Why doesn't medium format film come in canisters like 35mm?

greybeard · Jun 28, 2010

I'm old enough to remember when 35mm Kodachrome came in a screw-top aluminum can, with the cloth bag that you used for mailing the film back for processing. However, I'm not old enough to know when black-and-white 35mm film first came on the market or how it was packaged back then. I have a few 2-1/4 color transparencies that are slightly pre-WWII, so I presume that they were Kodachrome; would this have been in a canister for mailing?

Anyone?

picker77 · Jun 30, 2010

All the 35mm slide film I shot in the Navy in the early 60's came that way. I can't remember when the plastic flip-top type came along. I used the cloth mail-in bags for a long time, then I think they changed to some sort of paper bag. And I shot Kodak 35mm B&W in the Philippines in 1961 and 1962, so B&W was at least that early.

PeterB · Jun 29, 2016

bmasonoh said:
Ha! I'm such a noob that I didn't know you were supposed to lick the tag! I'm ROTFL. I learn something new every day Thanks!

I'm supposed to lick that little tab on my roll of hp5 120 after shooting ? Well fancy that. You learn something new every day. Up until now I've only been throwing the rolls right in my camera bag

Theo Sulphate · Jun 29, 2016

greybeard said:
I'm old enough to remember when 35mm Kodachrome came in a screw-top aluminum can, with the cloth bag that you used for mailing the film back for processing. ...

Interesting, I didn't know they did that. However, I was able to find a photo:

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/73/95/b4/7395b407fcd1337f3776f8ea7ffec93e.jpg

wiltw · Jun 29, 2016

lxdude said:
Freestyle has some 120 film containers by Maco. There is an economy one for 99 cents, and a heavier duty one for $1.49. I do like the idea of being able to protect the film from moisture and other damage.

My prior links have become out of date, except for this...

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/8203814-Maco-120-Economy-Roll-Film-Container

wiltw · Jun 29, 2016

greybeard said:
I'm old enough to remember when 35mm Kodachrome came in a screw-top aluminum can

I still have two cans from Kodacolor...

Theo Sulphate · Jun 29, 2016

Back in the day, we'd tape these cans to our strap to hold extra film:

gone · Jun 29, 2016

I don't know about the canister idea, but yes, every roll of 120 film should come in a plastic container. I have a couple of those from some Rollei film purchases w/ pop off lids and they are great. They're something to put the film into when you're out shooting and not have it naked in your pocket or banging around in a side bag. Handy to tape or rubber band a piece of paper to for your shooting info of that day too. How much extra would this cost the manufacturers? Not much. Good idea.

wiltw · Jun 29, 2016

momus said:
How much extra would this cost the manufacturers? Not much. Good idea.

Kinda late to be making this argument, when we have all we can do to simply keep emulsions available in 120 format! We lost the entire 220 format.

rwreich · Jun 29, 2016

I don't worry about loose film rolls because I have several cases from Bellamy Hunt's store:

http://www.japancamerahunter.com/shop/japancamerahunter-120-film-cases/

Svenedin · Jun 29, 2016

I put exposed roll film in a black plastic bag that contained photographic paper. It keeps out the light and if sealed with a clip it keeps the film dry as well. I just got back from the Austrian Alps and it worked well even though everything else, including me, was soaked (the cameras were in waterproof bags as well). Whether or not I get edge fogging on roll film (without putting the film in a black bag) seems to depend on how tightly the camera rolls the film and some cameras do it better than others.

benjiboy · Jun 29, 2016

David A. Goldfarb said:
Didn't medium format film once come in a metal canister, in the era when 35mm film came in a metal screw-top canister? I don't know that 120 canisters were used in my own memory, but I believe I've seen them at camera shows or such like.

In any case, I think they're a good idea, and I save my plastic Adox canisters for other films.[/QUOTE
They were David unfortunately I'm old enough to remember, but I' m so old I can't clearly remember what brands exactly but one of them I think was was Agfa, and possibly Kodachrome, not Ilford, we're going back about fifty years here.

AgX · Jun 29, 2016

Agfacolor (Leverkusen) metal tube cannister (push-on cap):

Dead Link Removed

Dead Link Removed

Gevaert metal tube cannister (screw-on cap):

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mjrestatesales/RND-148_070.jpg

Fujicaman1957 · Jun 29, 2016

I just store it in the bottles my pills come in.

