BOX / brownie ??

Tallon

Hey guys, clearing out my dads stuff and found this. I assume its a box camera

Anyway, cannot find any info at all online, and I'm usually good at that stuff

Silly questions: How do I use it & what film does it take

Is it just a nice shelf filler or could this produce some lovely charville shots?

Cheers guys

Heebie

It looks like it's probably either 120 or 126 film for that beastie.

You could get some really cool shots with it if it's still in working order. (cameras of that age can often have sticky shutters.. but if the shutter seems like it's working, you can probably manage to take some pictures with it.)

It says it's a 6x6cm, which means it's VERY highly likely that it's 120 or 126. (the only real difference is the spools. I can't see the END of one of the spools to tell you which it is. The spool looks kinda metallic, so I'm going to make a guess & say 126.

It might be hard to get hold of a feed spools for it.. but they can be had. I had to buy 2 rolls of 120 film that had been respooled onto 126 spools to get a pair.. since then I just respool it myself. (and re-respool it back onto 120 reels before bringing it to a lab for development.. they're not likely to give back your spools!)

I've got an old brownie, and a Ricohflex that use similar film. (If anyone knows a camera shop that will actually clean & tune-up a Ricohflex TLR.. I would love to know who!)

DaireQuinlan

Heebie wrote: »

It says it's a 6x6cm, which means it's VERY highly likely that it's 120 or 126. (the only real difference is the spools. I can't see the END of one of the spools to tell you which it is. The spool looks kinda metallic, so I'm going to make a guess & say 126.

You're probably thinking 620, not 126. 620 is essentially exactly the same as 120 but rolled onto thinner spools. You can file down rolls of 120 sometimes depending on the camera, but it does, as you point out, help to have at least one 620 takeup spool.

I have a box brownie that takes 620, belonged to some antediluvean aunt, which luckily came with a takeup spool. I managed to jimmy a roll of 120 in the feed position with the aid of a bit of sandpaper.

Heebie

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

You're probably thinking 620, not 126. 620 is essentially exactly the same as 120 but rolled onto thinner spools. You can file down rolls of 120 sometimes depending on the camera, but it does, as you point out, help to have at least one 620 takeup spool.

I have a box brownie that takes 620, belonged to some antediluvean aunt, which luckily came with a takeup spool. I managed to jimmy a roll of 120 in the feed position with the aid of a bit of sandpaper.

You're right! Thanks for the correction on the 620! 126 is a mid-sized cartridge film. =O

In my brownie, I am able to spool off of a 120 spool and onto a 620 spool inside the camera. (so I don't have to put the 120 on a 620 spool first.) but.. with my Ricohflex, I believe I have to respool the film first. (either that.. or the other way around.. I haven't shot with either camera in some time... The Ricohflex because the shutter is sticky.. and 3.2 second exposures when you want 1/200 just doesn't cut it.. especially if you have to push the shutter release backwards to get the shutter to close. Cool aperture shutter on this TLR too.)

DaireQuinlan

Heebie wrote: »

You're right! Thanks for the correction on the 620! 126 is a mid-sized cartridge film. =O

In my brownie, I am able to spool off of a 120 spool and onto a 620 spool inside the camera. (so I don't have to put the 120 on a 620 spool first.) but.. with my Ricohflex, I believe I have to respool the film first. (either that.. or the other way around.. I haven't shot with either camera in some time... The Ricohflex because the shutter is sticky.. and 3.2 second exposures when you want 1/200 just doesn't cut it.. especially if you have to push the shutter release backwards to get the shutter to close. Cool aperture shutter on this TLR too.)

Yeah it depends on the camera, some have a little more wiggle room inside the feed and takeup slots for the the film. You can clip and file down a roll of 120 though so its -almost- the same size as a roll of 620, cut off the outside of the plastic flanges on either end until they're flush with the film, then sand down either end. Sometimes you can do it and it'll fit. Sometimes not :rolleyes:

Heebie

BTW.. your brownie above is just majorly rockin'. I love that it has a viewfinder for both verticals and horizontals. It must be a 6x7cm or maybe even longer? (I've seen cameras from that era up to 6x11cm before)

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

Yeah it depends on the camera, some have a little more wiggle room inside the feed and takeup slots for the the film. You can clip and file down a roll of 120 though so its -almost- the same size as a roll of 620, cut off the outside of the plastic flanges on either end until they're flush with the film, then sand down either end. Sometimes you can do it and it'll fit. Sometimes not :rolleyes:

Chorcai

looks very like this little one I picked up