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Grant Weir
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 11:58 am: | 
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Hello,
I have a Kodak Medalist II that I would like to convert from 620 film to 120. I have browsed the internet and fould little info on this subject other than where I can get it done. "They" say Ken Ruth of Photography on Bald Mountain or maybe Essex Camera of NJ can do it, but the cost is high and the wait is long.
I am a machinist by trade and have a pretty good idea of how I would do it, but would like to hear from others who have done it, or have had it done. There MUST be someone out there with the kahunas to give this a try.
Grant Weir
Saskatoon, SK
Canada |
Glenn Middleton
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 01:47 pm: |
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For non Kodak cameras; the best way is to remove the wind knob and remake the drive key on the wind shaft to fit 120 spools, also increase diameter of locating pin in other chamber - glue a bit of tube over the pin.
In Kodak cameras the dimensions of the film chambers are so tight that the slightly taller 120 spools will not fit in. Hence costly re-machining of the chamber. It is suggested that this small increase in size was a way that Kodak protected its US patents, but could also sell 120 film all over the World.
Easiest way is to collect 620 spools and rewind 120 film onto them. Use a changing bag. If you do not develop the film yourself, rewind back onto the original 120 spool - you will loose your precious 620 spool if you do not.
Google 'converting from 620 to 120 film' plenty to read there. |
Winfried
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 15, 2006 - 01:43 am: |
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If the wind key of a 620 camera is too small to fit a 120 spool you can easily make an adaptor. Take a strip of thin sheet metal (approx. 8mm wide, several tenth of a millimeter thick). Bend it into a T shape (with the vertical line doubled and approx. 1mm distance) so that it fits into the slot of a 120 spool. Now the small 620 key will drive the 120 spool, too. Do not forget to remove the adaptor prior to giving the film to a lab. |
Mark Pearce
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 15, 2006 - 04:18 am: |
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As Glenn stated, the problem with the Medalist is the physcial size of the film chambers. I looked into this for my own Medalist, and found the film chambers both too short and too small in diamater.
Now, opening up these specs is beyond my skills, but if you try it and pull it off let me know.
Mark P |
Grant Weir
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 15, 2006 - 01:58 pm: |
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Hello all,
Thanks for the good ideas and tips. That key adapter is a slick one - thanks. For the moment, I think I will probably re-roll my own 620 from 120 but I do want to convert this thing over as soon as possible. I have no problem with the re-rolling idea, it's just a convenience issue really. I don't want to be on vacation and have to re-roll film in my hotel room instead of, well, anything else. I plan to use this camera a lot.
I have not looked too closely as of yet into just exactly how much material needs to come out of the film bays, but I do know that the 120 rolls are about 0.10" larger on diameter than the 620's are. That means I have to carve out about 0.050" of material to make the 120's fit like the 620's do now. I think I might be able to remove the little steel pads that the edge of the roll rides on on the supply side, and that might get me close. The take-up side is tighter though and I'm afraid I might have to machine right through the metal into the interior of the camera in order to make 120 fit. Actually, that might be the answer - cut slots in the metal around where the film rides, and epoxy another piece of metal onto the other side. Then the new reel would fit into the "slot" and ride on the metal glued to the other side. I kind of like the sounds of that. I might even be able to screw the pieces on and glue them too. Hmmm... I guess I'll have to get the calipers out tonight and look a little closer.
Thanks everyone for the help. I will write back with my findings.
Grant Weir
Saskatoon, SK.
Canada |
John
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 17, 2006 - 12:00 pm: |
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I think that one of the problems with Kodaks is that if you remove the metal pads you refer to, you will find that the film will be slightly off center. There is more space on one end of the spools in the chambers that on the opposite end. Not much space, but probably enough to cause a problem. I looked at converting one of my folders, but it appeared to me that it be a lot of work to end up with yet another problem, and still have to cut the spool end diameters down to get them to fit. |
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