill, Arista, FilmWashi) fit. Are there some brands making film that will fit or good advice on how to proceed?

Answer 1

I've never needed to do this, but I might try using a pair of diagonal cutting pliers to cut the two nubby "spokes" out of the end of the tip of the film cannister that is at the bottom when loaded in your camera.

If you don't want to have to do this for every single roll of film you use, you could buy a few reloadable 35mm film cannisters, cut the "spokes" out of the spools on the end that protrudes and either load them from bulk film stock (in total darkness, of course) or transfer newly purchased film into them (again, in total darkness). It matters not if the film is run through the camera upside down or not, just be sure you keep the emulsion side correctly facing the inside of the spool and the backing side facing the outside of the spool so that it goes through the camera with the emulsion side facing the light box and lens, and the backing side facing the back of the camera.