[Editor's note: I'm delighted to present 127 Film Photography's first article, authored by James Tappin.
Many thanks to James for sharing his expertise!]
This is a method
that I have used successfully (and also destroyed some films).
You will need:
- A roll of 120 film
- A 127 spool
- A second 120 spool
- A changing bag (or a darkroom)
- A large cigar cutter (80 ring gauge -- this is the only readily available size that will fit over a 120 flange).
- An accurate vernier caliper
- Scissors
- Convenient length gauges for the length trims (I use 3 pieces of acrylic "glass" because I had some left over from something else)
- A marker with good contrast to the backing paper
If available a
120 film back from a medium format system SLR is handy but not needed.
Step 1:
Either by hand in
the changing bag or darkroom, or using the 120 back, spool the film onto the
spare 120 spool, so it is now in the “exposed” direction.
Steps 2 through 6
can be done in daylight.
Step 2:
Cut off the
excess on the trailer. From the tip of the 120 tab, I usually cut 220mm (for
"standard" length 127 film you should cut 290mm; in theory it might
be possible to get away with as little as 80mm).
Step 3:
With the vernier
caliper measure and mark 46.5mm from one side. The flanges of the 127 spool are
47.2mm apart, but anything more than 46.5 and it's likely to be impossible to
get it to fit in smoothly. Do NOT try to use another 127 backing paper as a
guide; it's just not accurate enough.
Step 4:
Slip the cigar
cutter over the end of the film and very carefully score around at the 46.5mm
mark. Only cut through 1 or 2 layers at this stage.
Step 5:
Cut a tail on the
paper so that it will fit into the 127 spool.
Step 6:
Make sure the
film, the 127 spool, the cigar cutter, the scissors, and the measure for
trimming the back end of the film itself are all in the changing bag.
Steps 7 through
15 must be done in a changing bag or complete darkness.
Step 7:
Very carefully
replace the cutter on the film roll, and align it with the initial cut.
Step 8:
Gently but firmly
squeeze the cutter and rotate the film spool such that the drag tightens the
film on the spool. Continue until the short end of the spool comes right off.
Step 9:
Fit the end of
the backing paper into the 127 spool and start to roll it onto it, feeling for
the film itself (it won't be far).
Step 10:
Cut off the
excess length from the film. For 220mm off the backing paper, I cut 95mm off
the film; for standard 127 cut 165 mm off.
Step 11:
Continue to roll
paper and film onto the 127 roll (put a little slack into the paper at this
point as the 127 roll is more tightly wound). If you find the edges crinkling
and snagging on the flanges at this stage -- chuck it and try another roll, and
cut it a bit narrower next time!
Step 12:
When you get to
the start point of the film you may find there is a small excess of film or
paper. In this case carefully unstick the tape, and re-stick it where the
lengths match.
Step 13:
Draw a line
across the backing paper where the film starts (or a little bit after).
Step 14:
Finish rolling
the leader onto the spool.
Step 15:
Carefully holding
the roll so it doesn't come undone extract it from the changing bag.
Step 16 can be done
in daylight.
Step 16:
Cut 150mm off the
leader, and make a tab to fit the 127 spool (taking care not to let the roll
come loose).
I recommend
putting it straight into the camera at this stage as (a) there's no tape to
keep it done up and (b) the edges may not fit as close to the spool flanges as
machine-made films.
Note that this
method is only really suitable for cameras like the Yashica 44 (and possibly
some baby Rolleiflexes) that use the red window to align frame 1, and then have
an internal mechanism thereafter.
To align the film
for frame 1 (Yashica 44):
- wind on until your marker is seen
- reset the counter
- wind on 1 frame
- reset the counter again.
With the
measurements that I use you should get 15 frames on a 4x4.
For a more
automatic counter you will need to determine how far the start mark should be
from the film start and make a mark there instead of at the film start. I'm not
sure how you could do it for a camera that relies on the red window for
advancing other than using a "new" backing paper with 127 numbers,
which adds a whole new alignment problem.
I recommend
trying this with cheap film first, as it's quite easy to destroy a roll. So far
I've only used cheap expired film. Unfortunately the cheapest major brand
currently available in 120 size, Fomapan, has black backing paper which would
make marking the start much harder (maybe a sticky label would work?).
[Editor’s note: Or perhaps a silver gel pen?].
Also: Cigar
cutters are VERY sharp, mind your fingers!
