# 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:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/21 "2004-10-28T20:24:52Z")
> [@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. It’s simple: 1cm = 4 mpg, or about a Newton-kg ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/22 "2004-10-28T20:32:21Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > The only metric measurement Amercans have taken to is 9mm. That’s not true. I’m sure there are plenty of Americans who could tell you what half a gram looks like… ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/23 "2004-10-28T20:34:16Z")
> [@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 chose 10mm over 9. Cameras that use 120 offer so many different options, too. Use 6x6, 6x7, or 6x9 format. Change from color to black and white to Polaroid to cut film in the time it takes to say “dark slide”. 😉 ---
**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, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/24 "2004-10-28T22:53:50Z")
You can get darkslides and film magazines for 35mm systems, too, but I’ve never seen one that wasn’t a complete pain in the ass. After I discovered 6x4.5 I vowed never to go back to small format and I never have. Yes, I do love my interchangeable magazines. It’s even better when you have an “assistant” who can load up the spare while you’re still shooting. Of course, my assistant is just this guy I know who I pay $20 when he has a free afternoon occasionally. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/25 "2004-10-28T23:33:52Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > 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. [Caution - pedantry ahead] First, it’s Rolleiflex, not roloflex. And the Rollei produced (and still does) negatives that are 6 cm x 6 cm, unlike your Mamiya. [The latest version](http://www.rollei-usa.com/6008af.htm) is currently on sale for a mere $4995. [End of pedantry. We now return you to your regularly scheduled rant.] ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/26 "2004-10-28T23:37:11Z")
Being insane, I knew that the 120 had to mean something, so I googled and found this. > **[Film format](https://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/film%20format)** > > Wikipedia article about Film format Looks like film types were numbered 101-\>130 continuously as the format was altered, then skips to 135 (35 mm film) and then numbered like Peugeot cars (ie almost randomly from there on) ---
**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, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/27 "2004-10-28T23:41:01Z")
> [@Early Out](#): > > [Caution - pedantry ahead] > > First, it’s Rolleiflex, not roloflex. And the Rollei produced (and still does) negatives that are 6 cm x 6 cm, unlike your Mamiya. Yeah, but they use the same 120 film. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/28 "2004-10-28T23:48:14Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Yeah, but they use the same 120 film. True, and I know what you mean about the chromes being “a thing of beauty.” I was standing at the counter at my favorite photo lab some time back, and the guy next to me was looking at his 6x6 chromes on a lightbox. Wow. Just wow. ---
**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 29, 2004, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/29 "2004-10-29T00:02:08Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Yeah, but they use the same 120 film. Yes. 120 film yields three standard negative formats that I’m aware of: 6x4.5, 6x6, and 6x9. **racinchikki** - Oh. Well, that’s close enough. Sounds better than “three and fifteen sixteenths by four and fifteen sixteenths.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/30 "2004-10-29T00:52:10Z")
The 120 in 120 film is like a model number or stock number. 120 film can be shot in the following formats: 6 x 4.5 6 x 6 (about 2 1/4 inch by 2 1/4 inch or about 5 cm by 6 cm)) 6 x 7 6 x 9 (about 6 cm by 9 cm) I also use 4x5, 5x7, 8x10 and 35mm. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684/31 "2004-10-29T04:25:15Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > The 120 in 120 film is like a model number or stock number. 120 film can be shot in the following formats: > > 6 x 4.5 > 6 x 6 (about 2 1/4 inch by 2 1/4 inch or about 5 cm by 6 cm)) > 6 x 7 > 6 x 9 (about 6 cm by 9 cm) > > I also use 4x5, 5x7, 8x10 and 35mm. as well as 6 x 8 6 x 12 6 x 17 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-fucktards-of-the-universe-its-not-120-millimeters/271684.md?page=1)