Introduction
Hello everyone!
As most of you are aware, we are seeing film prices go up again. And while you may be aware of 35mm bulk films that decrease the cost per roll (for me rolling Vision3 by up to 80%!), Medium format film is does not have a similar option, so we just need to suck it up. Or do we? There is actually a way to bulk load 120, 220, and 620 film! While this process only works with a small number of films, in this tutorial, I will show you what I have learned since starting this process, as best as I can. The images here are of me making a 120 roll, but the process is identical for a 620 roll, and only slightly different for a 220 roll.
Things you need:
Backing paper
Tape (3M Masking tape)
Scissors
Empty 120 spool
70mm film
Cotton lint free gloves
Film slitter (Curtesy of Goat Hill Film Slitters)
Exposed and Unexposed roll seals (these can be tape)
Wrapper (cardstock or tin foil work well)
A darkroom (not a dark bag!)
A way to measure 32.5 in (825mm) in the dark
Preparing the Backing Paper
Let's start with the elephant in the room: The backing paper. Almost as unique as photographic film itself, backing paper is a very special product. This is also why most folks say you can't bulk roll medium format. However, it is relatively easy to get hold of large quantities. Simply ask some medium format shooters for it! While some just throw the paper and spool away, others hoard it for reasons they can't even figure out. I got almost 100 rolls of backing paper from 2 individuals who gave it to me for free (as long as I paid the postage). I'm sure the medium format section of the forums are a good place to ask for it.
Now that we have the backing paper, we need to prepare it for the film. Remove any adhesive labels to avoid the possibility of your camera jamming from sticky label paper goop. Once this is done, you need to place the tape that holds the film onto the paper. The film starts 7.5 in (190mm) from the start mark. While you can measure this out every time, thankfully you don't need to! Manufacturers have put markings on the backing paper that indicate where the film is attached.
You can see in the image that each film manufacturer (Kodak on the left, Ilford/Fuji Across II in the middle, and Foma on the right) marks it slightly differently, but they are all easily identifiable. The red marking added to the image indicates exactly 7.5 inches from the start mark, and where the film needs to be attached.
Once the place where the film needs to be attached is identified, make a crease along the backing paper, to make attaching the tape easier.
Then, add the tape to the back of the paper. I use 3M masking tape, as it is very similar to what most manufacturers use. It is approximately 2.25 in (55mm) long, and 1.5 in wide.
The tape is folded over along the crease you made to allow the film to be easily aligned in the dark. Try to make sure sure that the tape does not cover more than 0.75 in (20mm), as it may impinge on the first frame past that.
Finally, stick the exposed label (discussed further in a bit) onto the backing paper. Repeat this procedure for the number of rolls you wish to make.
The backing paper is now prepared, and it is time to move to the film.
Preparing the Film
The film is the most important part of the entire process. The most continent place to get this film is on eBay, where Agfa Aviphot Pan 200 film, and Kodak Plus-X 200 ISO film are the most readily available. There may be color stocks occasionally, however all this film is expired, so that might not be the best option. You can also use 65mm Vision3 stock, however the short ends are harder to find, and they are more expensive than 70mm B&W film. The film I purchased was Aviphot 200, as it is an IR capable film, and also costs less than Plus-X.
Once the film arrives, I would recommend slitting all of it down to 61mm. to do this, you do need to purchase a film slitter. Goat Hill Film Slitters makes lots of options, but the one we are looking for is the 70mm to 120 (61mm) slitter.
Once that is in hand, head to the darkroom. Be aware that the slitter uses 2 razor blades to slit the film, so watch your fingers! Put on cotton gloves, open the film, and untape the end. Place the film into the slitter, and put the top on untill it is flush with the 4 pegs on the corners. this will force the film through the blades. Pull the film straight through, trying not to pull to one side or the other, as this could cause the film to misalign and jam, giving a poor edge. Once the entire roll has been slit (this might take a bit...), discard the edge trimmings, and put the finished 120-width film back into the container it came in. Don't worry about putting it back on the spool.
Preparing Other Materials
There are a few more things we need to prepare before we can roll the film. We need a way to measure the film length, a way to seal the film before and after exposure, and a wrapper to protect the roll from light if you aren't going to shoot it for a while.
To measure the film, I use a table with masking tape indicating the correct length for the film. I can line up the film and get an accurate measurement in the dark this way.
The seals for the rolls can be made of a piece of masking tape, however as I am trying to make my film look professional to sell, I designed labels for the film. You certanly don't need too. The unexposed sealer is a piece of printer paper with some double sided tape, allowing it to be peeled away much like the seal on a roll of Kodak. The exposed label is made of a 1 x 4" Avery label, with wax paper on the back to protect the adhesive untill you are ready to seal it.
Finally, the roll needs a wrapper. A piece of tin foil rolled up and folded at the ends works well, as does a piece of cardstock. You can put a label describing the film on the outside of this as well.
