Is 620 film worth the expense?

[jaydesi]

<p>B&H has a few types of 620 film, but at $10 or $11 for what looks to be 8 or 12 exposures (looking at the picture; the site doesn't say anything about how many there are), is it worth it, rather than just re-rolling 120 onto the 620 spools, for 1/3 of the cost per roll? The info on B&H doesn't say how many exposures are on each roll, so I can't really tell if it's the same or not. At any rate, the 120 isn't likely to have fewer exposures per roll, so I can't imagine that it's worth buying the 620 except to have some spools onto which I can wind the 120.</p>

<p>The reason I ask this is that as it turns out, my parents have an Argus 75 that was tucked back in a closet, unused and unwanted. It's going to be mine on Saturday!</p>

 

[john_wiegerink1]

<p>Jay,<br>

Most every roll of 620 film that<em> I know of is just re-spooled 120 film. You can do the same thing yourself at a much cheaper cost. All you'll need is a few old empty 620 film spools and whatever 120 film you would like to shoot. You need a completely dark space or a film changing bag for this process, but that's about all. I could give you the procedure for re spooling, but just do a search here and you'll find tons of topics about it. I do it all the time and find it very easy, but the first few times should be just for practice or pictures that are expendable. Couple of times through and you'll have the hang of it. Sure, it's easier to just buy from B&H, but it cost more and you are limited to only the emulsions they sell. JohnW</em></p>

[jaydesi]

<p>Thanks, John...that's pretty much what I thought, so I picked up 2 rolls of the 620 for the spools, and then some 120 to re-spool myself. I've seen a number of threads here on re-spooling, so I know I'll have plenty of how-to help. I'll have to get a changing bag.</p>

[andylynn]

<p>I take it since you don't already have a changing bag that you don't do your own film processing? Make sure you can get the lab you use to give the spools back.</p>

[walter_degroot]

<p>MANY if not all "620 cameras will accept a 120 spool<br>

in the supply side. Just do not let the 620 ( metal) spools leave your hands.<br>

!20 film can often be purchased at a local camera store.<br>

The only problem you face is that older cameras were designed for slow<br>

film with speeds under 100. The tendency today is to make 200 400 and faster film.<br>

B&W you should do yourself. Color (c-41) if you can get iso 100 film and<br>

probably respool it to send out a 120 spool . is the safest.<br>

C-41 film tolerates overexposure and if the camera is intrended for asa 32 or asa 64 film and you use asa(iso)<br>

100 film it should work out well.</p>

<p>I think Kodak knew it was a "trick" to make 620 amd 616 film when it was the same film and paper as 120 & 116.<br>

the problems with the small daiameter spool on 127 were known very early. ( film curl and unsharpness)<br>

and changing to the slimmer spools was, in my estimation,. a nasty trick.<br>

but Kodak, despite the high quality of the products, was well know for gumb moves like 126, 110 disk and adavantix.</p>

<p>M</p>

<p> </p>

[tomscott]

<blockquote>

<p>Make sure you can get the lab you use to give the spools back.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Or just respool it back on to the 120 spool before you send it for processing. Also, if you have a bathroom or large closet that you can black out easily you can save the cost of the changing bag. Just sit in the room in the dark for a few minutes and you will be to see if there is any stray light that would damage your film, many times you can just turn your back to the light source and proceed without any problems.</p>

[robert_marvin]

<p>Not only is it not worth the cost, but the plastic 620 spools on the few rolls I bought from B&H (ten years ago, when I first got my Medalist II) were so flimsy that they sometimes jammed mid roll. Get some old metal 620 spools and re-spool your own.</p>

<p>BTW, the number of exposures on a roll of 620 (or 120) film depends on the camera--8, 10, 12, or 16, depending on the negative size. Your Argus will give you 12 square negatives.</p>

[jaydesi]

<p>Ok, thanks. I don't do my own developing because I haven't shot with film in more than 10 years, and then only color. This week has been my first venture into B&W and older cameras. Yesterday I picked up a 1954 Argus C3 and spent the evening cleaning it out. I need to replace the leatherette, since I ruined it taking it off the camera, but that's only cosmetic and seems relatively easy to replace. I went out this afternoon and shot a roll, I'll probably get that developed at a nearby shop so I can see how the pics turned out, without worrying if it was my developing or my shooting that was off (if the pics don't turn out well). I used Efke ISO 25, and it is a bright, beautiful day. Hopefully I'll get at least 1 or 2 keepers from the roll.</p>

