Kodak 620 film spools

[Alentejo]

Were can I find Kodak 620 film spools for a reasonable price?

 

[Rick A]

I have some, but I fear shipping to you would make them unaffordable.

 

[Dan Daniel]

Look for junky Brownies and other old Kodak box cameras. Many have 620 spools inside. The spools are worth more than the camera in most cases.

There is a place that is making new ones from plastic- Film >something< Project or something like that? They won't fit a Medalist, just a bit too thick.

I know that Voigtlander made cameras that would take both 620 and 120 so I guess there was some inroad of the Kodak size in Europe.

 

[summicron1]

Dan Daniel has the best advice -- every brownie box, ansco and even many agfa box cameras from the 50s used 620 and have at least one empty spool inside. Some have two along with a long-dead roll of film. Try the local antique shop.

if you lived in ogden, utah, I'd tell you to just come by and I'd give you a couple, but I suspect shipping to Germany would be price-prohibitive. If you are interested in paying that much -- I think it would be around $20 -- in the interest of making your life easier, give me a shout.

 

[Rick A]

Dan Daniel has the best advice -- every brownie box, ansco and even many agfa box cameras from the 50s used 620 and have at least one empty spool inside. Some have two along with a long-dead roll of film. Try the local antique shop.

if you lived in ogden, utah, I'd tell you to just come by and I'd give you a couple, but I suspect shipping to Germany would be price-prohibitive. If you are interested in paying that much -- I think it would be around $20 -- in the interest of making your life easier, give me a shout.

I looked it up at USPS, $40 for a flat rate envelope or small flat rate box.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

That auction site.

 

[donkee]

I have about 10 around here that I got in cameras, by watching fleabay for deals on spools and 620 film, and from classifieds on photo related websites.

 

[summicron1]

I looked it up at USPS, $40 for a flat rate envelope or small flat rate box.

Hmm. Seems more than I paid for a part to Switzerland last time, but whatever.

Scout around for those old box cameras, and next time you're in Ogden -- we have amazing scenery and Utah has 5 national parks -- give me a shout and I'll buy you a beer.

 

[ozphoto]

Dan's suggestion is how I got a number of spools, then I offloaded the cameras via Fleabay - one folder alone covered the cost of the spools.

 

[railwayman3]

FWIW, the UK Royal Mail has also become ridiculously expensive for most things, but I use Hermes parcel service regularly for UK packets, seems entirely reliable and also they offer a signed-for insured service. They also have an overseas service, which seems about half the price of Royal Mail, to Europe at least. (No connection, other than as a customer).
www.myhermes.co.uk/

 

[Rick A]

Here's what USPS charges from my zip code, I upcharge slightly to cover 3 1/3% Paypal fees because I never accept the "gift" option so customers have insurance that they get what they pay for.
https://postcalc.usps.com/Calculato...=False&dmil=False&mdt=7/10/2019&mdz=8:29&m=20

 

[thornhill]

Do you ever do mail order out of the US?
There are a couple of places that sell film in 620 rolls, B&H for instance.
If the postage is too expensive then put it together as part of a larger order. I do this all the time.

 

[MattKing]

Here's what USPS charges from my zip code, I upcharge slightly to cover 3 1/3% Paypal fees because I never accept the "gift" option so customers have insurance that they get what they pay for.
https://postcalc.usps.com/Calculator/MailServices?country=10137&ccode=DE&omil=False&dmil=False&mdt=7/10/2019&mdz=8:29&m=20

The flat rate options are often good value, but I'm guessing that normal parcel rates would be better for something like a minimum size parcel with something like 6 spools in it.
Canada Post would charge me $10.89 CDN to send a 250 gm, 10 x 10 x 6 cm parcel to Germany by "Small Packet - International Air".

 

[Rick A]

The flat rate options are often good value, but I'm guessing that normal parcel rates would be better for something like a minimum size parcel with something like 6 spools in it.
Canada Post would charge me $10.89 CDN to send a 250 gm, 10 x 10 x 6 cm parcel to Germany by "Small Packet - International Air".

I don't get those options on line, I would have to package the spools and walk the package into the post office to get any other deal.

 

[jvo]

also film photography project - they have them cheap. again postage may be an issue https://filmphotographystore.com/

 

[ozphoto]

The flat rate options are often good value, but I'm guessing that normal parcel rates would be better for something like a minimum size parcel with something like 6 spools in it.
Canada Post would charge me $10.89 CDN to send a 250 gm, 10 x 10 x 6 cm parcel to Germany by "Small Packet - International Air".

