Looking for a 120 Film Box Camera

ciniframe · Oct 6, 2021

focus_on_infinity said:
I don't do much 35mm. My consumption this year is mostly 4x5, and then 120, and then 35mm. Aside from 36exp just taking too long for me to finish a role, I like the tangibility of big negatives. I can't really see a 35mm negative. It's just too small. 6x9 seems like an appealing format.

Think 36x is hard? I also shoot Olympus Pen half frame, try 72-75x! In truth though, if I’ve racked off 10-15 exposures and don’t want to wait then I just go into the darkroom, remove the exposed film and push it onto a plastic reel that has the ball bearings removed, and reload the remaining roll. Since only using 5ml of HC110 syrup it’s still cheap.

Donald Qualls · Oct 7, 2021

Pioneer said:
Either way it just amazes me that these old camera just continue to work.

Aside from destruction of the box itself or film advance knob/bendix/ratchet, pretty much the only thing that will stop these old rotary shutters is either enough rust on the steel parts to lock the pivot or prevent sliding, or a broken or displaced mainspring.

Donald Qualls · Oct 7, 2021

ciniframe said:
I also shoot Olympus Pen half frame, try 72-75x!

And if you bulk load, that figure might run to 80-85 -- and still fit on a Paterson developing reel.

BradS · Oct 7, 2021

I keep thinking, "Why make a camera out of a 120 film box?"

jay moussy · Oct 7, 2021

The Brownie Hawkeye is an easy choice, 6x6 only, mods for 12 as indicated above, but folks seem to like seeing them in the wild!
Ansco Shur Shot is a straight 120, but maybe not very exciting?
I got great pictures with a Brownie Six-16, and adapting the 120 supply is easy.

Is the OP going to develop his own? Some 120 adaptations may require a darkroom/changing bag.

focus_on_infinity · Oct 7, 2021

ciniframe said:
Think 36x is hard? I also shoot Olympus Pen half frame, try 72-75x! In truth though, if I’ve racked off 10-15 exposures and don’t want to wait then I just go into the darkroom, remove the exposed film and push it onto a plastic reel that has the ball bearings removed, and reload the remaining roll. Since only using 5ml of HC110 syrup it’s still cheap.

.

Yeah, it takes a long time. It even takes me a while to do a whole role of 120. I do a lot of 4x5 because I'm trying to master both my metering and my developing. I'm still a little unsure of the densities that I'm getting, although I'm clearly making progress in that area. So, it's often one or two shots, then into the developer.

Donald Qualls · Oct 7, 2021

focus_on_infinity said:
So, it's often one or two shots, then into the developer.

And this is the large format advantage people often forget to mention: one or two shots and you don't feel like you're wasting film if that's all you shoot on an outing.

focus_on_infinity · Oct 7, 2021

Donald Qualls said:
And this is the large format advantage people often forget to mention: one or two shots and you don't feel like you're wasting film if that's all you shoot on an outing.

I took some indoor photos recently, all with flash. While I'm reasonably sure my lighting and exposure was good, I'll be able to pull one of the sheets out and verify before I do the rest of them. If I need to adjust my developing time, I'll know that without risking every shot of the event. It's a tremendous advantage when it comes to learning.

cliveh · Oct 7, 2021

Check out this site:-

https://www.brownie-camera.com/

or this:-

https://www.browniecam.com/uk/

awty · Oct 7, 2021

Argus 75. Has a great view finder, takes 120film with a little filing of the spool and if you get board with that you can flip the lens to get another look.

JPD · Oct 7, 2021

Another vote for the Box Tengor. You can find it in both 6x9 and 4,5x6 and it has the Goerz Frontar Achromat, a two element lens and can be focused closer thanks to built-in close focus lenses. They also have two or three aperture settings depending on the model. The 6x9 has three aperture and focus settings, while the 4,5x6 version has two (it has a shorter lens with larger DOF anyway).

Donald Qualls · Oct 8, 2021

awty said:
Argus 75. Has a great view finder, takes 120film with a little filing of the spool and if you get board with that you can flip the lens to get another look.

And all of that is also true of the first two generations of Brownie Hawkeye Flash, though I've never understood the attraction of the flipped lens...

awty · Oct 8, 2021

Donald Qualls said:
And all of that is also true of the first two generations of Brownie Hawkeye Flash, though I've never understood the attraction of the flipped lens...

The Argus is smaller and has a much larger very bright and shaded view finder. By far the brightest of any of the waist level view finders I have used.
Flipped lenses can make a pretty picture.

Prints on 1947 dupoint paper by Paul Fitz, on Flickr

Looking for a 120 Film Box Camera

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