When were Kodak 120 Film spools made of Metal?

This is a Historian type of question.

 

I ask because I just got a camera that had an old takeup spool in it...it was a Kodak Metal

Spool. I am guessing that to be an indicator of when the camera was last used.

 

Anyone know when Kodak went to plastic?

 

Thanks,

jmp

Wish I knew. I can tell you that my Grandfather's old Ciro-Flex was last used in 1975 (before I discovered it and started shooting like crazy, last year) It had a metal spool in it. The lab was astonishe dby it, and peperred me with questions when I picke dup my film. :)

I don't know. 1970's maybe? Kodak 127 and 620 spools were made of metal until Kodak discontinued these formats in the mid 1990's.

This is one for Ron Mowry. I know when I started shooting MF in '79 they were plastic.

Sorry Ron, that should be Mowrey.

During WW2 (the big one) wood was substituted for metal on the shaft for those sizes large enough to do it (120 yes, 620 no).

In the 1970's I used sometimes Ilford FP4; that had plastic spools for 120; and my Kodak Plus-X professional 120 I believe was in metal spools. The 620 spools were alwsys metal; at least the ones I have used. In the 1970's; I shot alot of Kodachrome. The films were in aluminum cans; with metal screw tops. The "import" Kodachrome from the NYC dealers I used was from England; and used a metal can; with a plastic snap cap. I believe Kodak in England used plastics in their packaging before the USA did. As mentioned; ancient 120 spools were wooden; we once had some here in the house; in pre WW2 "Archival shoe/photo boxes" :) I remember all the Kodak 120 spools in the 1950's and 1960's to be metal; and I first saw plastic spools on Ilford FP4 120; in the mid 1970's.

Guys, I don't know the answer to that one, but I remember the metal spools and have some in 616 size and one in 5.5 inch and one in 9 inch. (you should see the size of those cameras, then normal focal lenght for 9x9 inch film was 36 inches).

 

I also have some of the metal cans for 35 mm. They used painted steel cans for a while, the color denoting the type of film and then unpainted aluminum. The cans had gaskets on the lids to seal out moisture. Then 35 mm was put into cardboard tubes, but that didn't last long.

 

I have some antique film still in boxes, but I hate to open the box just to satisfy my and your curiosity. I will have to call someone at EK and ask. Maybe no one is left that knows.

 

Just tried a phone call, but my 'antiquities expert' is out till 2 today. I'll try again.

 

BTW, one of this weeks headlines in the D&C in Rochester. Kodak turns over archives to RIT for safekeeping. They have a color ad for EK from the 50s on the front page.

 

Cheers.

 

Ron Mowrey

The first 120 spools were wooden; for the Brownie No2 ; of 1901. Commonly; these shot 6 exposures. The 120 format is called the "brownie format" since was intoduced for children; with a camera named after the children character "Brownie"; of that era. This amateur film format was mostly used by amateurs; until the Kodak Instamatic arrived in 1963. Kodak abandoned their 120 cameras in the early 1930's; and brought out the smaller metal spool 620 format; to capture cash flow from processing of a freak format. Kodak gave every child who turned 12 a free Brownie camera; in 1930. My mom got one that year.

Some of the info on the net says that the 1930 free Brownies that Kodak gave away were the larger 116/616 format. My mom's free camera shot the smaller 620/120 format; since some negatives still exist here; but the camera long gone.<BR><BR>In pre WW2 Ektars; many in 35mm Retina were actually made by Schneider; but marked "Ektar". These dont have the camerosity date code. Some pre WW2 Ektars are made in the USA; so avoid generalizations.

In 35mm; Kodachrome came once in metal cans; but super-XX; and Tri-X was not in a metal can. My did shot the slides as a kid; we shot B&W; and horded the Kodachrome cans; for storing bulk-loaded films we made up. The B&W 35mm films had a the usual square box; with a paper tube; and the yellow wrapper

the first plastic 120 spool that I ever saw came with my new Rolleiflex in 1965. The name 'Rollei' was moulded into one end of the spool which I still have somewhere.

 

The first plastic spooled film I used was Kodak Tri-x in mid 1972. The spools had one end moulded with "spool made in England" Plus-X had plastic spools at about the same time here in the Uk.

I am still trying to get an answer, but I have film on plastic 120 spools from 1977. I am waiting for a phone call with a possible answer.

