120 Film in 220 back?

[PhotoTyler]

Hey, I have a bronica etrs, with a 220 back. The 220 film is so expensive, and i hardly ever have 10-12 dolalrs at a time to buy film, so i was wondering if 120 film would fit in my 220 back? If it can, is there any special technique you have to use to do it?


Thanks a lot

Tyler

 

[Dave Parker]

RE: 120 in a 220

Normally the pressure plate is different due to the different thickness of the film and due to the fact that 120 has a paper backing and 220 does not have a paper backing, 120 will have a tendancy to jam in a 220 back.

I have found a cheap source of 220 on ebay, I purchase quite a bit of 220 film on ebay for really good prices and have never had a problem with any of it.

Good shooting.

Dave Parker
Ground Glass Specialties
Satin Snow(TM) Ground Glass
www.satinsnowglass.com

 

[paul ron]

There is no reason you can't use 120 in a 220 back. The thing wiht the preasure plates is a load of nonsence. The plate is floating on springs and so are the rollers. The film plane is in the exact same place as it is for 220.

You'll notice you will be using twice as much film now with 120 as it is half of a 220 roll.

Oh don't forget you have only 15 shots now and can stop there.

 

[Dave Parker]

Nonesense...

Okay, I have only been taking pictures for about 20 years now, but I guess there are those who feel the 120/220 situation is still nonsense, most of the time, unless you have a Russian Camera that has extremely loose tolerances, you will jam the camera or the back when you try to shoot 120 in a 220 back.

But please don't take my word for it, give it a try a few times and see what your experiance shows you..


Awe the wonders of cyberspace.

Dave Parker
Ground Glass Specialties
Satin Snow(TM) Ground Glass.
www.satinsnowglass.com

 

[PhotoTyler]

Okay, i'm going to try it. Plus, there was no color 220 film at the store, so this will be good since i can actually get B/W. This won't hurt my camera or anything by chance, will it?

 

[glbeas]

In this situation you should wind the film carefully and watch for excessive drag just in case. I would think the Bronica back should be able to handle the extra thickness, as the joining of the paper and 220 film is a triple thickness of paper, tape and film. Still, you would be better off finding a 120 insert for your back so you don't have to watch out for running out of film and shooting blanks inadvertantly.

 

[paul ron]

AND???

So did it work or not???

 

[bmac]

Okay, I have only been taking pictures for about 20 years now, but I guess there are those who feel the 120/220 situation is still nonsense, most of the time, unless you have a Russian Camera that has extremely loose tolerances, you will jam the camera or the back when you try to shoot 120 in a 220 back.

But please don't take my word for it, give it a try a few times and see what your experiance shows you..

I'm with Dave on this one. I used 120 in a 220 mamiya RB back several times, and then... kerplat! It jammed and broke. Mamiya fixed it for $120 (this was in 2000). Not worth it if you ask me.

 

[paul ron]

I have done it plenty of times in an RB back nad never had all the problems everyone says they had. I also repair RBs adn have never yet seen a single back damaged because it ran 120 in a 220 back. The rollers and preasure plate are spring loaded and will compensate for the thickness.

When you start the roll of 220 do you have any trouble winding? When you end a roll of 220 do you have any trouble winding? Both these ends are paper backed.

 

[Dave Parker]

Well Paul ron,

I would have to say you have been lucky, I am a parts manufacture as well as a repair person and have seen many backs have problems unless they were used with the film designed for them, if you look carefully at the 220 and the 120 backs, you will find the spring tension on the backs are different, in fact the part numbers are different for the respective springs, in my opinion an it is just that, it is not worth the risk to damage a back, of course I could tell him no problem and then I would be in the running to do a repair if damage occured.

Just my .02 cents.

Dave Parker
Satin Snow(TM) Ground Glass

 

[paul ron]

Is this what you are talking about?

I have the RB67 Pro-S Mamiya repair manual in front of me and the only parts difference between the 120 vs 220 backs that are different are part #s aRSH6493 vs bRSH6993 / aRSH6484K3 vs bRSH6984K3 / aRHS6491 vs bRSH6991. Do see where they are in the exloded views? How does this influence the 120 vs 220?

 

[Dave Parker]

Paul ron, this is not an aurgument, I have my experiance and you have yours. that all, I have worked on pleanty of them that have had problems.

It was something I was taught in school when learning and have experianced it over the years, if you have not, that is fine.

Dave Parker
Satin Snow(TM) Ground Glass

 

[Melanie]

HI
Dose that go for any camera, I have a KIOWA 6 and over the weekend shot two rolls of 120 as 220, it did not feel any deferent from start to finish then 120 film. the KIOWA dose not have a changable back,only a pressure plate would that make any deferents.
thanks

 

[Dave Parker]

The Kiowa 6 has a back designed to use either type film as does many different medium format cameras, On my Bronica S series film backs, I have to flip a switch which changes the pressure plate tension to allow either type of film.

Dave Parker
Satin Snow(TM) Ground Glass