127 reels

If anyone is interested in stainless steel 127 reels, there are two:

 

www.ebay.com/itm/172801481578

Sadly, I think we have a mis-informed seller. Those reels have one too many turns on the spiral to be 127, I'd say they are 120/620. But, the real 127 reels do show up often enough. 116/616 show up a couple of times a year, and 122 and 118 sizes every few years.

Seem to recall, as a teen, when I first started darkroom work that there were a variety of very adjustable tanks / cores. Once I got "serious", I went to steel, 35 and 120. Can't imagine that some of those early adjustable ones aren't still usable.

No, the width-to-height ratio doesn't look right for 127, but I'd say they were a turn short, not over. I think they ought to be fatter and squatter.

 

Anyway it should be easy to tell, if only the seller can be bothered to measure them and post the inter-spiral distance!

I put in a question to the seller.

 

My verification code (robot detector) was 127855, that is, starts with 127.

 

As for spiralness, the 120 and 127 reels I have are both 5.25 turns, like the one in the picture.

 

My 116 reel is 6 turns. I am pretty sure the latter is a real Nikor reel, it came with the original box and instructions.

 

I don't know at all about the 120 and 127 reels that I have.

 

Did other than Nikor ever make 116 and 127 reels? I know there are other 120 and 35mm reels.

Plastic tanks and reels for 35mm, 127, and 120 are easy to find, old and new.

 

Adjustable tanks up to 116 are not so easy to find, and are maybe 50 years old.

Not too hard, but not as easy as ones up to 120.

 

I used to have a Kodak tank with an apron for 116, but don't have that one now.

 

I used it for a roll of 116 in 1968 and 1975.

 

My grandfather had a reel that adjusted with spacers that you move either above

or below the top of the reel, allowing for more combinations that most.

 

It might have done 118 and 122, in addition to the more usual sizes.

 

I didn't inherit that one, only the Kodak apron tank.

Honeywell / Nikkor made 35, 120, 220 (with special tanks) and even some subminiature reels (I think) back in the late "60's when I worked in /a photoshop. 127 was already on the way out, and just amateur enthusiast - though "super slides" had their fans. Best recollection, not necessarily hard fact!

The tanks/reels are actually Nikor, different from the popular lens brand.

I have no idea why the names are so close.

 

Nikor does go to 116, as I have one, with original box and instructions.

 

But I know there are other stainless still reel makers.

The tanks/reels are actually Nikor

Never could spell!

No recollection on 116, I'd bet you are correct.

Never could spell!

 

I suspect Nikkor is more often used in photo.net.

 

Sometimes my fingers will type something different from what I was actually thinking.

 

Reminds me of the time I accidentally registered the wrong domain name.

Similar, but not quite right.

 

That was when you didn't have to pay until after it was registered, so we could cancel

before paying.

 

I suspect for a long time, I thought the lenses and tanks were made by the same company.

 

Seller says 1 5/8 inch, or 46mm, and has this picture with a hard to see ruler showing the distance.

Well, here's a different 127 Nikor reel, along with a 220 reel, which is 4-1/4 turns like my Nikor 127 reel:

 

VTG. FILM DEVELOPING REEL 127 and 220 HONEYWELL NIKOR NIB | eBay

The picture with the ruler looks right. They may have posted the wrong photo with the original listing!

Here's another 127 reel, $20, Buy-it-Now, with the "loader" and original box.

 

Vintage NIKOR FILM DEVELOPING TANK IN BOX 35mm Canister | eBay

 

(Description is wrong, but everything in the picture is right.)

So, its just the reel and loader, and no tank?

 

You are supposed to already have a tank to use it with?

The 127 reel fits in any Nikor Q15 tank (which is the size for one 120/620 reel). They mostly sold tanks and reels separately, although there were starter outfits. Common tank sizes were Q08 (one 135 reel), Q15 (two 135 reels), and Q30 (four 135 reels). The number is the capacity of the tank in fluid ounces.

 

In the early years (1950's) there were quite a few oddball tank sizes, for things like 127 (about 10 ounces), cut film (18 ounces), and even ones for 118 and 122 reels. But about the time they switched to "quick fill" tanks, they rationalized the product line.