 

In the mean time, I do remember Panatomic x 35mm in metal cans. The cap color denoted film type. Brown, yellow, red, etc. denoting various films. I think Panatomic x was brown, Kodacrhome red, and Ektachrome was blue and Kodacolor was yellow.

 

Also, Ansco supplied Anscochrome in metal tubes in both 120 and 35mm. The tubes were sealed with colored tape. I still have Anscochromes from those early days and Printons that I made as a teen. The color developer used benzyl amine instead of benzy alcohol and stunk up the darkroom something fierce. One of my friends had a rather obcene name for the odor, and being an amine maybe you can guess what it was.

 

Nice to think of the 'old times'. Someday these will be the 'old times'.

 

If anyone wants to chat, I am usually on AIM chatting with a group of buddies under the name "tabini aiji ma". (Don't ask. I'm an avid SF reader. It means something to that crowd.)

 

Regards.

 

Ron Mowrey

Here I remember B&W in metal cans too; but I dont believe all 35mm B&W Kodak was in metal cans. Since I first saw plastic used in Kodak packaging with imported Kodak English products; the answer will vary from USA to other countries Kodak products.

Ron; the old metal Kodak 35mm cans are about 1 1/4 inch OD; we would use these in the 1960's; for makeshift amateur telescope eyepieces. One would cut a hole in the bottom; and leave about 1/8 inch for strength. Then a hole was bored in the cap; and two acromats from Edmund salvage bonded in place; with epoxy or glue.

The 35mm metal film can eyepiece; with Xmas tree bulb guide lamp; to illuminate a grid; is at the top center of this photo. It is between the Sankyo; Kodak movie; and Exakta. The classical Sam Brown bookletes of Edmund mentioned the usage of metal film cans as eyepieces; in the late 1950's and early 1960's bookletes. These are still in print; with the newer versions sporting retouched flattops as long haired characters. This photo is from the late 1960's. <IMG SRC=http://www.ezshots.com/members/tripods/images/tripods-191.jpg>

That's an interesting looking folder. What it is?

John-

 

About 6 months ago I bought a used Yashica-D TLR, it too had a metal spool in it. The spool was on the feeder reel, NOT on the take up reel, so it's a good bet that it hadn't been moved since the last roll of film was run through the camera. The date of manufacture on my particular camera was 1976. someone else mentioned that in 1979 120 rollfilm came on a plastic spool. So, we could probably guess that rollfilm was last sold on a metal spool in the late 70's.

 

-John

Bill; the Folder is a Kodak Vigilant 620; from about 1947.

Aah, you've prompted a memory I had all but forgotten.

 

In the 60s and 70s I used a lot of Agfa Isopan and Adox KB

series film in 120 and this not only came on a metal spool but

was also in a sealable aluminium (yes, that's how we spell and

say it here) can with screw on lid.

 

Agfa colour neg film I think came in the same cans. It was

popular because having no orange base colour it was much

easier to print black & white from it.

We got a lot of 35mm metal cans and used to make bombs out of them. It is a wonder no one was hurt.

 

We would drill a hole in the cap and put in jetex wick, then fill the can with gunpowder. After lighting the wick, we would either drop it off a bridge or run like hell. Mad a big bang.

 

Then we graduated to homemade rockets.

 

And I ended up a chemist (not the British kind), photographer, and worked at Cape Canaveral. I kinda liked October Skies, having lived it in some ways.

 

Regards.

 

Ron Mowrey

Ron; we would place vinager and baking soda in the cans; with the acid in the can; and the base suspended above in a paper piece; such they wouldnt mix. This affair could be placed on a chair leg; and would burst when mixed. With some cans types; then were too strong; and wouldnt burst. Of course we experimnented with the mixtures; to get the best pop. This is abit dangerous; metal breaking and the eyes.

Wow...thanks for the info.

 

This one is now turning into the Anarchist's Cookbook though :0

 

jmp

I think the metal 120 spools were switched to plastic by Kodak in the late 50's to middle 60's. I shot a lot of Verichome Pan amd Plus-x and Tri-X with a 6x9 folder starting in 1972 when I got married. All the spools were plastic. I do recall getting a metal spool with some German film (Adox or Agfa; I'm not sure) in 1973 or so.

 

When I got my folder from my Dad it had a plastic spool in it.

 

I have a sealed roll of Kodak CPS 120 dated Dec 1974 that I'll bust open if needed to find out.<div></div>

I recently purchased a 120 back for my Bronica ETRS. In the back, there was a wooden spool with metal ends that read BROWNIE E.K. CO.. Interesting history lesson here.