mbroom Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 hello everyone! I've got recommended about Kodak Medalist. so I've searched many articles about Medalist and 120 film respooling. now what I know is : - film sizes are same at 620 and 120 - but 620 spool have smaller round ends and short length,- so 120 film does not fits directly. to solve this problem, I may modify film chamber, re-spool 120 film, or just use 620 film. found recently I am really not good at re-spooling.all of them got light leak. :( so I've considered about film chamber MOD, but unfortunately I cannot find MOD shop cause I'm outside US. I've heard that Kodak Medalist has strong and sturdy alloy die-casting body.now I wonder can I slightly drill out flim chamber with motored hand drill. is this possible? anyone have idea? all comments are welcomed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_earussi1 Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 I thought that the body was solid stainless steel. If you can send it to the U.S. there are shops who can modify it over here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_m Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Kodak went to extreme measures to make sure no-one could use 120 film in their 620 cameras. One can just imagine the Kodak executives and design engineers huddled in a room discussing how to lock their camera buyers into buying only Kodak film. Well the result is it's very difficult and very expensive to convert a Medalist or Monitor camera. Why bother? No Kodak camera is really worth it. There is at least one place that will convert Medalists; expect to pay a LOT of money to have it done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank.schifano Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 David, you know not of what you say. The Kodak Medalist is really a very nice machine and the Ektar lens is second to none. I know one fellow who owns one of these beasts and has had it modified to accept 120 rollfilm. The images produced by this 6x9 format camera are outstanding to say the least. Sang, if you can find someone locally to modify the camera for you, then go for it. Don't try to do it yourself unless you are very confident that you can do it correctly. This camera is far to nice to ruin with a hamfisted amateur job. Keep looking. You'll find a machinist to do the job right. Provide a sample 120 spool so the mechanic will know what he's working with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dean_williams Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 David M wrote: "No Kodak camera is really worth it." That's hilarious! Ridiculous, but hilarious. "There is at least one place that will convert Medalists; expect to pay a LOT of money to have it done." Well, that's true enough. Many people will pay more money just for a night on the town, though. It depends on what one wants. They are a fine camera with an excellent lens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 120 and 620 have different birthdays.<BR><BR> 120 film is 105 years old and started with WOODEN spools in the year of the TIGER ie 1901.<BR><BR><Br>620 came out a generation later in the year of the SHEEP in 1931 with trimmer reels to allow more compact folders.<BR><BR>Before the Tiger was born the 117 and 105 formats used the same films but the spools were abit different.<BR><BR><BR>The Ektar on the Medalist is so good that folks use to place ones from Medalists on the Original Hasslblad with FP shutter in the 1940's. Also Kodak made many of the as the first Hasselblad lenses.<BR><BR>620 film was designed to get a profit stream from developing film when the Dow Jones dropped 52.7% in one year. It closed at 80 points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minhnguyen9113 Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 I have not try a Medalist because I don't have one, but I did convert or modify some Tourist and Tourist II to use 120 roll film and 35mm roll film. Widen the film chambers to make rooms for 120 roll film spools Modify or make new winding shafts. You can do it, just take time and be patient. I will post the pictures so you can see tomorrow. Minh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_s Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 <a href="http://www.baldmtn.com/Convert.htm">*click*</a> <p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbroom Posted January 31, 2007 Author Share Posted January 31, 2007 yey, thanks for comments! I've heard that Kodak Medalist is almost only RF system that provide 6x8 MF images and worth to pay under 150$. I also saw some results of Medalist II, and it makes me to enthused especially at wide open and around f5.6. oops solid stainless steel? then motorized hand drill might not work :( MR. [or Ms.] nguyen, I'm very pleased to waiting. please let me know your know-how, so that I can show them to any mechanic around here. thanks for all comments and happy shooting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul ron Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 Yup I read all the same info you are. I have tried to modify a Medalist. It's not very hard to do but it has it's problems. The feed side roll is easy to make room in for a 120 spool. Just making room for the spool by cutting out some of the chamber shield where the spool rubs and thinning the door a bit at the spools rims it goes right in. On the wind side you can't really make a mod very easily since the spool center of the 620 is wrong for 120, too close to the door. It has to be moved and that just can't be done nicely without destroying the camera. If I were to do it again, I'd leave the wind side alone and just make room for the 120 feed side, using the camera to respool for you. Problem is you will loose a 620 spool if you send your film out. If you are developing your own, no problem. good luck. The more you say, the less people listen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Seaman Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 I've respooled 120 to 620 with no problems, just find a completely dark place, say a garage at night. Or a proper darkroom if you know anyone with one. Load the camera in as little light as possible if the spool does not seem tight enough. Just a thought could the light leak be comimg from the camera rather than respooling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minhnguyen9113 Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 Buy a changing bag about $10.00 and you can respool the film safely by hand any time, you will get used to it after two rolls. If you do not process the film yourself, ask the lab give you back the spools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_fromm2 Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 If the lab won't return spools and you must take up on a 620 spool, do what I do. Respool exposed film onto the 120 spool it came from. That's what a changing bag is for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshx Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 I have a Medalist II that I sent to Ken Ruth at Bald Mountain. He converted it to 120 (both spools, mind you) and it works brilliantly. It appears that he did mill out the chambers to fit the wider 120 spool, and possibly modified the film winder to fit a 120 spool. It is tight to get a 120 spool into the take-up side (it's easier to insert one end at a time, and do so at an angle, rather than try to force it straight in). I highly recommend his service, by the