graybeard

I have some old cameras I was looking thru and they need film like 116, 120, 126, 127 etc. Are any of these films available? I might be tempted to actually use an old Kodak box camera using 116 film with patent dates of 1916 on it. Any thoughts?

jimmya Loc: Phoenix

Difficult to say about availability... check with a camera shop to be sure.

twowindsbear

120 should be rather easy to find. I doubt you'll find the others you've listed and if you do the'll be outrageously expensive. Good luck

Try Freestyle - last time I checked they offered vintage film sizes.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

120 film is easy to find and process. I use http://thedarkroom.com/ to develop my film.

pounder35 Loc: "Southeast of Disorder"

Except for the 120, processing might be a problem. It's still popular. I have a Mamiya 645 that takes 120 but haven't used it in a few years.

Kuzano

120 is currently produced, and readily available. I get mine on eBay.... either current dated or expired (cold stored to ten years is good for me)

Most of the others you mentioned are actually 120 re-spooled onto Kodak rolls. Kodak made their roll ends a proprietary size, and If you have the metal spools, the ends are sized for the Kodak camera they were used in. Purpose to proprietary size was that they sold film and the unique size prevented use of other makers film. Kodak invented Proprietary.

Some... not all actually used film the same dimension and spacing numbers as 120. If you have the proper spools, you can re-spool 120 film on the rolls.

There are providers who re-spool and market the films on spools that fit the various camera's.

You can also find some DIY methods for trimming the spool diameter on 120 to fit some Kodaks.

Kodaks have almost no value because of the HUGE numbers they were sold in, but some of them had excellent lenses. Many folders from the fifties had an "anastigmat" lens that competed with professional glass. Even these camera's sell from $5 to $50 dollars (with $50 being rare and uncommonly high pricing for an old Kodak)

They are however, very good fun and cheap.

Google for respooled film Kodak.

You'll find it. Even try that on eBay.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

You can probably use 120 roll film in some of these. The original take up spools are easier to use, if available. if not, you'll need an empty 120 spool.

Now, the end to end dimension of the 120 spool is smaller than that of the original 116 spools. That is an easy issue to solve, but does require a bit of skill to modify the parts you'll need, which are easily obtainable at your local hardware store.

--Bob

Kuzano

There are also people who do conversions to 120 film on Kodak Camera's. One of Kodak's best medium format camera's the Medalist and Medalist II are often converted. The Medalist camera's from Kodak were sold on military contract to the Navy for a few years, and are PHENOMENAL medium format camera's shooting 6X9 centimeter frames.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

You will find all those films at B&H for instance, many more stores have them.

Kuzano

I process my medium format film through Walmart. The local Walmart uses a "Send Out Only" service and the one I visit sends the film to Fujifilms Professional Labs. Excellent processing, no losses in fifteen years, ten day turnaround and DIRT CHEAP if I simply have process and roll done on the film. Under $10 all costs, without prints.

Walmart employees never open the roll, or the return envelope. All that is done at Fujifilm. Toll free number to call Fujifilm.

Have a writeup on this if you PM me. Most recent done 3 months ago.

g8rfan1942 Loc: Ormond Beach Fl

Check Amazon. I bought some 110 film a short while ago for my old Pentax Auto 110 SLR. I bought the camera in 1978 from the original old 47th Street Photo while I was still living in NYC. It was (and still is as far as I know) the world's smallest SLR. I was curious to see if it still worked as well as I remembered. I haven't tried yet to get the film developed. That should be an adventure :lol:

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

120 film is very widely available still. It was originally just 70mm wide movie film, cut for length and packaged as a short roll with a paper light-proof backing added. (Note: 35mm film was originally derived from this, too... Simply by splitting the roll lengthwise... at first without sprocket holes, then later with them added. 17.5mm and 16mm films were done by splitting 35mm film one more time.... And 8mm movie film was achieved by splitting it yet again.)

A lot of the film variations came about due to Kodak marketing efforts. Kodak bought the license and eventually got the patent to type 101 film, the first roll film, and soon came to love creating their own film format cameras, to try to lock in and monopolize customers for film and processing after the camera sale. This often worked for a while, until other camera and film manufacturers caught up with the changes. Then Kodak would change the format yet again. For a more complete list of film formats (mostly Kodak creations), see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_format

I haven't used it, but understand 116 film can be accomplished with 120 film, either re-rolling the film and/or with some slight modification to the camera.

