Modifying a Kodak Tourist for 120?

[athanasius80]

Has anyone modified a 620 Kodak Tourist to accept 120 film? Just curious.
Thanks!

 

[Ian Grant]

How could you modify it ? The problem is the diameter of the 1250 spool is larger, however with some 620 cameras the tolerances actually allow 120 spool to fit tightly.

Most people just re-spool 120 film onto 620 spools, there is a company in the US offering re-spooled film as well.

Ian

 

[sidearm613]

If you are in possession of a couple 620 spools, you may be in business. Just cut down the little fringe surrounding a 120 spool, sand off, and you're set. This works best with Kodak's spools, and since you use a 620 spool as the takeup, you have no issues with frame spacing or the diameter of the center hole. You might have a small light leak from cutting off the fringe of the 120 spool, but since most 620 cameras are more fun than professional, it really doesn't matter.

 

[athanasius80]

The 120 spool is both larger in diameter and longer in length. I'm just trying to gear up for a trip in a few months and I don't have enough 620 spools... but I've got a Tourist I'm not afraid of "enhancing." I wondered if anyone had tried this modification before.

 

[ricksplace]

Yes. I have done it. Both sides of the film area need to be enlarged around the rim of the film. The overall diameter of the roll film is OK, just the rims of the 120 are too big. I sealed all around the inside of the camera with packing tape, then used a dremel to router out the steel so the 120 rims would fit. It makes a lot of metal dust that would kill any shutter, not to mention spotting your negs, so it is imperative to seal the camera against this when you work. I sucked out the camera when I was finished with a large shop vac just to make sure.

You also need to change the advance spool flange since the 620 flange that engages the spool is too small to engage the 120 spool. The advance knob comes apart easily. Remove the smaller flange and replace it with one that will engage the 120 reel, and you're ready to shoot. I used some devcon to cement the new flange. I imagine you could use any type of epoxy without any trouble.

I did this with a Tourist with the 105 Anniston (sp?) lens. The results were quite good and I never had any problems with film advance.

Was it worth the effort? Yeah. It was fun. If you are fairly competent with a dremel, you won't have any problems. One of my best photography buddies took a shine to it, so I gave it to him.

 

[gmikol]

Yep...I did this, too as part of a pinhole conversion on a Tourist. ricksplace describes the process pretty accurately. I did a pretty heavy-handed job, but it works. If I can find another cheap Tourist (with the single-speed shutter), I may try it again, now that I've gotten all the mistakes out of the way.

--Greg

 

[PhotoJim]

Changing bag. I can respool a roll of 120 in less than five minutes. The secret is to roll it onto a 620 spool first, and then back onto another 620 spool, otherwise you have to remove the tape from the backing paper and reapply it.

 

[c.w.]

I'm in the process of it right now. I've been taking some pictures of the process, once i'm finished i'll try to put them up somewhere with a description of how to go about it. It's not terribly difficult if you have a dremel tool, and if you are going to process the film yourself and have a couple 620 spools to use for the takeup side you only have to grind out the one side.

Since I wanted to be able to use a 120 spool for takeup it's taken a bit longer than i anticipated to get all the kinks worked out on making that side work, but i figure if i want to shoot some Ektar in it it'll be worth the little bit of futzing.

 

[mgb74]

Would love to see pictures and description of your conversion process.

 

[c.w.]

Ok, I put up some pictures and a description in the how-to articles section (that's where it would go... right?)

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[athanasius80]

Thanks man!