Now, we can begin rolling the film.
Rolling the Film
Now, gather your materials, head to the darkroom, and organize so you can find everything easily. Put on cotton gloves, and measure out a length of film 32.5 in (825mm) long. For your first roll, I would suggest sacrificing this bit of film, and doing the rest in the light to practice and get used to the process.
Line the end of the length of film up with the tape on the backing paper. Also line the film up with the backing paper, making sure the film isn't at an angle. You may need to take the gloves off to do this. Once the film is lined up, tape the end of the film down, making sure the tape is flat.
Roll the film onto the spool, tape end first. This might not make much sense at first, however due to the film and paper having slightly different spirals, rolling the film free-end first immediately would cause the film to kink at the taped end. Be sure you are rolling the film as tightly as possible.
While in the light, you should note that this shows the exposed end of the paper. Don't stop here! thread the paper through the empty 120 spool and begin winding onto that. When the film appears, be sure it is wound onto the empty spool as well. Keep both rolls as tight as possible. When you are done winding the film onto the new spool, make sure it is as tightly spooled as possible.
Attach the unexposed label, and then wrap up the film.
Congratulations, you are finnished making a roll of 120!
Other Film Formats
120 is not the only format you can make in this manner. You can also make 620 in the same way, just replace the 120 spools with 620 spools. You can also make 220 in a very similar way.
To make 220, cut the paper 7.5 in (190mm) away from the start mark, or where you would tape the film to the paper with 120. This makes the paper header. Next, cut the paper 14 in (356mm) from the exposed end, or just after the 120 frame numbers end. This makes the paper trailer. Put 2 peices of tape, one on the header, and one on the trailer. Fold the tape on the leader over about 1/8 in (4mm) from the edge of the paper. Stick the exposed label onto the end of the backing paper to finish preparing the backing paper.
Go into the dark and put on cotton gloves. Measure out 65 in (1,650mm) of film. Line up the ends of the film with the paper, and make sure it is straight. To avoid the camera jamming or catching the film, put the film at the trailer under the paper and tape, overlapping the film and backing paper about 1/8 in (4mm), and the film at the header between the paper and tape, butting the end of the film against the folded tape.
Now, roll the film up, making sure the header is facing the outside of the roll. Tighten the roll and add an unexposed label and wrap the film.
You are now finished with a 220 roll!
Thank you all for reading! I really hope that you guys find this interesting! Feel free to post any questions or feedback below!
Hello everyone!
As most of you are aware, we are seeing film prices go up again. And while you may be aware of 35mm bulk films that decrease the cost per roll (for me rolling Vision3 by up to 80%!), Medium format film is does not have a similar option, so we just need to suck it up. Or do we? There is actually a way to bulk load 120, 220, and 620 film! While this process only works with a small number of films, in this tutorial, I will show you what I have learned since starting this process, as best as I can. The images here are of me making a 120 roll, but the process is identical for a 620 roll, and only slightly different for a 220 roll.
Things you need:
Backing paper
Tape (3M Masking tape)
Scissors
Empty 120 spool
70mm film
Cotton lint free gloves
Film slitter (Curtesy of Goat Hill Film Slitters)
Exposed and Unexposed roll seals (these can be tape)
Wrapper (cardstock or tin foil work well)
A darkroom (not a dark bag!)
A way to measure 32.5 in (825mm) in the dark
Preparing the Backing Paper
Let's start with the elephant in the room: The backing paper. Almost as unique as photographic film itself, backing paper is a very special product. This is also why most folks say you can't bulk roll medium format. However, it is relatively easy to get hold of large quantities. Simply ask some medium format shooters for it! While some just throw the paper and spool away, others hoard it for reasons they can't even figure out. I got almost 100 rolls of backing paper from 2 individuals who gave it to me for free (as long as I paid the postage). I'm sure the medium format section of the forums are a good place to ask for it.
Now that we have the backing paper, we need to prepare it for the film. Remove any adhesive labels to avoid the possibility of your camera jamming from sticky label paper goop. Once this is done, you need to place the tape that holds the film onto the paper. The film starts 7.5 in (190mm) from the start mark. While you can measure this out every time, thankfully you don't need to! Manufacturers have put markings on the backing paper that indicate where the film is attached.
You can see in the image that each film manufacturer (Kodak on the left, Ilford/Fuji Across II in the middle, and Foma on the right) marks it slightly differently, but they are all easily identifiable. The red marking added to the image indicates exactly 7.5 inches from the start mark, and where the film needs to be attached.
Once the place where the film needs to be attached is identified, make a crease along the backing paper, to make attaching the tape easier.
Then, add the tape to the back of the paper. I use 3M masking tape, as it is very similar to what most manufacturers use. It is approximately 2.25 in (55mm) long, and 1.5 in wide.
