This is extremely informative to someone new to this medium. I have received my eBay camera, my film order from Amazon, and because of this video I’m confident to move forward with my first roll! So, thank you! 🎞📸
Hi, No the video is very good, I have just purchased a Kodak Duaflex ii & am just about to buy some 120 film & this will come in very useful when I come to respool my first roll! Thanks for responding :-) Greg.
Nice! I also have a little Kodak Brownie camera. It had a take-up spool in it, so that was a nice bonus. I've been afraid to try respooling some of the film I bought. I thought I'd heard you should do it in the dark so the film doesn't become exposed. 🤔
Absolute darkness. Where ever you are doing this, before opening the 120 roll to respool, stand in the dark for 5 minutes to let your eyes acclimate to the dark. If you see any light at all, it is too much light. You should not be able to see your hand in front of your face at all...absolute darkness.
Thank you so much for the video. 9 years later and it's still teaching film newbies like me :) I do have a question: is it possible that it would fit into your camera by trimming the plastic of the spool down to a smaller diameter? I've seen that as a tip other seasoned film people do
Might I suggest: Yes, it is important not to touch the film, as the place you touch won't get developed evenly and you'll get a fingerprinted ruined exposure. You might want to use a finger cot on your left thumb as it is getting smeared through the paper the whole roll twice. If it hasn't been an issue in the past it might be in the future, especially if, as you say, you do batches of these. I'm sure your hands get a little tired and produce extra oils in the process. Thanks for your post.
OMG HI i'm not sure if you're still responding to comments but this is so interesting that this is possible! I was just gifted a brownie six-20 and was worried I'd have to shell out £15 just to get a roll of black and white 620 film! How do you see what you're doing in the dark?
Will 120 film work on a117 spool? I have a Brownie #1 B, earlier one i guess as the print on film cover is gold not red. Thanks for all of your help on these cool cameras!
wow this is amazing.I was at Eastman house on August 30th 2012.I made a video of rochester images.Now im obsessed and buying old cameras lol.I got my 1st today.I opened it and it had film and a spool wow a holiday flash with box 12$I want to make these old 1918 cameras work.I want the 1930 anniversary one to work if i can get it.I am an art photagrapher here near rochester ny in batavia.
Hi, Great video.. One question, why roll it from a 120 film on to 620 spool then on to another 620 spool? Are you not duplicating what you initially did? Sorry for asking but genuinely don't know!
Rerolling the second time puts the end of the roll back to the beginning of the roll. Especially for when advancing the film and seeing the numbers to know where you are on advancing.
You must get the film the right way round, with exposure No. 1 at the start of the rewound roll, and not exposure No. 8 or 12. Think about it, the film numbering runs from 1 then 2 3 4 5 etc.
Of course I don't respool in a light filled room. I know I am long winded but it states "do it in the dark" at 4:50 . A darkroom or a darkbag work just fine. I think I'll add this to the description, just to make sure.
I have a question I just bought a brownie starlet camera (dakon lens) and I was wondering of you can make a video on how to use it and where to buy films and also my camera has the flash thing . Also I don't now anything about these camera and I need a lot of back round information and also what does it mean when you say expired film ? PLEASE ANSWER
Do the film developers return the spools? I don't want to send in my metal spools and not get them back. Is it best to respond the exposed film in a changing bag onto a plastic spool before mailing the film off?
I say with the current interest in younger people shooting "analog" cameras - and there being SO MANY vintage 620 cameras people can purchase, we should band together and contact Kodak and Ilford company and ask them to put SOME of the 120 films they already produce, onto 620 size reels! I think it would be popular. I was a Photographic Specialist in the Air Force in the OLD days, when there was only "analog" film (b/w and color and slides, etc.) I miss those old days, but it is good to see there is interest in younger people to discover the fun in shooting 35mm, 120 and 620 cameras.
I hope this might put a smile on your face. Since making this video, I have retired from professional photography and opened a small analog shop selling film, chemistry, darkroom supplies...etc. I 3d print 620 spools using carbon fiber filled plastic and offer all 120 films that I sell respooled and ready to use. I also offer almost every larger-than-120 format spool adapters so that the cameras can be used, though not technically the correct format, like 116, 616, 118, 122 and others. 127 film is still being made in different film types so 127 cameras can still easily be used. Additionally, with a used 127 spool and backing paper 35mm film can be spooled as 127 film. With a 620 spool, people can respool themselves and save significantly. With this said, Kodak and Ilford have shown little to no interest in such a small market as discontinued film types. I think it is up to smaller companies like Film Photography Project in the USA and shops like mine in the EU to supply ways to use discontinued formats, along with users themselves of course.
