Old Hasselblad 500C/M
19 Nov 2010
Film kodak: 120 film is a film format for still photography introduced by Kodak for its Brownie No. 2 in 1901, and is still very popular, as the surviving medium format. Its specifications are defined by ISO 732; most recently (as of 2006), by ISO 732:2000.
The 120 format was originally intended for amateur photography, and actually became the main format for beginners' cameras, especially for box cameras. It was later superseded in this role by 35mm film and cartridge films (such as 126). 120 film became a format just for professionals and more ambitious amateurs, also revived for fads such as that for the Holga.
In Japan, 120 film was normally called "Brownie film" (ブローニーフィルム; Burōnī firumu) film until about the 1950s, because it was associated with the Brownie camera. Thus the Bronica, named after the film size, is indirectly named after the Brownie. At the same time, the 6×4.5 format was called Semi (セミ; Semi) and the 6×6 format was called Six (シックス; Shikkusu).
A120 or Autographic 120 film was produced by Eastman Kodak from 1924 to 1934.
120 is a typical roll film format. The spool was originally made of wood with metal flanges, later all metal, and finally plastic. The film strip is fixed to the backing paper at its leading end but is free at the other. The paper strip is much longer than the film strip. Thus the film is always wrapped light tight in paper before insertion into a camera or film back, and also after removal for development. The backing paper is black, or at least one side of it is blackened to render it completely opaque. In most designs until the 1950s, as well as cheaper cameras to the present day, a red window in the camera back is used for exposure counting (via a hole in the film pressure plate).
Film Kodak (http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/120_film