re-rolling 620 film

[mike_gillespie]

I bought a foldex camera so i can re roll 120 to 620 spools as it takes both,

but in searching the internet i get conflicting advice on how to do it. Some

say you cant just roll one way and then re roll the other on a 620 spool as the

film and backing paper are separate, however on 2 sites i see where they say

you can do it no problem. Anybody got the real answer?

[craig_supplee]

If you are talking about taking a roll of 120 and rolling it onto a 620 spool as if it were exposed, and then rerolling it back onto another 620 spool for correct starting, I have not tried that. It would probably work, as you are starting with the end that is taped to the backing paper. The problem I see with that is the double handling which might cause issues trying to keep the film and paper wrapped correctly between the flanges. This is compounded by the fact that you have to feel your way through this process in the dark.

 

I unroll the 120 loosely in my hand and then reroll it onto the 620 spool starting from that end. You have to be carefull to capture the film as you are rolling it, or else it will roll outside the paper. When you get to the opposite end, you have to untape the film from the paper as there will be a bulge there from the difference in the spool diameters and retape it to the paper.

 

What I have just decribed is a lot easier to understand once you have done it. You might want to waist a roll by doing this in the daylight several times until you feel comfortabe doing it without looking.

[walter_degroot]

if the 620 camera accepts a full rollof 120, even some of the bownie hawkeyes do. or with a slight mod, you can put in a full roll of 120, that simplifies the use of a 620 camera.

 

You then just to reroll the film ONCE.

[tripanfal]

I do it the same way Craig does. It is easier than it sounds. I was concerned myself the first time I did it but it was easy. I can do a roll in about a minute now.

 

Have fun with your old 620 !

[jon_b.1]

I have a Foldex 20 and I have used it to re-spool 120 to 620. It works OK, but there are two problems: The Foldex does not make the tightest wound spools, and also the untaped end gets hung up sometimes (but not always) in the camera on the return trip through. The way I usually do it, is first wind the film through a better quality 120 camera to get a tight wind, then, in the darkroom I will unroll it just enough to find the untaped edge of the film, tape it down, roll it back up, and then run it through the Foldex onto the 620 spool. You end up with a roll of 620 which is taped at both ends, but this does not seem to be a problem.

[robert_marvin]

I briefly tried using a Foldex to re-spool 120 film onto 620 spools [before having my Medalist II converted to 120]. It sometimes worked, but just as often tore up the roll of film. IMO it's easier to do the re-spooling by hand in a changing bag. There must be lots of people who want to try a Foldex though--I had no trouble selling mine for what I had paid, even with a warning.

[JDMvW]

A Google will show at least of a couple of sites that suggest how you can modify a 120 roll to work in a 620 camera without respooling. You can shave down the flanges on the roll, for one thing, and stop up the slots for the 120 mount on the sides, for another.

 

I'd get you the sources, but don't have the time right now.

[mike_gillespie]

Its for a medalist camera, so from what i have read previously, the chambers are too tight to take a cut down 120 spool, although i have not tried it, many thanks for the answers so far. I will probably wind up buying 620 film which actually is re rolled 120 from classic or some other source.

[ralf_j.]

Mike - Rerolling a 120 roll to a 620 is the simplest thing you can do. I usually roll the film onto another 120 spool inside a camera. Then roll the film onto a 620 spool inside changin bag and never have any issues, never have to retape also. Now rolling a 127 roll from slit down 120 film is a different storry as that is a challenge and takes me about 10-15 mins per roll. I would advise agains buying "fresh 620" film as it is very pricey. You should deginitely try it yourself first.

[craig_supplee]

Ralf, how do you manage to reroll the film from the 120 onto a 620 spool and not have to redo the tape when you get back to the beginning. The 620 center is smaller diameter, and therefore you should end up with a bulge of film at the tape point.

[robert_marvin]

"you should end up with a bulge of film at the tape point".

 

I re-spooled lots of film, before having my Medalist converted to 120, and never had that problem--not once.

[craig_supplee]

Perhaps it's because I unroll the film so that it is loose and gets quite large in diameter, so that when I tightly reroll it on the 620 spool it creates the bulge from too much slop between film and paper.

[craig_supplee]

I just tried rerolling onto a 120 spool then rolling back onto a 620 spool, and I still ended up with a small bulge that made the tape overlap itself slightly as I finished up rolling. This was done by hand, not in a camera. Maybe by hand I am rolling it tighter. Now if I reroll a new roll onto a 620 spool to begin with and then roll it back onto another 620 spool, everything is fine.

[tony_lockerbie]

I always ended up with the bulge as well. I just roll it until it gets to the tape, then unstick it from the backing, and just keep rolling and I find that it resticks itself a little further along. You have to keep things tight, as the 620 spool doesn't seem so deep.

 

An old roll of 120 that is out of date, could be handy for practising with the lights on.

 

Tony

[jeff bishop]

Back when I would re-roll 620, I did it the way Craig is saying. Unroll it loosely in my hand, then roll on to the 620 spool.

 

Real easy.