way. It was costly though; costly enough that after the fact it occurred to me that I could've bought a used Fuji 690 for only $200-300 more. (I'm not sure how the lenses would compare, but I've heard good things about the Fujis.) But, if you are willing to do the conversion yourself, or find a skilled machinist willing to take on the challenge cheaply, then it would be worth it. Of course, respooling your own film is the cheapest option. I just use this camera enough and value my spare time enough that I paid for the conversion. The images from this camera are amazing. I really couldn't say enough good things about the lens. Regardless of what option you pursue, you will not regret purchasing and using this camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_earussi1 Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 SangWook, my understanding of the history of the Medalist was that it was originally designed by Kodak for the Navy/Marines for use during WWII specifically in the tropics where all other cameras of the day were breaking down, and so stainless steel was the only material they had at the time that could withstand the heat and humidity. The II version came out after WWII and is supposed to be better and, because of the high cost of the modification, is the prefered one to modify to 120. But this is just from my memory and so could be wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charles_stobbs3 Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 If you google "kodak medalist camera" you come up with several interesting websites. One says the camera was first sold in 1941, presumably before Dec. 7. It says the camera had a cast aluminum body. Also I have read of people trimming the flanges on 120 spools so they will fit in 620 cameras, being careful to shield the spool ends from direct sunlight when handling film. As I remember the winding key slot needs to bushed to avoid sloppiness with the smaller 620 winding key or maybe you could adapt a 120 key to fit on the Medalist winder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul ron Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 The camera body is made of aluminum, not SS. It is very thick material mind you and justifies it's weight. The lenses are beautiful and from what I've heard these lenses are very saught after. I do have to say modifying this camera is not a job for a DIYer, it does involve some engenuity and dexterity with a dentist tools. I still have to work out the take up side and I'm converted. The more you say, the less people listen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_marvin Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 I guess I'm the guy Frank Schifano knows who uses a Medalist II. I used my Medalist for several years without modification. Re-spooling 120 film onto 620 spools isn't really that hard. When the camera finally needed a CLA, I sent it to Ken Ruth and also had it converted to 120. For about $100 additional, Ken modified the shutter by removing the delay mechanism for 'M' or'F' flashbulbs. This resulted in a MUCH smoother-working shutter release. IMO it was worth the high cost (about $400 in all) but, if your camera doesn't need any repairs you might want to practice re-spooling film. BTW, Ken Ruth milled out both the film chambers AND the camera back to fit 120 film. Probably not too hard a job IF you're a brilliant machinist like Ken, but NOT a DIY job for us mere mortals. BTW (again) in comparing the Medalist to the late model (non-interchangable lens) Fuji 690s, the cameras have roughly similar specs, but the Medalist may well have a better lens AND it's much more compact. The Medalist is also probably one of very few cameras that's proved itself as a weapon in hand-to-hand combat :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
profhlynnjones Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 Hi Sang Park, Years ago Mary Forscher of Professional Camera Repair Service in NYC modified the Medalist cameras for 120 film. The 620 spool was weak and stupid although 620 and 120 films are identical. In the 50's you could buy parts for the conversion listed in camera magazines. The camera was one of the finest medium format cameras ever made even though it started in the 1930's. The Model II had flash syncronization. Several incredible add ons made it pretty amazing including a bellows back that could be used for close up use (ational Geo frequently recommended it). Lots of these were made for the US Navy for combat use in WWII. The 5 element Ektar was a spectacular design based on the Voightlander Heliar and the Dallmeyer Pentac. Nobody made this design better than Kodak which had the first "rare earth" lens element ever placed in a lens. This design was used in several lenses including the 50mm and 75mm enlarging lenses for the Kodak Precision A enlarger and all of the Kodak apo lenses made for several years. The Medalist rangefinder was the best ever made for MF. Lynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minhnguyen9113 Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 SangWook, Here are the pictures of the Kodak Tourist II before and after being converted. I use hand drill and grinder to do the job so it looks ugly but works excellent and it can handle both 120 roll film and 135 roll film. Minh <p> <img src="http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/360/dsci0001atc8.jpg"> <p> <img src="http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/4504/dsci0002aym3.jpg"> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbroom Posted February 1, 2007 Author Share Posted February 1, 2007 Yes I say WOW to all comments :) whether it is made by aluminum alloy or stainless steel, today I heard more about structure and build condition of Medalist, now I agree that It is not for DIYer. anyway I'll try to find 'excelhands' mechanic around here. or maybe I'll respool 120 film to 620 spool :( thanks again and may the God bless classic camera buffs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furcafe Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 FYI, I'm another satisfied owner of a Kodak Medalist II converted to 120 by Ken Ruth. I wish I had more occasion to use mine (it's a bit big to slip into my briefcase & bring to work!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george_hazelton Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 There is at least one source for 620 film, www.jancphoto.com. At this writing they are "closed for reorganization." Let's hope this is temporary. I would like to try them for 127 film - I have a Komaflex S, to my knowledge the only SLR made for that format. It only needs a sticky shutter fixed. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george_hazelton Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 An addition to my earlier post. Have a look at B & H Photo. My catalog arrived today and listed film in 620, 127, and even in 828. Anyone else remember that? They only had a few emulsions, and the films are expensive! Buying some of their stock might be a good way to find out if you want to go to the trouble and expense of modifying that fine old-timer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murrayatuptowngallery Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 Manfred Schmidt in the Chigago, IL area does a feed-side-only 120 modification for about $120 + shipping. One uses the 620 spool for take-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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