Inspired by Crtm

[moomike]

Thanks to Carol, I have dug around in my attic & found my grandads old box brownie & am intending to have my first proper foray into film photography (aside from a film that was shot on my dads OM10 & he scared the living daylights out of me & I've not really picked one up since) I just have a quick question regarding the films I can use.

The inside of the case states that Kodak 620 films should be used but after some research I have found that I should be able to respool 120 film and use that instead - is that the suggested way to go based upon availability & cost?
Also, I had a look on ebay for the empty spools - they work out at £8-10 each - does that sound about right or am I better off buying a couple of films & just keeping the spools after I've used them?

Cheers in advance for any help anyone can offer - feels like all those years ago when I started learning the digital side of things & didn't have a clue

 

[trevorbray]

Thanks to Carol, I have dug around in my attic & found my grandads old box brownie & am intending to have my first proper foray into film photography (aside from a film that was shot on my dads OM10 & he scared the living daylights out of me & I've not really picked one up since) I just have a quick question regarding the films I can use.

The inside of the case states that Kodak 620 films should be used but after some research I have found that I should be able to respool 120 film and use that instead - is that the suggested way to go based upon availability & cost?
Also, I had a look on ebay for the empty spools - they work out at £8-10 each - does that sound about right or am I better off buying a couple of films & just keeping the spools after I've used them?

Cheers in advance for any help anyone can offer - feels like all those years ago when I started learning the digital side of things & didn't have a clue

I've had a bit of success with using a roll of 120 as long as the receiving spool is from a 620. Just ask the lab to return it when you send it for processing.

 

[XA2inmypocket]

I look out for old obviously broken 620 Brownies in car boots - I've bought a few with an empty 620 spindle in - but wont pay more than a quid. I look for them just for the cheap spindles. I also found a broken 620 in a bin at a scrap yard, and recycled the empty spindle. My top tip - ALWAYS look in old cameras for found film, or in 620 cameras for spindles. Cheap as chips. The sellers are sometimes surprised to see someone that can open them. If they refuse your price, ask them if they'll sell the spindle out of it for 50p, or let them knock you up if you're feeling generous.

I re-roll 120 film onto a 620 spindle. Once you've got the knack, it only takes five minutes - even in a film changing bag. I've shot several films in Brownies over the past few years.

I practiced outside the bag first - but it goes like this:

1. I place a new 120 film, and a 620 spindle in my film changing bag (a dark room would be easier).
2. I roll the film off the 120 spindle - with care - and feeling for the start of the film - making sure that it rolls WITH the backing paper. I use to roll it onto a spindle, but now, I just roll it loose. Just make sure that you don't miss the start of the film, or it'll roll out of the paper.
3. I then roll it backwards, fairly firmly (not too tight as it can damage the emulsion) onto the 620 spindle (threading through the wide slot side of the spindle). Make sure the film rolls correctly in the paper. As you firmly roll it on - you'll feel a bulge of loose film start to grow as you feed it onto the spindle - just feel for it and don't worry - next step.
4. Feel the film start to bulge out from the paper as you firmly roll it on. Then you reach the taped end of the film to the backing paper. Carefully lift the tape, and release the slackness out of the film - press the tape flat again. Complete rolling the film on, and tape down. You now have a brand new roll of 620 film. It lives again. Load it into your box or Brownie 620 camera.
5. As Trevor said - don't lose that 620 spindle. If you have a third party develop - then make it clear and leave a note to return the spindle.

There are alternatives. Some people manage to modify their cameras to accept 120 rolls. I see it as a bit too much like vandalism.

My favourite box camera above with a 620 spindle to the left of a 120 spindle, before rolling with Foma film.

 

[joxby]

K...well, unless you want to shoot your Grandads actual camera as your first foray in to film photography, and a lot of people do....keep it in the family sorta thing, I'd buy a film camera that didn't present so many hoops to jump through before I got to the nuts and bolts of it.
Unless you feel some affinity with the camera, re-spooling 120 on to a £10 620 spool you don't have seems like an overly challenging beginning when film stuffs are so cheap.
Still, I know where you're coming from, I take the tough route in most things.....if there is one..

