Brownie Target Six-20: My wife inherited a Brownie Target Six-20 camera from her father. We suspect he bought it in the late 40's. We "think" there may be some undeveloped film in this...

Basil Loc: New Mexico

My wife inherited a Brownie Target Six-20 camera from her father. We suspect he bought it in the late 40's. We "think" there may be some undeveloped film in this camera, but not sure how to check. Is there a place we could send this camera where they would know how to open it and check if there is any film (and develop it if there is)?

medavis43 Loc: Folkston, GA

620 was a number for film as I recall. Most older cameras had a little tiny window that showed number - I think it was of number of exposures left on the roll. If you wind the film, it would give resistance if it is still in place. If fully used but still in camera, winder will be easy to turn, you can then open camera and stick down the end of the roll of film. This kind of film has a paper backing - not like a 35mm negative. Now the experts can correct me - doing from memory!

Basil Loc: New Mexico

Thanks. I have no idea how to open this thing and was hoping someone might know a place I could send it to have it taken apart and checked for film. There may be something broken such that it won't open, but I sure could not figure out how to open it myself.

medavis43 Loc: Folkston, GA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt6NpGSGyGg
Shows how to open it. Nothing any of us would have figured out on our own!

Tom H Loc: St. Louis, MO

i think medavis43 is right. If their was film in it you wuld likely see a number is the little round red window.

If it does have film, I would NOT try to rewind it or anything else. let a pro with a darkroom take it and open it in the darkroom when he is ready to go ahead with the developing. I suspect it will be hard to find such a person. That person would have to be willing to research the chemicals that needed to be used on the old film, buy them and prepare them just in hopes of getting something from the very old film. Likely more expensive than it is worth, considering that the old film 's chemicals probably didn't hold up over the years. My guess is that the film is blank.

But, that is only my guess. Anybody out there have any real knowledge about such things?

Basil Loc: New Mexico

Well, since there was nothing shooing at all in the window, I took a chance and opened it in the dark (using the instructions in that video link - thanks medavis43!). Anyway, all the drama for nothing. There was no film in the camera! Darn!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

medavis43 wrote:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt6NpGSGyGg
Shows how to open it. Nothing any of us would have figured out on our own!

I watched the same video to find out how to open mine. I bought one on ebay, intending to use it as part of a table lamp.

When I was a kid, my family had one of these. Every time they wanted to use it, they had to bring it to a "drugstore" and have someone there open it.

If I ever get the lamp made, I'll post pictures.

medavis43 Loc: Folkston, GA

jerryc41 wrote:

I watched the same video to find out how to open mine. I bought one on ebay, intending to use it as part of a table lamp.

When I was a kid, my family had one of these. Every time they wanted to use it, they had to bring it to a "drugstore" and have someone there open it.

If I ever get the lamp made, I'll post pictures.

Would like to see the lamp you make. Our family took its fair share of pics on these and similar cameras.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

medavis43 wrote:

Would like to see the lamp you make.

So would I. I managed to put a couple of blue LEDs inside. They'll shine out through those little viewfinders.

RMM Loc: Suburban New York

jerryc41 wrote:

I watched the same video to find out how to open mine. I bought one on ebay, intending to use it as part of a table lamp.

When I was a kid, my family had one of these. Every time they wanted to use it, they had to bring it to a "drugstore" and have someone there open it.

If I ever get the lamp made, I'll post pictures.

Not sure if you're remembering correctly, Jerry. At the end of the roll, you rewound the film in the camera, opened it and took the roll to the drugstore. It wasn't necessary to bring the whole camera.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

RMM wrote:

Not sure if you're remembering correctly, Jerry. At the end of the roll, you rewound the film in the camera, opened it and took the roll to the drugstore. It wasn't necessary to bring the whole camera.

It was if you didn't know how to open the camera to thread the film through. :D When I got to be 10 or 12, I was the one who made the repairs and did the technical stuff in the house. :D Mother, father, and brother were not technically inclined at all.

However, at one time we did use little brown, cardboard single-use cameras that were mailed away to be processed. We would get the pictures and a new camera in the mail. This was in the 1950's, long before the colorful cardboard-covered plastic single-use cameras.

Kingmapix Loc: Mesa, Arizona

This camera marked my beginning as a photographer.
A real classic.

Just rewind the film and it should be safe to open.
You could have a nice suprise awaiting.

medavis43 Loc: Folkston, GA

jerryc41 wrote:

So would I. I managed to put a couple of blue LEDs inside. They'll shine out through those little viewfinders.

Sounds like a good start.

drivered Loc: Capital District, NY

I had one of those when I was a kid. Took pretty good photos with it. That was my first camera.

drivered Loc: Capital District, NY

PS when I first saw the Brownie Hawkeye I would have died to have on of those.