620 Format

I have been looking around online at some old films, and noticed that a lot of them are 620 format. I know that it is similar to 120 format, though 120 films will not fit in 620 cameras. Will 620 roll film fit in a 120 camera; what's the difference??

Same film different spool. Some cameras might use both but unless you have a 620 camera no reason to look at 620 film.

Excellent; so it can be respooled.

I want to play with some old film, and much of it (i.e. Kodacolor X) is in 620 format. So if I were to get it, it would be 620. So respooling in a darkroom will be needed. No big deal, though.

Check out this site for photos and instructions on respooling:
http://www.bpwltd.com/620120.html.

I think Kodak stoped making 620 in the late 70s or early 80s. If you find any Kodacolor make sure that it is C41 and not C22. C22 runs at 75 degrees not the current 100 degrees (I forget the current temp, but is much higher than the old C22). You may find old C22 kits on E bay.

seems to me I was still buying some sort of 620 film in the late 80s, though I wasnt exposing it. My first roll film back, an old hand me down from my dad, could be used with 120 film but needed 620 take up spools.

J&C Photo lists both B&W ($5/roll) and color films ($6.50+/roll) in 620 size.

I'm sorry if this sounds like an advertisement, but I have no affiliation with J&C - not even as a customer.

Dan

I'm aware of the C22 vs. C41 difference, and was not planning on ever machine-processing the film (due to age, and lack of quality of labs). It would be processed by me at home, probably in B&W Chemistry of modified C41 or RA4.

The J&C film listed as 620 is "resized" -- 120 film that has had the spool flanges trimmed to the diameter of 620, and thinned to bring the roll down to 620 spool length as well. It will work for supply in nearly all 620 cameras, but for takeup only in a few (because the drive key in most 620 cameras is too small to engage a 120 spool).

However, htmlguru was (strangely) talking about using 620 film in a 120 camera. Generally, 620 won't fit in the supply of a 120 camera if it uses pivots in the spool center holes (the pivots won't enter the much smaller spindle holes of 620), but will if it just has a "well" you drop the roll into; 620 works for takeup in 120 cameras only if they were specifically designed to use both, of which only half a dozen models exist AFAIK.

BTW, hmtlguru, whatever you do, hold onto the 620 spools -- they're worth anything up to $10 each on eBay; you could finance your whole expriment reselling the spools!

120 format will work in some 620 cameras provided that the supply well is large enough. I have used J&C classic 100 in a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye. The flanges on the classic film spool are very thin although the diameter is the same as other 120 films. But this film will not work in a Kodak Tourist camera. In other words it all depends on the camera.

It's not so easy to respool 120 or 620 IIRC. The film is only fastened to the backing on the leading edge. I think you may have to waste one just to figire out how to do it.

gainer said:

It's not so easy to respool 120 or 620 IIRC. The film is only fastened to the backing on the leading edge. I think you may have to waste one just to figire out how to do it.

Click to expand...

I've respooled 120 film (to 620) that was only taped at leading edge. I taped the trailing edge, put on 620 spool (there is inevitably a "bubble" of film), and when I reach the end, I undo then redo the leading edge. End result is that my film has shifted 1/4" or so toward the leading edge, but I haven't found that to be a problem.

The *very first time* I respooled, I did it successfully, in a dark bag, without any problem other than having to lift and retape the leading end of the film. I've only done it a half dozen times since, but it's never been any harder than that.

Perhaps I'm unusual -- I used to (before getting my darkroom set up) routinely measure and cut 21 inch lengths of very limp thin-base microfilm to load Minolta 16 cassettes, in my dark bag. What I haven't tried yet is putting fresh film onto the backing paper of a roll film, but I have some 828 spools and one roll of backing, and a Bantam RF that I want to use sometime...

620 film is the same size and has the same markings on the backing paper as 120, but it has a different spool. There a a couple of specialty firms that respool 120 film onto 620 spools. The result is expensive, but you get good, fresh film that fits your old camera. You can also (with considerabe dexterity and some luck) do the respooling operation yourself. The resized spools that J&C offer seem to work in most 620 cameras (I've tried them successfully in a Kodak Medalist II), but they have some disadvantages. The worst is edge fogging. The flanges do not have the overhang that a true 620 spool has, and light can get to the edges of the film if you are not careful. Load and unload in quite subdued light or in the dark, and keep the rolls out of bright light. The spools are also pretty fragile after being machined to 620 size. They seem to be OK for the original feed and maybe for one use as a takeup spool, but don't expect them to last. The final problem is the lack of popular films in the J&C inventory. This isn't really too bad, as what they offer is acceptable.

gainer said:

It's not so easy to respool 120 or 620 IIRC. The film is only fastened to the backing on the leading edge. I think you may have to waste one just to figire out how to do it.

Click to expand...

The first one can be tricky, but after that you can do them in 2-3 minutes each. If you don't do it tightly, you'll end up with a bulge where the film is taped to the backing, and you might have to remove and re-tape, which can be a challenge in the dark. This problem can be magnified because the 620 spools have a smaller core diameter than the 120's. It helps if you wind the film from the 120 spool onto a 620, and then back onto a second 620, instead of using a 120 as the intermediate.