<p>I am getting a bunch of used darkroom supplies today, apparently everything I'll need except chemicals. So maybe I'll get a bag with that, I'm not sure what all is included but it's quite a lot of stuff (or it seems so to me).</p>

[walter_degroot]

<p>if you start developing B&W or anything for that mattetr<br>

be patirnt.,<br>

getting solutions to exactly 68 or 75 degrees can be tedius.<br>

get a chart so you can develop at 68-70-72 or 75 degrees.<br>

use a concentrated Liquid developer<br>

or if you use d-76 from powder use it 1:1 from the quart of stock solution<br>

and after you do a roll toss it.<br>

Keep a Notebook.</p>

[matthew_rusbarsky]

<p>"...the plastic 620 spools on the few rolls I bought from B&H (ten years ago, when I first got my Medalist II) were so flimsy that they sometimes jammed mid roll. Get some old metal 620 spools and re-spool your own."</p>

<p>I've bought 620 from B+H. Mine never jammed, but were too flimsy to survive respooling. Cost of 620 film=$11 (spools can't really be reused more than once). Cost of 120 film = $3-$5. Value of 620 spools on ebay+$4-$6. Value of a cool old 620 camera almost guaranteed to have at least one 620 spool inside =$5. Use B+H for your first try. If your going to stick with 620, search a bit. $11 often gets you film, a good metal spool, and a cool camera as a bonus.</p>

[chuck_foreman1]

THe 620 I bought in 2008 was on metal spools... Anyway as the gist of this is.. it's all 120 anyway you just got to have spools!

[cj8281]

<p>I have an Argus Super 75. It has the adjustable f-stops of 8, 11 and 16, and the guesstimate focusing system. The 75 has a fixed 75 mm (i believe) lens. The Super 75 has a 65 mm lens. Fun camera. A 120 spool will <em>fit</em> in the supply side of the Super 75, however (you knew this was coming) after a few frames (don't ask me why) it starts to drag and catch. I have run like 3 or 4 spools of 120 through it and they all did it. I think since the support nubs are small that they catch on the drive slots of the 120 spools (which are big). I have thought about building some inserts to go in the ends of the 120 to keep it centered on the support nubs. But the important thing is, 120 should also work in the 75, just be prepared that it will more than likely have a bit of drag to it but it should make it all the way through the roll. (what a run on sentence, Mr Worsham would be proud) 620 respooling is pretty easy too. Like some of the other posters have said respool it back to 120 before you send it out, don't ever let your metal 620 spools get out of your sight.</p>

<p>Argus C3, another fine camera. If the two view finders are dirty, the rear lenses can be removed with a small pick and the inside of the front lenses can be cleaned with a Q-tip. Mine was super dirty when i got it and now it is very bright even though they are small. Have fun with them, they are both keepers in my book.</p>

[jaydesi]

<p>I managed to get everything cleaned up on the Argus C3, bought a cheap purse from Target and replaced the leatherette...I was planning to post a picture of it here with some sample shots, but I had some problems. It works great, kinda...all the mechanics work well, although the rangefinder dial gets a little sticky at one point, but the focus is shallower than what's indicated by the rangefinder. My subjects all turned out blurry, but the foreground is sharp as a tack. So I'm not sure if I put the lens assembly back incorrectly, or what. More experimentation is on the horizon.I know it needs to be adjusted vertically, so I probably need to get out a tape measure and adjust the horizontal, too.</p>

<p>That said, it was really fun to use this camera. A total change from my 7D. I did catch myself looking at the back of the camera a couple times to "review" my shot. Interesting the habits that develop.</p>

[cj8281]

<p>Ok the C3 has a removable lens. they made 3 different lenses for it that I am aware of. It sounds like you are off one or more teeth. What I do when remounting the lens is thread the lens all the way in, set the range finder to infinity now turn the lens back out til the coupling gear can just drop in. When you set to minimum distance, mine goes a little past the 3 foot mark. Now you got me wondering if mine is set properly, ok i will throw some film in it and go check it out. The little boys are bugging me to take them to the park anyways. I will let you know how it goes.<br>

