Minolta 24 Rapid question

Does the Minolta 24 Rapid camera require dedicated film and take-up cartridges that are specific to the camera?

From the instruction manual, it appears this way, but I'm not entirely sure whether I can just use standard 135 cartridges and a generic take-up spool. Thank you!

In the 1930's Agfa made a 35mm camera called the Karat which used two special cassettes - the camera wound the film out of one cassette and into the other by a pushing action as the film advanced. Because of this pushing the length of film was limited. After the war the system was revived by Agfa and renamed the Rapid system, although the cassettes were basically the same. Other companies including Minolta made Rapid cameras using the same cassettes. So you can't use standard 35mm film cassettes in it, they are too big. You need two of the Karat or Rapid cassettes, and have to work out how to load a length of 35mm film into the feed cassette in total darkness.

 

I think the later cameras had a system of reading the film speed from a metal tab on the cassette. Hope this helps.

Thank you, John. This makes me reluctant to purchase the camera, as it sounds like a fiddly process!

It's a great little camera, Rajmohan, and there are usually empty canisters available on Ebay. If you have a darkroom, loading the canisters is a breeze; I just stick a couple of thumbtacks into the bench at the correct distance for the length of film required, and then (in the dark of course) I pull this length of film from the loader, cut it and then feed it into the rapid cassette. I usually trim off the corners of the end I insert, and the film just curls up on itself in the canister.

There's a thing I did on a couple of Rapid cameras here:

 

Rapid Firing

Rick - thank you for the comments. Total darkness is difficult to achieve at my place, and I like things to be simple. So I might pass on this little camera, and set my sights on a Tenax II instead!

RAPID CASSETTES

MINOLTA RAPID 24 with two Rapid cassettes

But if decide to get one you could use a changing bag to reload the rapid cassettes. Back in the day Agfa actually offered its Agfachrome slide film in factory loaded rapid cassettes.

Thanks, Mike. I'll let higher powers decide for me - if I manage to secure the camera, I'll use the helpful info from this thread! :)