Rollei baby 4x4 film size?

[ToddB]

Hey guys,

Those Rollei baby camera..? what size film is that? Can you still get it?

Todd

 

[Rick A]

It takes 127 film, which is still available, though limited in choices. Try Freestyle.

 

[R.Gould]

Hi Todd, I don't have a baby rollei, nearly bought one but I found out it takes 127 film, which, at least over here in the UK, is very hard, in fact since the demise of Fotokemika, almost impossible to get. A nice camera but obselete due to the film size.
Richard

 

[railwayman3]

Difficult to get 127 now, I wouldn't use it as a working format. Even the last of Efke's production is now fetching $$$ on Ebay.

 

[ToddB]

Yhea.. what a shame.. Beautiful little camera.

ToddB

 

[Fixcinater]

You can do some reversible mods to a bunch of the 127 format cameras and run 35mm film in them. I do that with a couple baby Yashica TLRs. Kind of a pain as you have to carry a changing bag with you to change film/rewind it manually, but it gets them out in the field.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

Fotoimpex still lists it. Three different emulsions, too. http://www.fotoimpex.de/Home/films/e-127/e-127.html

 

[railwayman3]

Fotoimpex still lists it. Three different emulsions, too. http://www.fotoimpex.de/Home/films/e-127/e-127.html

Efke have closed, of course, so I guess any remaining stocks are finite. Even if someone handmakes a cut-down product, it's not going to be cheap.

The Baby Rolleis were gorgeous....my great-aunt had one way back, but it was sold off in her estate.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

Efke have closed, of course, so I guess any remaining stocks are finite. Even if someone handmakes a cut-down product, it's not going to be cheap.

The Baby Rolleis were gorgeous....my great-aunt had one way back, but it was sold off in her estate.

Yes I had both the grey and the black versions. I parted with them when I though I should get rid of things I wasn't utilising, but now I wish I'd kept one.

But Efke seems to be still with us - http://www.freestylephoto.biz/brands/222-EFKE-Fotokemika

http://www.fotokemika.net/

 

[railwayman3]

Yes I had both the grey and the black versions. I parted with them when I though I should get rid of things I wasn't utilising, but now I wish I'd kept one.

But Efke seems to be still with us - http://www.freestylephoto.biz/brands/222-EFKE-Fotokemika

http://www.fotokemika.net/

Sadly those must be old webpages. There was many postings on here concerning Fotokemica's closure last year, e.g. the 48 pages(!) on

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


(My great-aunts camera was the grey version....beautiful. They were the posh side of the family, long holidays in France and Switzerland, while we had a week in Margate....but memorable slide shows from the 4x4 transparences! )

 

[Brac]

You can still get colour negative film in 127 size from the Frugal Photographer in the US. It isn't cheap but they are not affected by the Efke close-down as they seem to have a different supplier for spools and backing paper.

http://www.frugalphotographer.com/

 

[AgX]

The only type 127 films available at the moment are colour films:

E-6 200 ISO
http://www.macodirect.de/rollei-crossbird-p-1784.html

C-41 800 ISO twisted
http://www.macodirect.de/rollei-nightbird-p-1957.html

C-41 160 ISO, C-41 160 ISO twisted, C-41 400 ISO perforated, C-41 400 ISO perforated, twisted
http://www.frugalphotographer.com/cat127.htm#127 size color print film

 

[Arctic amateur]

Be aware that Rollei Nightbird is a redscale-spooled (iow. twisted) film.

 

[GRHazelton]

I was sorely tempted by a Yashica 44LM in good user condition, but after researching the film situation decided against it. I should perhaps get my Komaflex S up and running, but I'd face the same film problem. The 'flex is a 127 leaf shutter SLR made by Kowa, I think, in the late 50's. Fun camera, but the auto diaphragm on mine doesn't want to stop down. Alas....

 

[E. von Hoegh]

The original Exakta takes 127, too - I'd cut down 120 film if I had one!

 

[Marc B.]

Blue Moon Camera, in Portland, OR/USA still lists some 127 available, too.
http://www.bluemooncamera.com/inventory.php?menuID=4&catID=500&deptID=545

One thing that has always concerned me about 'The Frugal Photographer' site
is their high US, per-order, shipping charge of $12-$20USD. They're located in, and ship from, Nampa, ID/USA
http://www.frugalphotographer.com/

I guess ordering larger quantities of photo stock, per order (to reduce per-unit shipping costs),
is something all of us need to get use to, as more-and-more of our supplies are now only/mostly
available from on-line suppliers, as opposed to brick-n-mortar stores.

Marc

 

[DLawson]

Hey guys,

Those Rollei baby camera..? what size film is that? Can you still get it?

Todd

Just bought one -- loaded but not yet shot.

They take 127 film. For B&W, that is made by Efke (ISO 100). I believe there is still a color (slide?) made by Fuji in that size.

If you order in the next week (no Ginsu knives involved), you can get bulk rolls of 46mm HP5 through Freestyle or other Ilford partners. (Of course, for bulk you'd need spools and backing paper.)

 

[k_jupiter]

Keep looking for old stock of Konica 46mm school portrait rolls, all bulk loaded. The spools are hard to find, the paper, use used 120 paper cutdown. Find a roll of 127 and remark the 120 paper. Or build a 127 cutter for 120. Can be done.

Too much trouble, the Yashica 44 looks nice on the shelf. The Yashica 635 fills the small TLR need when I feel like shooting it (not often). Anything bigger and I am firmly into the 120/4x5/5x7/8x10 camp.

tim in san jose

 

[IloveTLRs]

If anyone is feeling adventurous, they can try cutting 120 film down to 127 size. Try Googling "127 film cutter" for a few examples. Also some folks on Flickr have built film cutters, too.

 

[wblynch]

If you cut 120 paper on the correct side and run it backwards (countdown) the 6*45 numbers line up perfectly for a Yashica44 or any 4*4 camera with red window.

127 is a fun format with cool cameras that get a lot of attention whenever you take them out.

 

[Spicy]

Watched a video a few days about modifying a cigar-cutter and just respooling. Looked ludicrously simple, but would be a bit obnoxious to have to do constantly if you did any meaningful amount of shooting with it...

But it does increase your number of film choices by a ton...

 

[AgX]

If you cut 120 paper on the correct side and run it backwards (countdown) the 6*45 numbers line up perfectly for a Yashica44 or any 4*4 camera with red window.

Using the type 120 backing paper upside down seems a great idea.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

Watched a video a few days about modifying a cigar-cutter and just respooling. Looked ludicrously simple, but would be a bit obnoxious to have to do constantly if you did any meaningful amount of shooting with it...

But it does increase your number of film choices by a ton...

Quantity is not quality. Just think if you had to use wet plates.

 

[k_jupiter]

Quantity is not quality. Just think if you had to use wet plates.

I wonder how you would spool wet plates for 127?


tim in san jose

 

[AgX]

"Bend me, Shape me"