 

[donut]

i use the film straight from the 120 spool , after giving it a few mods ,as ive only got one 620 empty .
dont forget you'll need two 620 spools if you're going to re-wind

 

[excalibur2]

K...well, unless you want to shoot your Grandads actual camera as your first foray in to film photography, and a lot of people do....keep it in the family sorta thing, I'd buy a film camera that didn't present so many hoops to jump through before I got to the nuts and bolts of it.
Unless you feel some affinity with the camera, re-spooling 120 on to a £10 620 spool you don't have seems like an overly challenging beginning when film stuffs are so cheap.
Still, I know where you're coming from, I take the tough route in most things.....if there is one..

Well I would agree with 35mm compacts going from 50p-£5 or MT3 with lens under a tenner, but I would guess Mike takes all his shots with a digi camera and just wants to play with the Kodak.

 

[The Matt]

I've always just trimmed the edge of my 120 spools with scissors and filed the edges down. Just need a 620 spool for a take up. The 120 spool is a bit snug so it maybe wouldn't work with all cameras.

 

[XA2inmypocket]

I've always just trimmed the edge of my 120 spools with scissors and filed the edges down. Just need a 620 spool for a take up. The 120 spool is a bit snug so it maybe wouldn't work with all cameras.

That's the third technique that I couldn't remember. I believe that you may also need to stick a little paper sometimes in the spindle ends as 120 are larger.

I've had a bit of success with using a roll of 120 as long as the receiving spool is from a 620. Just ask the lab to return it when you send it for processing.

It may work in some cameras, but a 120 may not fit in the supply end. In that case, you need to either 1) get hold of two 620 spindles and roll 120 onto one, 2) use Matt's technique - trim 120 spools, maybe buffer the spindle ends, or 3) works on some plastic Brownies - vandalise the camera to accept 120 rolls.

By the way, 620 spindles are not only thinner - but the holes either end are a smaller and different shape. Kodak claimed that the 620 was an improvement on the 120 (which Kodak invented 109 years ago) - but it seems more likely that they were trying to make consumers use Kodak film in their cameras, once so many manufacturers started making 120. The paper backings are numbered the same, so you should see an exposure number in the red window once loaded.

Another Brownie shot that I took below - this one taken not in a box Brownie, but a plastic TLR Brownie, a Kodak Reflex 20:

 

[XA2inmypocket]

K...well, unless you want to shoot your Grandads actual camera as your first foray in to film photography, and a lot of people do....keep it in the family sorta thing, I'd buy a film camera that didn't present so many hoops to jump through before I got to the nuts and bolts of it.
Unless you feel some affinity with the camera, re-spooling 120 on to a £10 620 spool you don't have seems like an overly challenging beginning when film stuffs are so cheap.
Still, I know where you're coming from, I take the tough route in most things.....if there is one..

I started respooling 120 pretty soon after returning to film. It quickly progressed to developing my own film. If you make a dark room or buy a film changing bag - then learn one end of a 120 film from another - practicing first with a spoiled film in daylight, then it is an easy progression to spooling a used film into a developing tank. Then the magic of home developed b/w film really hits and infects you. The other thing I'd suggest, is that using a box camera or pinhole camera is something that many photographers should try. A back to basics lesson of what a camera obscura really is.

 

[moomike]

Quick thanks to everyone for the help & advice, very much appreciated Have been too manic with work to get 2 minutes to myself but will be having a good look into this over the next few days & am ordering a few films to get me started. Cheers again.

 

[XA2inmypocket]

Quick thanks to everyone for the help & advice, very much appreciated Have been too manic with work to get 2 minutes to myself but will be having a good look into this over the next few days & am ordering a few films to get me started. Cheers again.

See it as a medium term project and do try to seek out a few spindles at car boots - or look up how to trim a 120 to fit. It is fun. Shame is that you only get 7 or 8 exposures on a film if it's a box without a smaller mask. It really helps if you can get hold of a spoiled roll of film to handle and get to know.

 

[wickerman]

Have you tried it with a standard 120 spool. My Brownie Hawkeye Flash is supposed to take 620 film but a 120 film and 120 take-up spool just fit.