diff --git a/src/main/java/net/imglib2/blocks/PrimitiveBlocksUtils.java b/src/main/java/net/imglib2/blocks/PrimitiveBlocksUtils.java
index 117e9c2dc..51fec5cd9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/imglib2/blocks/PrimitiveBlocksUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/imglib2/blocks/PrimitiveBlocksUtils.java
@@ -35,15 +35,11 @@
 
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.function.Supplier;
-import net.imglib2.Interval;
-import net.imglib2.Point;
-import net.imglib2.RandomAccessible;
 import net.imglib2.img.array.ArrayImg;
 import net.imglib2.img.array.ArrayImgFactory;
 import net.imglib2.img.basictypeaccess.array.ArrayDataAccess;
 import net.imglib2.transform.integer.MixedTransform;
 import net.imglib2.type.NativeType;
-import net.imglib2.type.Type;
 import net.imglib2.util.CloseableThreadLocal;
 
 class PrimitiveBlocksUtils
@@ -86,15 +82,6 @@ static < T extends NativeType< T > > Object extractOobValue( final T type, final
 			return null;
 	}
 
-	// TODO replace with ra.getType() when that is available in imglib2 core
-	static < T extends Type< T > > T getType( RandomAccessible< T > ra )
-	{
-		final Point p = new Point( ra.numDimensions() );
-		if ( ra instanceof Interval )
-			( ( Interval ) ra ).min( p );
-		return ra.getAt( p ).createVariable();
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Computes the inverse of (@code transform}. The {@code MixedTransform
 	 * transform} is a pure axis permutation followed by inversion of some axes,
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/imglib2/blocks/ViewAnalyzer.java b/src/main/java/net/imglib2/blocks/ViewAnalyzer.java
index 10cbb8019..802a47aba 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/imglib2/blocks/ViewAnalyzer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/imglib2/blocks/ViewAnalyzer.java
@@ -54,13 +54,12 @@
 import net.imglib2.transform.integer.MixedTransform;
 import net.imglib2.type.NativeType;
 import net.imglib2.type.Type;
+import net.imglib2.util.Cast;
 import net.imglib2.util.Intervals;
 import net.imglib2.view.ExtendedRandomAccessibleInterval;
 import net.imglib2.view.IntervalView;
 import net.imglib2.view.MixedTransformView;
 
-import static net.imglib2.blocks.PrimitiveBlocksUtils.getType;
-
 class ViewAnalyzer
 {
 	/**
@@ -90,7 +89,7 @@ private ViewAnalyzer( final RandomAccessible< ? > ra )
 	 */
 	private < T extends Type< T > > boolean checkViewTypeSupported()
 	{
-		final T type = getType( ( RandomAccessible< T > ) ra );
+		final T type = Cast.unchecked( ra.getType() );
 		if ( type instanceof NativeType
 				&& ( ( NativeType ) type ).getEntitiesPerPixel().getRatio() == 1 )
 		{
@@ -589,16 +588,16 @@ private boolean splitTransform()
 
 	private < T extends NativeType< T >, R extends NativeType< R > > ViewProperties< T, R > getViewProperties()
 	{
-		final T viewType = getType( ( RandomAccessible< T > ) ra );
-		final NativeImg< R, ? > root = ( NativeImg< R, ? > ) nodes.get( nodes.size() - 1 ).view();
+		final T viewType = Cast.unchecked( ra.getType() );
+		final NativeImg< R, ? > root = Cast.unchecked( nodes.get( nodes.size() - 1 ).view() );
 		final R rootType = root.createLinkedType();
 		return new ViewProperties<>( viewType, root, rootType, oobExtension, transform, permuteInvertTransform, converterSupplier );
 	}
 
 	private < T extends NativeType< T > > FallbackProperties< T > getFallbackProperties()
 	{
-		final RandomAccessible< T > view = ( RandomAccessible< T > ) ra;
-		return new FallbackProperties<>( getType( view ), view );
+		final RandomAccessible< T > view = Cast.unchecked( ra );
+		return new FallbackProperties<>( view.getType(), view );
 	}
 
 	public static < T extends NativeType< T >, R extends NativeType< R > > ViewPropertiesOrError< T, R > getViewProperties( RandomAccessible< T > view )