120 and 620 Film

Another trick, as the spools (120/620) are different diameters; take the 120 spool, remove some and feed it into the 620 spool, then reverse by reeling the first 620 onto a 620 spool. This keeps the film from binding where it is taped to the backing..
 
That trick really works. You can even move it 120 to 120 then to 620. the "bind" (which i call 'bulge') is minimal and can be remedied by lifting the tape and retaping.
 
The Infidel Dog

The Infidel Dog

CleverName said:
I've got a 620 TLR, a "Marvel-Flex" and found a few ways get spools. A 120 spool will work for the supply spool, but I need a 620 for the take up spool. I've bought a few rolls of way outdated film on eBay (outdated, like 1953). I went to my special dark place and rewound them onto 120 spools, just in case I ever wanted to use them. Also you can go garage sales or flea markets and buy old 620 cameras, many of them are really crappy cameras but some still have spools in them.
If you can get an old roll of film or old camera for a coupla bucks, it's not a bad deal.

I just tell the people at the lab to save my spools, they haven't lost one yet.
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What Lab do you use to develop your film?
 
The Infidel Dog

The Infidel Dog

Gene, You are right. Kodak made much ado about nothing and created some very odball things. I use my digital for school but only once in a while. For me there is still some nostalgia or love of something to grab a yashica C model or maybe even a Ricohflex tlr and try for some "vintage" photography. Just can't help it. Must be 120 Fever. Now if we could just get rid of all those power lines blocking the skyline and replace all the new cars with 1940 and 1950 models, we would have the perfect photograph...... sigh :eek:
 
bmattock said:
What you want is a Rollex 20 folding camera. It was a piece of junk from US Camera Company, but it had two very important features. First, it had knobs on both ends - you can turn the film in either direction. Most folding cameras had a knob on only one side - since you don't rewind roll film. Second, you can load 120 or 620 film in it - this camera will digest either one with no mods.

Put your 120 in one side, and roll it onto a 120 reel. Of course, you don't take any photos, you just wind.

Then, open the back and put a 620 reel where the 120 fresh roll was before. Close the back and rewind the film by rolling the other way.

You now have a roll of 120 on a 620 reel. Take your photos with your 620 camera.

If you have film processed, get the reel back, they're a bit scarce. If you do your own B&W, no biggie.

How do you get 620 reels? Buy a couple of 620 el cheapo cameras on eBoy. They usually have one in them. You can always ask to be sure.

Here's a link to a Rollex 20:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Rollex-20-Foldi...ryZ11717QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Also, there are a few other differences between 620 and 120 roll film besides the width. If you look closely, the 120 is slightly taller than the 620 reel. Film spacing can be a slight issue as well, but usually not enough to matter.

I've tried to modify (with a Dremel) a couple of 620 cameras to take 120 - with varying success, mostly of the no-freaking-way variety. Better to reload 120 onto 620 spools, I think.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks
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Great Article Bill. You were a big help to me. Thanks
 
TheIndifelDog said:
Gene, You are right. Kodak made much ado about nothing and created some very odball things. ...
Click to expand...

Actually many manufacturers introduced cameras that used only their proprietary film format. It was very common in the '20s and 30's and continued for a while after WWII. Its just that few remember all of them as few other that the 2000lb gorilla (read: Kodak) survived.

As to 828, this first version of Kodak's idea never saw great success, but the second updated version was a major success for Kodak and dominated the low-end photo marked for decade. This second version is 126; still 35mm w/ one sprocket per frame but with the addition of being wrapped in a plastic cartridge with pre-threaded film.
 
I have 4 or 5 620 spools so I just respool them when needed...unfortunately the cameras I have that take it don't produce images worth doing this for...
 
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