film spool for Zeiss Ikon contaflex 35mm camera

<p>I have owned this contaflex 1 for 30 years and opened it up to look it over, maybe take it for a walk. No spool. Does anyone know a source for these spools?</p>

<p>" Contaflex film spool " brings one up today on Ebay for $25. Not sure of the cost/benefit ratio there!</p>

<p>Jim</p>

<p>As I understand the early Kiev cameras were identical to contax models part for part since the Soviet Union just packed up the machinery and took it home. A spool for the a contraflex on Ebay says it will fit Kiev 2,3,4. You could get a kiev for parts for less than $25. I might even have an extra Kiev spool if it will fit. I would have to check my accumulation in the graveyard.</p>

<p>Robert, the early Contaflex take up spool is the same as a Contax one, at least some of them even have Contax on them. So a Kiev one ought to work. FYI, you don't even need a take up spool at all to use it. The reason the spool is removable (as with the Contaxes that preceded them, and Exaktas, for that matter) is so that, if desired, film can be wound from canister to canister. All you need is a spent pre-loaded canister with its film stub protruding from the slot. Trim off the standard leader on your new roll, double tape the new end to the stub of the take up canister, and off you go. As a bonus it makes re-loading much faster as you don't have to rewind (you may, however lose the last frame or so shot if you open the back in daylight, because of course, unlike Exaktas, the Contaflexes do not have an internal blade to cut the film). <br /><br />Given Robert Capa's account of his difficulty re-loading his Contaxes during the D Day landing, I've previously wondered why he didn't take advantage of this feature, as one simply has to drop in the canisters, apply a little tension to the film and insert the back.</p>

<p>This may be of some use: http://elekm.net/zeiss-ikon/repair/spool.html</p>

<p><em>I am on it, I'm bidding now. Thanks for a fresh view as to fixing the fix that I'm in. This camera has both spool and canister. Hopefully, I can post some photos from my little corner of the world soon.</em></p>

<p>Get any old used 35mm cartridge, and open it by lifting one of the end caps carefully with a suitable tool, or just open it by brute force by inserting a screwdriver in the film slit and forcing.<br>

You can directly use the spool inside in your Contaflex. The cartridge will be of course destroyed but it is not a big loss. Take out the tape that holds the film end to the spool.<br>

If you cannot get an used 35mm cartridge, the spool inside any current 35mm reloadable cartridge will do as well. </p>

I think what Julio said is true. I recall losing my Kiev spool one day and sure enough the standard 35mm

spool fits... 10 years ago this was easy to come by.. these days real film is getting to be ..a bit harder to

come by.. Hmmm...