620 Roll Film for the Masses

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KennyE
Posts: 107
Joined: Thu May 23, 2013 6:49 am
Location: Waterford, Michigan USA

620 Roll Film for the Masses

Post by KennyE »

Hello everyone:

I have been in contact with Foma, and I have been requesting that they manufacture 620 roll film for the millions of 620 roll film cameras still out there. This is a very important point and should be pursued to its end. Why? Well to make a long story, longer. We were all forced away from our 620 film cameras, not because they were useless, but because companies like Kodak (for one) wanted to pursue their development and interest into smaller film sizes and smaller cameras.

But what came out of it, was a complete mess. The 126 and 110 film size cartridges proved to be difficult to open in darkrooms; and developing the small, yet odd size film, was not embraced by the amateur communities, as the makers of those products had hoped. Enlarger film carriers were and are expensive for those size films, and contact printing 110 is hard on the eyes. Because 110, was just too small to work with in home darkrooms and enlargements just proved to be too grainy. On top of getting that damn film out of the cartridge.

Even when most Americans and others did embraced the 110's, the enlargements produced and the cameras themselves, produced disappointing results. I for one, went back to my trusted 620 or 127 cameras, plus my DK-50 developer, at 1:3 @ 8 minutes.

Kodak tried to push the 110 on everyone, but most Americans wanted simple to use and shoot cameras with larger film sizes than the 110. So when the Japanese companies started making and selling, point and shoot 35 mm cameras, millions of Americans and others made that jump.

I, like most amateurs own some outstanding 620 roll film cameras, like those made by Kodak, Ansco, Agfa, and Zeiss Ikon. These are beautiful 6X9's or 6X6 formatted cameras, just to mention a few. I want to be able to use them again, without having to swap 120 film onto a 620 spindle.

I am requesting that you kind folks contact Foma, and let them know that you desire the return of 620 roll film. Maybe we can make a difference.


Thank You


KennyE

pirateoversixty
Posts: 221
Joined: Sun Jun 18, 2006 1:21 pm
Location: Peoria, Illinois

Re: 620 Roll Film for the Masses

Post by pirateoversixty »

KennyE:

while 620 would certainly be a boon to those who still use the old Kodak Medalists and folders, the way things are going we should be happy we still have 120 available to us. 620 cameras are really getting on in the years. I recently received an Argoflex 40 from a friend, and it has proved to be a very good image-maker at f8 and beyond. I use respooled 120 in it. I personally have no difficulty in respooling onto 620 reels. A problem might be a scarcity of 620 reels.
Jim

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