Hello Brownie camera guy. Looking at my dad's old stuff i found a Brownie. One of the viewfinders (glass after the mirror) is missing. Where do you recommend fixing it?
I'm so exited. Today I have the contacts of my first pics with that old camera. They came out alright. Some had good contrast and others are very greyed out. I'm exited! I do need to find some metallic spools for 120 film.
When re-using my 620 spools, how long before the black paint starts to wear off the spools? If that happens, is it advisable to spray paint it black again? I ask because as a kid I caught the photog bug when I found my mamas old Brownie Hawkeye abandoned deep in a closet. The spool that had been sitting in the camera had the paint flaking off of it and the roll I sent to the photo lab on it was declared ruined even though the negatives I got back looked OK to me.
I am glad you get good results though you'd think smearing the backing paper with natural hand oil, then pressing the paper against the emulsion would give you problems with developing. I'm pleasantly surprised you don't use finger cots or gloves. Regards. (Long live analog media!)
This is extremely informative to someone new to this medium. I have received my eBay camera, my film order from Amazon, and because of this video I’m confident to move forward with my first roll! So, thank you! 🎞📸
Thank you for uploading this video. I knew it was the same film, just didn't realize I could respool it. THANK YOU!!!
Thank you for showing this. I got a Brownie Camera at a flea market and I am excited that I will be able to use it now.
Hi, No the video is very good, I have just purchased a Kodak Duaflex ii & am just about to buy some 120 film & this will come in very useful when I come to respool my first roll! Thanks for responding :-) Greg.
I have a duaflex, trimming and sanding the film spool also works
Nice! I also have a little Kodak Brownie camera. It had a take-up spool in it, so that was a nice bonus. I've been afraid to try respooling some of the film I bought. I thought I'd heard you should do it in the dark so the film doesn't become exposed. 🤔
Absolute black out, not just dark, but total absence of light, you must not be able to see what your doing and if you can it is not dark enough!
Absolute darkness. Where ever you are doing this, before opening the 120 roll to respool, stand in the dark for 5 minutes to let your eyes acclimate to the dark. If you see any light at all, it is too much light. You should not be able to see your hand in front of your face at all...absolute darkness.
Good tip. I tried to rig up a copper spacer in my brownie 2a to make the 120 film spool work.
Thanks
A 2A uses 116 film and you can now buy correct spacers for many old film sizes like 116 and 118
Thank you so much for the video. 9 years later and it's still teaching film newbies like me :)
I do have a question: is it possible that it would fit into your camera by trimming the plastic of the spool down to a smaller diameter? I've seen that as a tip other seasoned film people do
@@TheBrownieCameraGuy that definitely makes sense. Thanks again for sharing what you know!
It can be done with powerful nail clippers, but a messy job.
Might I suggest: Yes, it is important not to touch the film, as the place you touch won't get developed evenly and you'll get a fingerprinted ruined exposure. You might want to use a finger cot on your left thumb as it is getting smeared through the paper the whole roll twice. If it hasn't been an issue in the past it might be in the future, especially if, as you say, you do batches of these. I'm sure your hands get a little tired and produce extra oils in the process. Thanks for your post.
OMG HI i'm not sure if you're still responding to comments but this is so interesting that this is possible! I was just gifted a brownie six-20 and was worried I'd have to shell out £15 just to get a roll of black and white 620 film! How do you see what you're doing in the dark?
Great...I'm glad you found this! To answer your question "How do you see what you're doing in the dark?"....You don't. Take your time and Good Luck!!
You don't see in the dark it has to be REALLY black, rewind has to be by touch only- get an old film and practise.
As of 2023 you can buy new unexpired 620 film GP3.
Will 120 film work on a117 spool? I have a Brownie #1 B, earlier one i guess as the print on film cover is gold not red. Thanks for all of your help on these cool cameras!
Use a new in-date 620 film in the "feed" chamber, and an empty 117 spool (or 3D printed replica) in the wind take-upnchamber.
wow this is amazing.I was at Eastman house on August 30th 2012.I made a video of rochester images.Now im obsessed and buying old cameras lol.I got my 1st today.I opened it and it had film and a spool wow a holiday flash with box 12$I want to make these old 1918 cameras work.I want the 1930 anniversary one to work if i can get it.I am an art photagrapher here near rochester ny in batavia.