Arklatexian · Jun 30, 2016

David A. Goldfarb said:
Didn't medium format film once come in a metal canister, in the era when 35mm film came in a metal screw-top canister? I don't know that 120 canisters were used in my own memory, but I believe I've seen them at camera shows or such like.

In any case, I think they're a good idea, and I save my plastic Adox canisters for other films.

Other than a few manufacturers like Adox, I don't ever remember mf films coming in canisters. Kodak, Ansco and most were sealed in a foil or plastic wrapper and then sealed in a box. And for me that goes back to the 1950s. Over the years, any fogging problems I have had could only be blamed on yours truly.......Regards!

benjiboy · Jun 30, 2016

I cut down the plastic tubes with push on lids my Sterodent denture cleaning tablets come in with a hacksaw and paint them black.

BAC1967 · Jun 30, 2016

I have a few old metal tins that hold 120 and 620 film. I'm not sure how old they are or what brand the film was. I usually take a few scraps of aluminum foil with me to wrap the film in after I shoot it.

benjiboy · Jun 30, 2016

nyoung said:
Don't lick the tag on Fuji products. They're peel and stick like a modern postage stamp.

Ah so that's why my letters get lost in the post

wiltw · Jun 30, 2016

benjiboy said:
Ah so that's why my letters get lost in the post

No, that is why postage stamps stick to your tongue when you first try to lick them.

carioca · Jun 30, 2016

Film has a hard time keeping up with digital. Medium format film has been on rolls for I don't know how long, why would you want to change things now? Perhaps if you would have posted your question 40 years ago, it would make sense. Be happy that it is still available. ;-)

AgX · Jun 30, 2016

carioca said:
Medium format film has been on rolls for I don't know how long, why would you want to change things now?

Well, this thread is not about roll-film being loaded in cassettes (like type 135), which makes no sense at all as roll-film is selfshielding.

It is about roll-film being sold in cannisters instead of cardboard boxes or plastic bags.
And indeed it was packaged that way: see post #63

And recently in plastic tubes with flip caps by Maco and Adox.

carioca · Jun 30, 2016

AgX said:
Well, this thread is not about roll-film being loaded in cassettes (like type 135), which makes no sense at all as roll-film is selfshielding.

It is about roll-film being sold in cannisters instead of cardboard boxes or plastic bags.
And indeed it was packaged that way: see post #63

And recently in plastic tubes with flip caps by Maco.

Sorry to have missed the question.
Shooting a few rolls of 120 now and then would be greatly protected in a metal or plastic canister, I agree.
25 years back, I was an assistant photographer of a fashion photographer and I went through a couple of thousand rolls of medium format film. We simply put them in black bags, took the necessary care and never had any issue. Again, nowadays we should be happy that medium format is available. I have bought Adox, Maco films in their plastic containers, but seriously, having to dump those things after use is a true waste, it can be done without, IMHO.

EDIT:
I think it would be a great idea to be able to buy a few of those canisters, empty, and reuse them. Having every new 120 roll wrapped in a canister would mean nothing else than dumping the canister, as we used to do with all the 135mm film canisters back then. Times have changed and I believe ecology needs it's place in all that. I might be wrong, let me know.

TareqPhoto · Jun 30, 2016

Good that i bought some of those plastic canisters for 120, and i can buy more if i need, but i liked the one that is closed by turning around like a screw but it is gone, only available the one with a top cover as one of them broke so that i didn't like it much, but i have to use whatever i have now.

I don't shoot much nowadays with film at all, and if i do i mostly shoot 2-4 rolls at most, so the canisters i have are enough or more than enough, but i am worry if in the future i buy more films and then i shoot many rolls then i want to have more canisters where i may find them later if they all gone?

I liked that link of the (5) one, if i bought several then that may be enough for say up to 20-30 rolls, i don't think i will shoot more than that without developing them as soon as possible, but i know the time will come when i will shoot more and can't develop them on time.

Down Under · Jul 2, 2016

Elastic bands and a ZipLok bag. They do the job, at minimal expense. The enlarging paper black bag works fine as well, for those who have darkrooms.

Is this topic really worth six years of angst? Can we not let this thread expire naturally? We have more serious First World issues to focus our minds on - like, how long with 120 film supplies last.

AgX · Jul 2, 2016

The fact that at least two manufacturers came up with those plastic tubes recently indicates that at their side there is interest in making their films more attractive, what in some way is related to future availability.

Why doesn't medium format film come in canisters like 35mm?

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