# Listen, Fucktards of the Universe, It's not 120 millimeters. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 28, 2004, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684 "2004-10-28T16:02:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/1 "2004-10-28T16:02:45Z")
It’s just 120. Yeah, you heard me. It’s not 120 _of_ anything. Just 120. For Og’s sake, take a fucking look at it. Is it 120mm wide? No, it’s about 60mm wide. Is it 120mm long? No, it’s a lot longer than that, once you unroll the thing. About half a meter, not counting the backing paper. It sure as hell isn’t 120mm thick. I am talking about 120 format film. Most of what photographers call “medium format” is shot on 120, or its lengthier cousin, 220. But these numbers have nothing to do with millimeters. They are, in fact, pretty arbitrary. See, back in the day, Kodak went and gave numbers to all their myriad film formats. [Here’s a list.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_formats#Still_photography_film_formats) A particular format, which was 35mm wide, was really popular, so for convenicne they called it 135. And that stuff people stuck in their paralax roloflexes was named 120. But the number 120 has nothing whatsoever to do with the film’s dimensions. Well, the cameras have gotten a lot fancier than your 50 year old roloflex. [Here’s mine](http://www.mamiya.co.uk/cameras/645/). But it’s the same old 120 format film. Each image is six centimeters wide and 4.5 tall. It’s a thing of beauty, really, to look at a perfectly processed chrome that big. But the misconception persists, even in the professional world. “We process 120mm film!” A sign in a photo lab reads. “Not _my_ film,” I think very loudly. Surely the person who printed that sign has handled zillions of rolls of 120 film. Did he ever care to notice that 120 milimeters cannot be found therein? I’ll give my negs to labs who know what 120 means, dammit. There are a few of them, believe it or not. I was in B&H the other day, and staring up at me was a pack of “120mm” film storage sleeves. You would think that of all the people who must have been involved in creating, labeling, selling, marketing and improving this product, somewhere along the line, would notice that not a single part of it could fit anything that was 120mm long. This rant isn’t about photography, though. It’s about paying attention. Think for a minute. Imagine what 120mm looks like. That’s 12 centimeters. Maybe about the length from your wrist to the end of your fuckyou finger. A little less than five inches. About the diameter of a CD. So one of these rolls of film couldn’t _possibly_ be 120mm wide, could it? So how could so many people, with direct evidence to the contrary staring them in the face, assume that it is? Man, that pisses me off. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/2 "2004-10-28T16:24:20Z")
I have a Graflex back for 70mm! Top that! Yeah, many people just don’t pay attention. What are you gonna do? Shoot 'em! (On film, that is.) ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/3 "2004-10-28T16:25:47Z")
You think film is bad? Try the [sensor size nomenclature for digital cameras.](http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Glossary/Camera_System/Sensor_Sizes_01.htm) It’s based on the designations for tube-based television cameras and makes no sense whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/4 "2004-10-28T16:56:12Z")
4x5 isn’t four by five, either, if you feel like picking nits. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/5 "2004-10-28T17:20:17Z")
> [@racinchikki](#): > > 4x5 isn’t four by five, either, if you feel like picking nits. It isn’t? It’s been a long time since I’ve used one, but I could swear 4x5s used four inch by five inch sheet film or 4x5 Polaroids. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/6 "2004-10-28T17:23:05Z")
Oh! Oh! And why the hell are 2x4’s 1.5x3.5? Whew. I feel better now. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/7 "2004-10-28T17:29:28Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Oh! Oh! And why the hell are 2x4’s 1.5x3.5? 2"x4" is the green cut dimension. The wood seasons to a final dimension of approximately 1 1/2" x 3 1/2". ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/8 "2004-10-28T17:32:35Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It isn’t? It’s been a long time since I’ve used one, but I could swear 4x5s used four inch by five inch sheet film or 4x5 Polaroids. 3 15/16 by 4 15/16. We measured. ---
**Author:** ![lightingtool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@lightingtool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lightingtool)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/9 "2004-10-28T17:37:20Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > 2"x4" is the green cut dimension. The wood seasons to a final dimension of approximately 1 1/2" x 3 1/2". Just to pick a nit, the green cut wood is not only aged and dried, it is also planed down, which contributes to its smaller size. Not much of a [cite](http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20001010.html), but it’s something. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/10 "2004-10-28T17:43:38Z")
Any time somebody asks me what kind of camera and film I use, I reply that I use a Hasselblad medium format camera and 120 film. Unless the other person is also a photographer the followup is invariably “what’s 120 film mean?” I just say “it’s bigger than 35mm” and hope the conversation goes away. Otherwise it always goes on into grain vs. enlargement factor and why I prefer film to digital. After the 50th such conversation it’s a little tiring. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/11 "2004-10-28T17:49:32Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > 2"x4" is the green cut dimension. The wood seasons to a final dimension of approximately 1 1/2" x 3 1/2". Pedantry, thy name is Q.E.D. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/12 "2004-10-28T17:56:26Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Pedantry, thy name is Q.E.D. Well, you _did_ ask. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/13 "2004-10-28T17:57:02Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Imagine what 120mm looks like. That’s 12 centimeters. These are Americans, no? You really expect them to know how big 120 millimeters or 12 centimeters are? The only metric measurement Amercans have taken to is 9mm. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/14 "2004-10-28T18:14:57Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > These are Americans, no? You really expect them to know how big 120 millimeters or 12 centimeters are? The only metric measurement Amercans have taken to is 9mm. I just poured me up some Coke from a 2 litre bottle. My fave lens is my 105mm on my 35mm SLR. I had 10cc of some medicine pumped into me not long ago. At times, we use a lot of metric measurements ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/15 "2004-10-28T18:28:24Z")
Dammit when I say 120mm I _mean_ 120mm and I’m right. Of course I am usually talking about a M1A1 tank. ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/16 "2004-10-28T19:06:29Z")
Ok, I guess I’m the only one who thought the OP was refering to the actual dimensions of the Universe. I’m so confused. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/17 "2004-10-28T19:48:26Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > I just poured me up some Coke from a 2 litre bottle. > > My fave lens is my 105mm on my 35mm SLR. > > I had 10cc of some medicine pumped into me not long ago. > At times, we use a lot of metric measurements Why do you hate America so much? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/18 "2004-10-28T19:59:00Z")
> [@Encinitas](#): > > Ok, I guess I’m the only one who thought the OP was refering to the actual dimensions of the Universe. I’m so confused. :smack: The thing is, to the outside observer, it could be possible that the entire universe is only 120 mm across. At least, I think that’s right. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/19 "2004-10-28T20:15:42Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Why do you hate America so much? But it came from the freakin’ English! They dumped it on us and then ran away from the colonies. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/20 "2004-10-28T20:22:18Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > But it came from the freakin’ English! Why do you hate France so much? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684.md?page=2)