For the same package, I'd pay $AUD8.30/$CDN7.55 from my hometown of Adelaide to Sydney and $AUD11.55/$CDN10.55 Adelaide to New Zealand (our closest big neighbour) and a whopping $AUD21.20/$CDN19.30 to the UK!!!

Our postal "service" prices are outrageous: a 250g parcel costs the same as a 500g parcel!!!

 

[wahiba]

The difference is in the diameters of the end discs. Reduce the diameter by around 2mm, removing the bead around the edge works. Fuji films with their thinner base are probably the best to reroll, but I suspect if you keep it tight it will work with others. I bought some 620 films and discovered they were 120 spools with the end discs turned down. It was Fuji film and there were no problems, it was not a con.

Practically though they cannot be too difficult to make as the first spools had wooden centres so a bit of dowel and end discs from a 120 would be a start point.

If you have one 620 spool in the camera reducing the diameter of the 120 ends with the film on should be possible. Usual caveats about using sharp objects to cut plastic though.

 

[Dan Daniel]

also film photography project - they have them cheap. again postage may be an issue https://filmphotographystore.com/

These won't fit a Kodak Medalist. The FPP people know this. The plastic end flanges are a bit thicker than the original 620 metal spools leading to the overall length being too much to fit into the Medalist's feed side. They will work as take-up spools. Many 620 film cameras have a little more room in the spool opening so the FPP spools work in most cases. But not all.

The difference is in the diameters of the end discs.

Well, diameter isn't the only difference. Overall length is also different by about 2mm. Again, on most cameras this will not be a problem but there are cameras that won't accommodate this extra length.

 

[MattKing]

The difference is in the diameters of the end discs.

That, the overall length, and the size and shape of the holes in the end that the camera's winding system and film holding system engage with.
For some cameras, the difference in the holes doesn't matter on the feed side, but it does matter on the take-up side.

 

[wahiba]

When I tried it it was to use a post WW2 Brownie Box and a Junior Folder. 120 reels worked fine, However for older cameras their might be problems. As for width I always thought it was diameters that changed, film width being the same as 120.

 

[MattKing]

As for width I always thought it was diameters that changed, film width being the same as 120.

The film is the same width. The ends of the 120 spools themselves are thicker, thus making the spools ever so slightly longer.

 

[Dan Daniel]

As for width I always thought it was diameters that changed, film width being the same as 120.

You are right, film width is the same, and diameter is smaller. But, and this is one of the most variable issues in camera fit, the thickness of the end plates is different. On 120 spools, the end plates are ~1.5mm. You'll find this on plastic reels, and on older metal spools they pressed the metal to form ridges to get the correct thickness. One 620 spools the end plates are ~0.4mm thick, made from thin spring steel.

So, 120 spools are a touch over 2mm longer than 620 spools. All in the thickness of the end plates outside of the actual film and paper width.

This is how the Film Photography Project plastic 620 spools have slight problems. Because of the plastic material, I imagine molding issues as well as structural concerns, the end plates are ~1mm thick instead of 0.4mm thick.

Again, many cameras are sloppy enough or this to not be an issue. On the Medalist, the take-up side has a tab and hard surface at one one, and a spring steel tab at the other end. So the extra length of the FPP spools can be accommodated by the spring. But on the feed side, there is a roller mechanism that holds the spool edges. This is not flexible and is designed to hold the original 620 spools. The FPP spools will not fit in this roller mechanism.

 

[Alentejo]

Thank You all, Gentlemen. I learned a lot of Your comments. So, there is only one good solution, I have to get some metal 620 spools.
I was offered some.

 

[ozphoto]

When I tried it it was to use a post WW2 Brownie Box and a Junior Folder. 120 reels worked fine, However for older cameras their might be problems. As for width I always thought it was diameters that changed, film width being the same as 120.

I have a Kodak 620 Junior and have never been able to use a modified120 reels in it - they just refuse to fit. Now I simply grab cheap 620 cameras and remove the spools for my own use, selling the cameras on to anyone who wants them.

 

[John51]

ime, you don't need that many 620 spools, 2 is the minimum. Every extra spool after that is for the convenience of having more rolls to hand. 4 would be enough for me, perhaps I should sell the extras.