The tape is folded over along the crease you made to allow the film to be easily aligned in the dark. Try to make sure sure that the tape does not cover more than 0.75 in (20mm), as it may impinge on the first frame past that.
Finally, stick the exposed label (discussed further in a bit) onto the backing paper. Repeat this procedure for the number of rolls you wish to make.
The backing paper is now prepared, and it is time to move to the film.
Preparing the Film
The film is the most important part of the entire process. The most continent place to get this film is on eBay, where Agfa Aviphot Pan 200 film, and Kodak Plus-X 200 ISO film are the most readily available. There may be color stocks occasionally, however all this film is expired, so that might not be the best option. You can also use 65mm Vision3 stock, however the short ends are harder to find, and they are more expensive than 70mm B&W film. The film I purchased was Aviphot 200, as it is an IR capable film, and also costs less than Plus-X.
Once the film arrives, I would recommend slitting all of it down to 61mm. to do this, you do need to purchase a film slitter. Goat Hill Film Slitters makes lots of options, but the one we are looking for is the 70mm to 120 (61mm) slitter.
Once that is in hand, head to the darkroom. Be aware that the slitter uses 2 razor blades to slit the film, so watch your fingers! Put on cotton gloves, open the film, and untape the end. Place the film into the slitter, and put the top on untill it is flush with the 4 pegs on the corners. this will force the film through the blades. Pull the film straight through, trying not to pull to one side or the other, as this could cause the film to misalign and jam, giving a poor edge. Once the entire roll has been slit (this might take a bit...), discard the edge trimmings, and put the finished 120-width film back into the container it came in. Don't worry about putting it back on the spool.
Preparing Other Materials
There are a few more things we need to prepare before we can roll the film. We need a way to measure the film length, a way to seal the film before and after exposure, and a wrapper to protect the roll from light if you aren't going to shoot it for a while.
To measure the film, I use a table with masking tape indicating the correct length for the film. I can line up the film and get an accurate measurement in the dark this way.
The seals for the rolls can be made of a piece of masking tape, however as I am trying to make my film look professional to sell, I designed labels for the film. You certanly don't need too. The unexposed sealer is a piece of printer paper with some double sided tape, allowing it to be peeled away much like the seal on a roll of Kodak. The exposed label is made of a 1 x 4" Avery label, with wax paper on the back to protect the adhesive untill you are ready to seal it.
Finally, the roll needs a wrapper. A piece of tin foil rolled up and folded at the ends works well, as does a piece of cardstock. You can put a label describing the film on the outside of this as well.
Now, we can begin rolling the film.
Rolling the Film
Now, gather your materials, head to the darkroom, and organize so you can find everything easily. Put on cotton gloves, and measure out a length of film 32.5 in (825mm) long. For your first roll, I would suggest sacrificing this bit of film, and doing the rest in the light to practice and get used to the process.
Line the end of the length of film up with the tape on the backing paper. Also line the film up with the backing paper, making sure the film isn't at an angle. You may need to take the gloves off to do this. Once the film is lined up, tape the end of the film down, making sure the tape is flat.
Roll the film onto the spool, tape end first. This might not make much sense at first, however due to the film and paper having slightly different spirals, rolling the film free-end first immediately would cause the film to kink at the taped end. Be sure you are rolling the film as tightly as possible.
While in the light, you should note that this shows the exposed end of the paper. Don't stop here! thread the paper through the empty 120 spool and begin winding onto that. When the film appears, be sure it is wound onto the empty spool as well. Keep both rolls as tight as possible. When you are done winding the film onto the new spool, make sure it is as tightly spooled as possible.
Attach the unexposed label, and then wrap up the film.
Congratulations, you are finnished making a roll of 120!
Other Film Formats
120 is not the only format you can make in this manner. You can also make 620 in the same way, just replace the 120 spools with 620 spools. You can also make 220 in a very similar way.
To make 220, cut the paper 7.5 in (190mm) away from the start mark, or where you would tape the film to the paper with 120. This makes the paper header. Next, cut the paper 14 in (356mm) from the exposed end, or just after the 120 frame numbers end. This makes the paper trailer. Put 2 peices of tape, one on the header, and one on the trailer. Fold the tape on the leader over about 1/8 in (4mm) from the edge of the paper. Stick the exposed label onto the end of the backing paper to finish preparing the backing paper.
Go into the dark and put on cotton gloves. Measure out 65 in (1,650mm) of film. Line up the ends of the film with the paper, and make sure it is straight. To avoid the camera jamming or catching the film, put the film at the trailer under the paper and tape, overlapping the film and backing paper about 1/8 in (4mm), and the film at the header between the paper and tape, butting the end of the film against the folded tape.
Now, roll the film up, making sure the header is facing the outside of the roll. Tighten the roll and add an unexposed label and wrap the film.
You are now finished with a 220 roll!
Thank you all for reading! I really hope that you guys find this interesting! Feel free to post any questions or feedback below!
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