Mod Film for use in super old cameras (620 film)

Step 4 Final product

The modified film fits in the camera snugly, and works great. once i find a scanner i will upload some images from the camera, using the modded film.

So go out and use your relatives super old cameras, and post some images if you get a chance.

one other note: make sure no dust gets inside the camera

here's a video of it fitting in the camera:


\edit:
i added an image from the kodak tourist, using the ghetto film method mentioned above
\ edit again
Here's a complete image gallery. all images are from the tourist. scanned in with photoshop 6,
http://orangehat.myrpi.org/Kodak_Tourist/

Comments

[kylemcdonald]

Very nice. How did you find the old 620 spool? Was it left in the camera? Even if you don't have a scanner, you should just take digital photos of the results :)

[ImageMaker]

Most old 620 cameras come with an empty spool left from the last roll of film. Occasionally you find one with an old roll of film still loaded; not only do you then get *two* 620 spools, but you can sometimes recover images from the exposed frames on the film! I've got around twenty of them, after getting an eBay lot of old darkroom supplies that included a dozen or so, but you can also buy loose 620 spools on eBay for around $3 to $5 each.

BTW, respooling isn't hard *if you already process your own film and are used to handling film in the dark* (hint: roll the film onto another 120 spool, either in the darkroom or in a camera, before trying to spool it backward onto a 620), but even though I have respooled, I find it much easier to modify my 120 rolls. I use a heavy nail clipper to cut the rim, and for most of my 620 cameras I don't need to sand the thickness of the spool flange (that is, the extra 1/16" of overall length doesn't cause a problem).

I recommend processing your own film from these cameras anyway, since there aren't many places left that will process 120 film locally (much less black and white); if the film is sent off somewhere you're very unlikely to get your 620 spool back, and the cut-down 120 spool won't work on the takeup side in most 620 cameras.