anyone have Kodak Medalist 120 conversion?

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rgraphex

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Anyone have Kodak Medalist 120 conversion? I would like to see some photos of the film chamber if anyone has converted their Medalist.

I can see the spring roller on the film side would get in the way of the 120 spool. I think it would have to be wider and maybe moved.
 
I had mine done professionally by Ken Ruth from Bald Mountain (both chambers), but he is no longer working -- I'll try to get a photo out in the next couple of days...
 
I'm having problems getting these images into this thread -- if you ping me, we could arrange for me to email them to you...
 
rgraphex said:
I can see the spring roller on the film side would get in the way of the 120 spool. I think it would have to be wider and maybe moved.
Click to expand...

Yeah, a trimmed down 120 spool will fit (barely) on the feed side. The edges of the spool need to be trimmed smooth though, any snags can cause the spool to jam when winding.

Converting to 120 for the take-up side will involve quite a bit more work though, including machining a larger 'winding key'.
 
If you are "all in" on the darkroom experience, re-rolling film on to 620 spools is not that hard. Maybe two minutes of work when you get the hang of it.
 
If we could get back to the OP. What I think folks are looking for here are pictures of the inside of a Medalist or Medalist II that shows what actually was removed from the camera body during the conversion to use 120 film instead of 620 film.

Thanks.

Best,
-Tim
 
Me three.....THANK YOU!!!

I'm beginning to think respooling onto 620 might be the way to go. But then I need to think about if I want to stick with just B&W. That I can do at home, slides or color print I would send it and have to respool two more times (to get it on to a 120 reel going the right way).

I now know where Apple learned to lock people in from, EASTMAN KODAK in middle of the last century. UGH.

B2 (;->
 
I was a little confused by that as well. I have talked with him in the past, and I thought he described doing the conversions in his machine shop. But those images really do look like the conversion was done with a dremel.

Best,
-Tim
 
mbisc said:
It is all pretty subtle -- have a look here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nbg90455/albums/72157634579061107 - should be the last 4 images at the bottom of the page. My camera takes normal 120 spools on both sides.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the photos!

I'm with others- that looks like Dremel work. I always assumed that Ken would strip the camera down to its central core and bore out the spool chamber on a mill.

The spool tab on the wind lever has been modified for the larger 120 spool slot. Welded, I assume.

The film measuring/metering is driven off of the thin silver rod with teeth on the uptake side of the film chamber. Despite what some say about the need to modifiy the wind system for the 120 spool and film- nope.
 
Dan Daniel said:
Thank you for the photos!

I'm with others- that looks like Dremel work. I always assumed that Ken would strip the camera down to its central core and bore out the spool chamber on a mill.

The spool tab on the wind lever has been modified for the larger 120 spool slot. Welded, I assume.

The film measuring/metering is driven off of the thin silver rod with teeth on the uptake side of the film chamber. Despite what some say about the need to modifiy the wind system for the 120 spool and film- nope.
Click to expand...

Yes, looks like that to me too.

And yes, here's a picture of the film transport interlocks ;) . After all, how could the system registration work otherwise, when the film diameter on the take-up spool varies anyway.

Kodak Medalist film transport interlocks by John Hancock, on Flickr
 
It's all a moot point now since Ken R. is no longer doing this kind of work, but as a very satisfied previous customer, I don't really care "how" he did the conversion to 120 film. They worked flawlessly and I would personally would never take a power tool (even a Dremel) to such a fine piece of photographic equipment. As far as cost is concerned, it is all a matter of (perceived) cost vs. (perceived) benefit, and for me personally that equation was satisfied. I should also point out that his conversions included a full calibration/overhaul of the rangefinder and a datasheet (and adjustments) of the shutter...

As a side note, re-rolling 120 film onto 620 spools stinks IMHO - maybe I'm not crafty enough, but I always had problems with light leaks afterwards because the film and backing paper weren't totally tight...

But, YMMV...
 
I have run into the same problems Mike, as far as re-rolling 120 onto 620 spools. Light leaks around the edges of the backing paper. Since I only shoot B&W in my Medalist II, and process my own film, converting just the feed side of the camera is the way I'd go.

A project for when life slows a bit.

Best,
-Tim
 
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