120 film can be rerolled for use as 620 and 616 film, both also Kodak odd-balls initially. They really only differ from 120 in the size of spindle used inside the roll. The film itself is no different. Ostensibly, the slightly smaller 616 and 620 spindles allowed Kodak to make smaller cameras... but it's so little real difference I think this was just an excuse to come up with yet another film format and enjoy it's exclusivity for a while.

220 film is nothing more than 120 film packaged without the paper backing to be thinner, which in turn allows for a longer roll and twice the number of exposures. Because it doesn't have the light-proof paper backing, it cannot be used in older cameras that have the little red window on the back to display the frame numbers printed on 120's paper backing. And, due to the reduced thickness, many cameras capable of using 220 have a special pressure plate arrangement to help insure the film is held flat.

127 film is another Kodak spec that they originally made for their Vest Pocket cameras... but was soon adopted by many other camera and film manufacturers. It's narrower than 120mm film, but remains available in limited types at a few suppliers (B&H in NY has it... and a lot of other vintage format films).

110 and 126 were both very large format roll films prior to WWII, mostly intended for use in roll film holders fitted to glass plate cameras... But these same designations also were 1960/70's era miniature (26mm wide) cartridge films... All of these are more Kodak creations, of course!

I don't think you'll be able to find the larger, early 110 or 126 roll films, if those are what you're seeking. However, cameras in those formats should also be able to used sheet film in holders... or may be possible to modify to use it... most likely in today's 4x5", 5x7" formats or similar.

If you are seeking the 110 and 126 cartridge films, search the internet. I'm sure you'll find a few suppliers and processors.

If you shoot black & white, with many of these films (aside from the cartridges) you could simply process the negatives yourself. You don't even need a dark room... a simple changing bag and light proof developing tanks will work (after you learn to load the film by touch alone). Some chemicals, a timer and thermometer, and you're all set. As to making positive prints from the negs, with some of the larger image size formats, direct contact prints might suffice (no enlarger needed). If you want to put a darkroom together and do enlargements too... that should be easy and relatively cheap if you shop the used market. "Fume room" gear sells for pennies on the dollar, compared to what it originally cost. I still have much of my darkroom in storage... I just can't bring myself to sell it for so damn little money! :( But, hey, maybe some day I'll have time and space to set it up and use it again... if not, I'll let my heirs deal with it (might be collectible, by then!)

If you want to shoot color, it's going to be a lot more of a challenge to find films and processing for anything other than the relatively standard 120 (or the formats similar enough in size to be respooled from 120).

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

120 is still readily available, nearly as available as 135 (35mm) film. But Kodak stopped making all those others in 1984 I believe. Perhaps 126 (cartridges a bit longer). There may be some sources of "obsolete" film formats available from other venders, mainly from what I've seen, Eastern Europe, some really weird and in a few cases old brands. I think Fujifilm's and Ilford's product lines parallel Kodak's. Also a number of sizes of cut sheet film are still available. Right now there may be more variety of sheet film for view and copy camera use, 4x5, 5x7, 8x10, 11x14, 16x20, 20x24 film. I guess printers still use Litho Film. Years ago I used a huge 20x24" vertical copy camera with a custom reduced 8x10" film back. Very weird.

I'd be careful of using any film that is massively out of date. Obviously B&W is not as fussy as color. And I don't think anyone processes Kodadchrome or Agfachrome any more.

Old "obsolete" cameras themselves can be fun to have, look at, and play with. Personally I am only interested in vintage or antique cameras that I can actually put film in and use. Sadly my parents old Argus camera uses 620 film. Re-spooling is too much work for me when I have 7 film cameras that I can use with out fuss, 5 35mm, 2 4x5". I still need to find that good working 120 Rollieflex that I can afford.

If you do pick up any oldies, post pictures of them and any old film boxes you might obtain.

Yes, try Free Style. Lots of old school photo supplies and equipment.

RichardSM Loc: Back in Texas

Thank you for the trip down memory lane on those old film fomats, I used half or or more of those sizes and develop in my darkrooms. I do miss it once in awhile.?

titco62

try amazon first...