Hi, Great video..
One question, why roll it from a 120 film on to 620 spool then on to another 620 spool? Are you not duplicating what you initially did? Sorry for asking but genuinely don't know!
Rerolling the second time puts the end of the roll back to the beginning of the roll. Especially for when advancing the film and seeing the numbers to know where you are on advancing.
You must get the film the right way round, with exposure No. 1 at the start of the rewound roll, and not exposure No. 8 or 12. Think about it, the film numbering runs from 1 then 2 3 4 5 etc.
You just respool in a light filled room? Wouldn’t need dark bag in order for the film not to exposed?
Of course I don't respool in a light filled room. I know I am long winded but it states "do it in the dark" at 4:50 . A darkroom or a darkbag work just fine. I think I'll add this to the description, just to make sure.
I have a question I just bought a brownie starlet camera (dakon lens) and I was wondering of you can make a video on how to use it and where to buy films and also my camera has the flash thing . Also I don't now anything about these camera and I need a lot of back round information and also what does it mean when you say expired film ? PLEASE ANSWER
Do the film developers return the spools? I don't want to send in my metal spools and not get them back. Is it best to respond the exposed film in a changing bag onto a plastic spool before mailing the film off?
Amy Weurdig tell them you need the spool back , it's a 620
Spools are not normally returned, try asking before sending in for dev.
I say with the current interest in younger people shooting "analog" cameras - and there being SO MANY vintage 620 cameras people can purchase, we should band together and contact Kodak and Ilford company and ask them to put SOME of the 120 films they already produce, onto 620 size reels!
I think it would be popular. I was a Photographic Specialist in the Air Force in the OLD days, when there was only "analog" film (b/w and color and slides, etc.) I miss those old days, but it is good to see there is interest in younger people to discover the fun in shooting 35mm, 120 and 620 cameras.
I hope this might put a smile on your face. Since making this video, I have retired from professional photography and opened a small analog shop selling film, chemistry, darkroom supplies...etc. I 3d print 620 spools using carbon fiber filled plastic and offer all 120 films that I sell respooled and ready to use. I also offer almost every larger-than-120 format spool adapters so that the cameras can be used, though not technically the correct format, like 116, 616, 118, 122 and others. 127 film is still being made in different film types so 127 cameras can still easily be used. Additionally, with a used 127 spool and backing paper 35mm film can be spooled as 127 film. With a 620 spool, people can respool themselves and save significantly.
With this said, Kodak and Ilford have shown little to no interest in such a small market as discontinued film types. I think it is up to smaller companies like Film Photography Project in the USA and shops like mine in the EU to supply ways to use discontinued formats, along with users themselves of course.
Whats your link?
So, essentially you just did to help others get used to rolling? For practice?
Yes, I remember during my apprenticeship in the photobusiness that we would occasionally rewind a 120 film to a 620 reel in total darkness
Howwwww!?!
Hello Brownie camera guy.
Looking at my dad's old stuff i found a Brownie. One of the viewfinders (glass after the mirror) is missing. Where do you recommend fixing it?
I'm so exited. Today I have the contacts of my first pics with that old camera. They came out alright. Some had good contrast and others are very greyed out. I'm exited! I do need to find some metallic spools for 120 film.
I Always get it done by the darkroom, they are cheap and fast and good!
I sure would like to do some images off the brownie cameras i collected.
When re-using my 620 spools, how long before the black paint starts to wear off the spools? If that happens, is it advisable to spray paint it black again? I ask because as a kid I caught the photog bug when I found my mamas old Brownie Hawkeye abandoned deep in a closet. The spool that had been sitting in the camera had the paint flaking off of it and the roll I sent to the photo lab on it was declared ruined even though the negatives I got back looked OK to me.
Bob...I've never repainted or had to repaint a spool. I imagine if I had only two spools to work with I might repaint one if it was chipping paint.
where can i get 120 film developed?
could i use 35mm??
Oh no e100? D: kill some Kodachrome or something xD I tried this but I messed up somehow and a flap from the paper covered up the film gate :3
where does one get 620 film?
As of 2023 try eBay.
@@danMdan thanks I had lol
I am glad you get good results though you'd think smearing the backing paper with natural hand oil, then pressing the paper against the emulsion would give you problems with developing. I'm pleasantly surprised you don't use finger cots or gloves. Regards. (Long live analog media!)
i saw 120 film on ebay.
Tape! Lol