120.

A medium-format film size, sold as simple spools of 6cm wide film (no protective canister). One roll of 120 film yields up to 12 exposures at the 6x6cm image size or 16 at the 6x4.5cm size.

120 film has a black paper backing for use with old-fashioned cameras which lacked frame counters but which had red (“ruby”) windows on the camera back. These windows let you see the current frame count that was printed on the paper itself. Obviously these windows let light into the camera body, so the paper backing is needed to prevent this light from fogging the film. In theory.

cf. 220, 645, medium format, roll film, spool.

Entry last updated 2002-05-09. Term 2 of 1487.

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