Can you imagine using the Argus C? That is the one that does not have the coupling gear between the lens and the focusing ring. Just one more step in the process I guess.</p>

<p> </p>

[cj8281]

<p>Ok the C3 suffered a serious set back. I shot most of a roll of film and then went to take a picture of a building and focused in, the range finder said that it was 25 feet away but in reality it was more like 125 feet away. So I took it home and today I tore it apart. I did manage to get all of the front covering off in whole pieces, I did use a lot of lighter fluid. I cleaned and relubed it and reassembled. I got out the 50 foot tape and began playing with the mirrors. The Argus collectors group calls adjusting the range finder "tedious", I call it a %$#@&*%$# PAIN IN THE @$$! but it got done, well, done as its going to get unless the pictures come out way out of focus. How thin was that purse that you bought for the leather? Lets see a picture of it. A few years ago I saw an Argus C3 done up with model railroad brick facade, it was funny, a brick made of little bricks!<br>

Super 75, i built a pair of adapters for the 120 spool. I found a box of "Ribbed Plastic Anchors #4-6x7/8" they are marked as light duty and I got them at Home Depot (home improvement store not a hardware store). I cut the rib off the outside of the anchor with the X-Acto knife and then shoved the end in as far as it would go and then marked it and cut it. I pulled it back out and used a 5/32 drill bit to get the inner diameter to the right size. I used the X-Acto to all so remove the 2 little tabs from the inside. Now the spool spins easily and doesn't bounce around on the little pegs. The hole on the 120 spool is .216 inches and the hole in the 620 spool is .157 inches (which is close enough to 5/32=.15625) I shall have to load it and try it out tomorrow. I have an old roll of Arista.EDU (Not Arista.EDU Ultra) 100 that I am going to throw in it. I have another roll but it is 400 and I don't think that will do very well with a 1/60 (or so) fixed shutter.<br>

Hey, here is a picture, I put one adapter in each spool, one spool had the double drive (Big X) and the other is a single (slot). They fit in each. Also included the box of anchors so you can see what they are and what they look like. I think I will still make some out of aluminum or wood sometime though.</p><div></div>

[jaydesi]

<p>I picked up the 75 this weekend, no spools inside. I'm guessing I'm going to have to waste a roll of film to have a take up spool...I don't seem to be able to find any metal spools for purchase.</p>

<p>Clay, it seems like your modification of the 120 spools will prevent wobbling, but I've also heard that the diameter of the disk on a 120 spool is larger and needs to be trimmed to fit properly in the 620 slot...let me know how that goes. I'd rather waste a roll of 120 film for the spool modification than one of the "620" rolls I got.</p>

<p>The fake leather purse for the C3 was fairly thin. It seems to be a bit thicker than the leatherette that was originally in place, but not by much. It's basically plastic on a fabric backing. I think the glue soaked into the fabric and helped to compress it a bit.</p>

[cj8281]

<p>Thats too bad, the 75 should have had 1 spool in it. My Super 75 has film in it right now, I loaded a roll of 120 paper through it last night and it worked as good as I expected. The spool rubs just a bit on the back is all, nothing I am worried about. The little inserts that I made are removable and reusable. No 120 spools where harmed in the making of these adapters. ;) The package of anchors cost me like $1.89 I think. I don't know if I have any extra 620 spools laying around. The one that I was using for measurements is now loaded in the camera. I shall look around and see if I can locate some. I do have six boxes of 620 film, 3 Kodacolor-X (process by 1974), 1 box of tri-x (process by 1970) and 2 boxes of verichrome (process by 1947) so nothing really new and that I want to open for just a spool. I will probably shoot them sometime though. You ought to see some of the 127 film that my Dad brought to me. Maybe a picture. Sometime.</p>

[tomscott]

<blockquote>

<p>I don't seem to be able to find any metal spools for purchase.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Go to ebay and punch in 620 film spools. There are several for sale.</p>

[cj8281]

<p>The little inserts that I made above work wonderfully. As a note, the supply side 120 spools do not need to be trimmed as they will fit, they may rub a tiny bit though. The take up side do need to be trimmed to fit. One thing to be careful of when trimming is if you trim too much, you might end up with your film being exposed on the edges.</p>