Resurrect Old 620 Film Cameras With 120 Film

120 film spool 620 film spool ComparisonThere’s a lot of awesome old cameras out there the use 620 film. To use these cameras, your options are either to buy rerolled 620 film (filmphotographyproject 620 film) or modifying an inexpensive roll of 120 film.

120 film has the same focal length characteristics and is the same size with exception to the spool, which has a slightly larger lip will not fit in a 620 film camera. With an easy hack of using fingernail trimmers, you can easily modify a roll of 120 film by trimming the edges of the spool. If your camera doesn’t have a takeup spool, you may have to buy one online are about $5. 

120-film to a 620-camera

Modifying 120 Film for a 620 Film Camera

For developing, all you need to do is order normal 120 film processing and you’re good to go! 


Using this technique, we modified a roll of 120 Lomo 800 for a 1950’s 6×6 620 Medium format camera with a fixed f/15 lens & 30th shutter. Below are the results. [Photos: @capnknots]

The most common type of film for medium format is 120 but a lot of older cameras required 620 film which is very similar…

Posted by The Darkroom on Monday, February 25, 2019

9 replies on “Resurrect Old 620 Film Cameras With 120 Film”

Hi. But will the 120 film numbers still line up in the 620 window taking into account the smaller spool size? Thanks

I remember a friend of mine doing this for some ancient – even in the 70’s – kodak he had. I remember how cool it seemed/was to make contact prints of negatives that large.

By using 120 film and making minor modifications or using adapters, you can breathe new life into old 620 film cameras. This allows you to enjoy the charm of vintage photography and create stunning images with these classic cameras. So, dust off that old 620 camera, load it up with 120 film, and start capturing memories in a timeless style.

Leave a Reply

Note: We don’t monitor the comments very often, so please contact us directly if you have questions.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *