Kinax II folder - what film?

[janice_mackay]

Hi all,

 

Maybe someone here owns, or knows about, the Kinax II (a French-made

folder). I'd like to know whether it takes 120 or 620 film, as I've

found conflicting information in my search so far. I'm being tempted

by a very low price, but I'm not sure I want to hassle with making

120 film fit the camera. Other than that, I'd be interested in

personal recommendations (or not). :-)

 

Thanks again,

 

Janice M. (NZ)

[winfried_buechsenschuetz1]

I have a Kinax II. BTW there were two models of the Kinax II, an older one with a Berthiot Flor lens and a round disk on the rear part of the viewfinder for parallax correction, and a later one with double-exposure latch and parallax correction by a slider which tilts the viewfinder.

 

However, ALL Kinax cameras accept 620 film only. I am using the Kinax II and Super Kinax III and roll my own film on 620 spools.

[janice_mackay]

Thanks Winfried. I'm pretty sure one link I found that said '620' was a comment by you on another Photo.net thread. The 120 version is here (perhaps he means *he* uses 120 film, adjusted to fit?):

 

<http://vieilalbum.321webmaster.com/kinax2.htm>

 

Sorry about the link, I tried using html to make it clickable but then lost all my paragraphs. I need to learn more html...

 

What's the Kinax like to use?

 

Janice M. (NZ)

[winfried_buechsenschuetz1]

Well, on your link it is stated that this camera uses 120 film with reduced shafts, i.e. the shafts are thinner than normal. But this is not quite correct. 620 spools look very similar to 120 spools but their shafts are thinner, and the flanges have smaller diameter. On many cameras, however, it is possible to use 120 spools with trimmed flanges, provided that the coupling piece in the camera (which is smaller than on cameras designed for 120 format) will accept the spool and turn it correctly. Also, be careful when (un)loading film on trimmed 120 spools, they are probably more prone to 'light leaks' since the trimmed flanges don't block the light as much as they used to do.

 

There were two lines of Kinax cameras, the basic line (Baby, Junior, Kinax I) with a scissor-like spreader mechanism and the more advanced ones like the Kinax II, Kinax III and Super Kinax III. If your camera has a Berthiot Flor lens you will get quite sharp images, the Flor lens is better than the Special Anastigmat used on the later model of the Kinax II. The workmanship inside the shutter is not the very best on early models but was improved later, but they all will perform sufficiently well for b/w shots. Otherwise the advanced line of Kinax folders can easily with the german 6x9 Ikontas.

[francis_roux]

I confirm that my Kinax III uses 620 rollfilms. Mine has a 100 mmm f/4,5 Boyer Saphir lens.

The 620 films can now only be found in the USA (yes !) and Germany: in B/W old Czeh firm and for colour prints by Fuji. Just try typing "620" on Yahoo...

You can also try to roll by hand 120 format films on 620 empty rolls, but it's not easy and risky, since the flanks are smaller.

Good luck