Designed by Arthur H. Crapsey Jr. and manufactured using a distinctive molded Bakelite thermoplastic shell, this iconic camera is a definitive staple of mid-century Americana photography.
While original 620 film spools are discontinued, vintage film enthusiasts still actively shoot with this camera by utilizing a few popular methods from The Film Photography Project: [1, 2]
Using 120 Film: Standard modern 120 film is identical in width to 620 film. Shooters can modify a 120 plastic spool by trimming down the outer rims to fit inside the camera's supply chamber, or manually wind 120 film onto an original empty 620 metal spool inside a darkroom bag. [1, 2, 3, 4]
The "Lens Flip" Modification: The front faceplate can be easily unscrewed to reverse the single internal meniscus lens. Flipping the lens backwards creates an artistic, dreamy lo-fi vignette effect featuring heavy edge distortion while maintaining sharpness purely in the exact center of the frame.
