Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2011/05/04
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Brownie Hawkeye, French and American Versions used 620. On Wed, May 4, 2011 at 2:21 PM, Robert Meier <robertmeier at usjet.net> wrote: > RABS BEGINS! > > > On May 4, 2011, at 1:50 PM, Mark Rabiner wrote: > > I love Brownie film. >> And that is my understanding of what medium format film is called in >> Japan. >> So if I was listening to Japanese photographers talk to each other that >> would be the word I'd be able to pick out. >> What I'd like to know is is 120 film and 6x6 the first such film made? As >> in >> with the paper backing and spool configuration. >> >> The irony on the "Brownie" term is that many people here think of medium >> format film as Hasselblad film. What goes in a Hasselblad. Which is the >> exact other end of the spectrum as people think of such cameras as the >> epitome of high end ness. While a brownie being the epitome of low end >> ness. >> So there is some irony there. Perhaps intended. >> >> My very first camera as a kid was a Brownie Starlet which used film on a >> spool with a paper backing but as it turned out was a scaled down version >> of >> 120 6x6 film. It was 127 film and was 4x4 cm's! >> It took me awhile to figure out looking back that I started out shooting >> squares. As I think the shooting of squares has been a very big deal in my >> photo history much of my best work. And I took to it like a duck to water >> with my first Rolleiflex in 1975 right out of school. >> I'd like to be shooting some squares today! >> The Starlet was made both in Rochester and in Paris France. >> >> I took this picture with it from the top of the Empire State Building in >> the >> rain when I was nine in 1960, my first roll of film ever. Roll #1. >> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/New+York+Cityx.jpg.html >> >> But my first camera in around 1958 when I was 10-12 yrs old: (1960-2) was >> a >> Brownie Starlet which shot a mini 120 film called 127. >> http://www.ken.lyndrup.dk/Engelsk/Kodak/Brownie%20Stralet%20Camera%20E.htm >> http://www.geh.org/fm/brownie/htmlsrc/mE13000055_ful.html#topofimage >> http://www.vieilalbum.com/BrownieStarletFR.htm >> Manufactured : 1957-62 Lens : Dakon Shutter : Rotary >> IMAGE SIZE: 1-5/8 x 1-5/8in. >> (4.1275 inches according to the internet) >> ((.1275 inch = 3.2385 millimeters)) >> ORIGINAL LIST PRICE: $5.95 >> Film Size : 127 >> Negative Size : 4x4 cm >> >> >> >> -------------------- >> Mark William Rabiner >> >> >> >> From: Slobodan Dimitrov <s.dimitrov at charter.net> >>> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org> >>> Date: Wed, 4 May 2011 06:33:48 -0700 >>> To: <rolleiusers at yahoogroups.com>, <rollei_list at freelists.org> >>> Cc: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org> >>> Subject: [Leica] 100 year anniversary of 120 film (Care & feeding of '29 >>> Original) >>> >>> I just found out that next year, 2012, 120 film will be 100 years old. >>> Anyone >>> willing to do a celebratory project to commemorate the milestone? >>> S.d. >>> >>> Begin forwarded message: >>> >>> From: Carlos Manuel Freaza <cmfreaza at yahoo.com.ar> >>>> Date: May 4, 2011 1:53:25 AM PDT >>>> To: rolleiusers at yahoogroups.com >>>> Subject: Re: [rolleiusers] Re: Care & feeding of '29 Original >>>> Reply-To: rolleiusers at yahoogroups.com >>>> >>>> Kirk: >>>> 120 film was available from 1912 and the Rolleiflex was designed in >>>> 1928, it >>>> could be made to use 120 film but Heidecke wanted to keep the camera as >>>> compact and small as posssible and then he chose the 117 film (B1-6). >>>> The >>>> Rolleiflex was a market successs and hardly the firsts users got it they >>>> asked the factory about to adapt it to use longer film; F&H found a way >>>> to >>>> retrofit the camera for 620 film spools