620 film options?

JensH · 2025-10-10T00:50:23-0400

Greg_E2 said:
I'd really like to find another finder hood to either swap or use for parts, I need a couple brass rivets and one of the sliding/folding arms is in bad shape. I can probably make the rivets with brass wire and a small hammer and punches.

Good plan. The finder is the weakest part of this great camera. It's fragile, but works better then the later Standard or first Automats when using it's loupe because it keeps ambient light out of the screen well...
One of the cameras I got for parts even has most parts replaced by selfmade components. It came from Romania with an exposed film from the 1970's in it...

JPD · 2025-10-10T11:04:28-0400

John Wiegerink said:
I would imagine it was made for 117 film size, but I almost bet that a 620 spool would work. Shouldn't be that hard to clean up. Buy a replacement mirror and focusing screen off the Bay and give it a go.

The winding key is too large for a 620-spool. That's why some of these cameras were modified.

John Wiegerink · 2025-10-10T14:37:23-0400

JPD said:
The winding key is too large for a 620-spool. That's why some of these cameras were modified.

Got it! Is it possible to alter the wind key?

Donald Qualls · 2025-10-10T15:20:26-0400

John Wiegerink said:
Got it! Is it possible to alter the wind key?

Going from a 120-size to 620-size winding key is surely possible, but it would require pulling the winding shaft out of the camera body. Where 117 fell between those two extremes I don't know, but it's surely either longer or wider than the 620 drive blade.

JensH · 2025-10-10T17:09:13-0400

Donald Qualls said:
Going from a 120-size to 620-size winding key is surely possible, but it would require pulling the winding shaft out of the camera body.

With the Rolleiflex Original I avoid getting the shaft out...
It is a fiddely game to get it back again because of the roller free-wheel construction with many tiny springs holding the rolls in place.
Don't ask how I know. ;-)

Jens

John Wiegerink · 2025-10-10T19:45:51-0400

JensH said:
With the Rolleiflex Original I avoid getting the shaft out...
It is a fiddely game to get it back again because of the roller free-wheel construction with many tiny springs holding the rolls in place.
Don't ask how I know. ;-)

Jens

Yes, I think I know what you're talking about. I ran into that on an old Rolleicord I stripped down to CLA. There were three tiny springs and three tiny steel barrels that act as a brake to stop the wind shaft from rolling backwards. Duh, don't ask me how I know either, but finally got it going after more than a few tries.

620 film options?

JensH

JPD

John Wiegerink

Donald Qualls

JensH

John Wiegerink

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