Fitting 120 to a larger backing paper

Hello everyone, first post here, hoping I've found the right place.

I've a No3 Kodak that I've used with paper negatives, but fancy trying with 120 film on a 118 backing paper, and using a card mask to help with flatness. The closest I've done to this before is respooling onto 620 spools, so I'm hoping someone else has made all the mistakes first and I can learn from theirs instead of mine!

So... can anyone offer me helpful advice, please?

I have the backing paper, need to get some 120 as I'm out of it, and I am thinking that I might try using Rollei Ortho 25. This (a) scratches my itch to try ortho film in my winkly old cameras and (b) means that I can do the fitting to the paper by red safelight. Failing that, how do I get the film reasonably parallel to the edges of the paper, please?

BTW, this is the beastie concerned -must take a better photo!

No 3 Folding Pocket Kodak Model E-2 by gray1720, on Flickr

Many thanks,

Adrian

Wouldn't it be easier to respool the 120 onto the 118 spools? Not sure I'm understanding why you would want (or need) to replace the backing paper.

You may also want to read this thread: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Hi Kirk,

The 118 backing paper has the correct markings on it for the length of the frames, given how much larger the film gate is (something like 3 1/4" by 4 1/4" - you can almost fit a Canon G10 in it), and I don't need to cut extra holes in the back of my camera to see them. Besides, given how long it took to find an exposed roll of 118, I am using the paper if it kills me! Bloody-minded, moi... 'fraid so!

Adrian

Have you seen the Holgamods adapters?

I have, but I've got all the bits I need for doing it the other way, bar the film, already. They also don't solve the red window issue unless I mark up a 120 paper especially, and use it up one side of the film gate. Unless I am missing something here?

Adrian

I bought 122 adapters. Plan is to make new film gates to center the film. I'll run backing paper without back to find the number of turns and abandon red window. That's the theory. Not sure how well it will work.

I use a 130 box camera without film gates and it looks great. I did the same thing with a dead roll to guess turns. There number of reduces slightly as you go.


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Check this thread out as well: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

gray1720 said:

Hi Kirk,

The 118 backing paper has the correct markings on it for the length of the frames, given how much larger the film gate is (something like 3 1/4" by 4 1/4" - you can almost fit a Canon G10 in it), and I don't need to cut extra holes in the back of my camera to see them. Besides, given how long it took to find an exposed roll of 118, I am using the paper if it kills me! Bloody-minded, moi... 'fraid so!

Adrian

Click to expand...

Ahh... yes... that makes sense!

To align the film you might be able to create a cardboard tool/template that you would slide the paper through and would have parallel edges set the width of 120 film. tape down, roll up. presto.
I've purchased a roll of the ilford fp4 9cm from the ULF to use in my #3-they tell me it shipped yesterday. Keep an eye out in the Spring and order a roll if they do the ULF again.
Check out Jack London's work, he used a #3. As a Foreign Correspondent in Japan, He had it confiscated and local Japanese Photo Journalists pitched together and got it back for him.

That's a good idea, Greg. I'll look London up - I never knew he was a photographer as well.

Adrian