use with 12 frames. >>>> >>>> According the explanation in Claus Prochnow's Report 1, the 620 spools >>>> larger >>>> flanges made contact with the upper spool chamber and then it had to be >>>> enlarged accordingly, the lower spool was housed in a cage and projected >>>> slightly and then the camera back received two spherical cuts. The >>>> camera >>>> exterior was kept original without changes. >>>> >>>> The camera could also be adapted for 120 film at factory, but it >>>> required >>>> major changes with modifications even for the camera exterior (i.e. a >>>> additional spool knob and a new wider transport knob with a groove) and >>>> the >>>> changes for the camera inside were significant too. >>>> While the adaptation for 620 film looks pretty simple for a technician >>>> wanting to do the task, the adaptation for 120 film looks more complex >>>> requiring special parts, 120 spools had slight variants at the time and >>>> the >>>> adaptation needed to consider these variants. >>>> >>>> It was from January 1932 with the first Rolleiflex Standard model that >>>> the >>>> Rolleiflex cameras were made to use 120 film from factory. The 117 film >>>> was >>>> discontinued in 1949, F&H decision to adopt the 120 film size had >>>> nothing to >>>> do with the 117 film availability, the Rolleiflex users wanted a longer >>>> film. >>>> >>>> Carlos >>>> >>>> PS:If you have the 620 spools, it's pretty easy to respool 120 film, the >>>> only >>>> difference 120-620 is the spool, film size is the same. >>>> >>>> --- El mi? 4-may-11, Kirk Thompson <thompsonkirk at hotmail.com> >>>> escribi?: >>>> >>>> De: Kirk Thompson <thompsonkirk at hotmail.com> >>>>> Asunto: [rolleiusers] Re: Care & feeding of '29 Original >>>>> Para: rolleiusers at yahoogroups.com >>>>> Fecha: mi?rcoles, 4 de mayo de 2011, 1:03 >>>>> Thanks, Richard, for having a go at >>>>> it, but unfortunately those aren't solutions (if there are >>>>> any). >>>>> >>>>> 1. No way 120, it's too fat. The early Rolleis used 117 >>>>> film. Phillips explains that in 1929 it was the only >>>>> size that had the frame numbers printed in the right place >>>>> on the backing paper. 117 was 6 cm wide but had a thin >>>>> spindle (making a thinner roll), small flanges, and >>>>> different holes in the ends of the spools. >>>>> >>>>> When 117 was discontinued, many of the original Rolleis >>>>> were converted to 620 film (which is still available from >>>>> B&H). 620 has a skinny spindle and small flanges like >>>>> 117, but it required a modification of the cameras: a >>>>> different-sized left bump and right key to engage the >>>>> take-up spool. These are the conversion parts I have some >>>>> small hope of finding, if anyone knows of an old Rollei >>>>> burial site where such things can be found. >>>>> >>>>> 2. Years of experience have proved that klutzes like me do >>>>> not work on their own cameras. So I still want to know if >>>>> there's a classic camera repairman who retains old parts and >>>>> skills. (Fleenor and Krikor don't work on these.) >>>>> >>>>> Kirk >>>>> >>>> >>>> __._,_.___ >>>> Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post | Start a New >>>> Topic >>>> Messages in this topic (5) >>>> RECENT ACTIVITY: >>>> Visit Your Group >>>> MARKETPLACE >>>> Find useful articles and helpful tips on living with Fibromyalgia. Visit >>>> the >>>> Fibromyalgia Zone today! >>>> >>>> Stay on top of your group activity without leaving the page you're on - >>>> Get >>>> the Yahoo! Toolbar now. >>>> >>>> Switch to: Text-Only, Daily Digest ? Unsubscribe ? Terms of Use >>>> . >>>> >>>> __,_._,___ >>>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Leica Users Group. >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >>> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > -- Regards, Sonny http://sonc.com/look/ Natchitoches, Louisiana USA