Guide · Film

Which Film Formats Can You Still Buy? Check Before You Buy the Camera

The most beautiful camera at the flea market is no use as a camera if nobody makes its film. Over the last century, manufacturers introduced dozens of film sizes, and most of them are long gone. A few are thriving, a few hang on through small producers, and some survive only through home respooling and adapters.

This guide sorts the common formats into easy, awkward and gone, so you can tell before you pay whether a camera is a shooter, a project or a shelf piece.

Why the format matters more than the brand

A camera only works with the film size it was built for. The spool, the film gate, the frame counter and the take-up mechanism are all designed around it. When a format is discontinued, a camera that takes only that format becomes a project unless you can adapt something else.

So before anything else, find out what film the camera takes. Look for a number stamped inside the film chamber, on the spool holder or on the camera's label. If a spool is still inside, it may be marked. Model-specific references and manuals help too.

Format overview

Availability changes. Before you buy a camera for anything other than 35mm or 120, check current suppliers for its format.

The easy formats: 35mm and 120

35mm is by far the easiest film to find and process. Labs process it everywhere that still does film, and there's choice across colour negative, black-and-white and slide films at different speeds.

120 is the backbone of medium format. Choice is narrower than 35mm, and fewer labs process it, but it remains widely available.

The workable formats

620

620 film is the same width as 120, with the same paper backing, wound onto a thinner spool with a smaller core. Many cameras that take 620 will run 120 film if it's respooled onto a 620 spool in the dark. Some cameras will take a 120 spool directly or with small modifications, but that depends on the specific model, so check before you force anything. Keep the 620 take-up spool: it's essential.

127

127 was used in small folding cameras, some TLRs and box cameras. It's made in small quantities, and some photographers cut down 120 film to fit. Choice is limited.

110

The pocket cartridge format has seen small production runs. Some of the more capable 110 cameras are interesting to use, but expect limited choice and fewer labs.

Instant

Instant film is a mixed picture: some formats are in active production, some cameras need adapting, and some pack formats are gone entirely. Check the exact format your camera takes before buying.

Sheet film

4x5 sheet film remains available for large format cameras, with other sizes being harder to source. Large format is its own world, with holders, tents and darkcloths.

Adapting and respooling

For several orphaned formats, photographers have worked out solutions:

• Respooling 120 onto 620 spools in a darkroom or changing bag.
• Adapters that let larger cameras such as 616 and 116 folders take 120 spools, usually with a smaller frame.
• Cutting down wider film to a narrower format, done in total darkness.
• Running 35mm through medium format cameras for panoramic results with exposed sprockets, using adapters.

All of these take some practice. A changing bag is essential for anyone doing this at home.

When a camera is a shelf piece

Some formats are simply gone: disc film, APS, many cartridge and roll formats. Cameras built for them can still be fascinating to collect for their design and history. Just buy them as display objects, not shooters, and price them accordingly. Many collectors prize these cameras complete with their original box, manual and accessories.

Before-you-buy film checklist

• Identify the film format from the camera's markings, manual or spool.
• Check whether that format is currently sold, and by whom.
• Find a lab that processes it, or check whether you can develop it yourself.
• If it's 620 or another adaptable format, confirm the specific camera accepts the workaround.
• Check that take-up spools are included.
• Decide honestly: shooter, project or display piece?

Don't forget processing

Buying the film is only half the question. The other half is getting it developed. Colour negative film in 35mm and 120 is processed by most labs that still handle film, although medium format is offered by fewer of them. Black-and-white film can be developed at home with a small tank, a changing bag and a few chemicals, which is why many people shooting unusual formats learn to do it themselves. Slide film needs a different chemical process that fewer labs run.

For odd sizes, ask a lab before you shoot. Some labs that process 120 can handle 127 or 620 with a little extra care, and some will scan non-standard frame sizes, while others will not. Mail-order labs can fill the gap when nothing local takes your format. Check turnaround times and whether they return the original spool, since 620 and 127 spools are worth keeping.

Instant film, of course, develops itself. The question there is simply whether the pack or cartridge your camera needs is still being made.

A note on expired film

Old cameras often come with expired film, either inside or in the box. Expired film can still produce images, usually with lower contrast, more fog and colour shifts, depending on how it was stored. It's fun to experiment with but not something to rely on. Some photographers overexpose expired film to compensate; how much depends on age and storage, so it's a matter of experiment.

The bottom line

Frequently asked questions