In the world of film photography, formats play an important role in the choice of a camera and the image you can capture with it. Two of the most popular film formats are 35mm and 120 film. Both film formats have their own characteristics and unique appearance, but what exactly is the difference between 35mm and 120 film? In this blog we will take a closer look at the distinction between these two film formats. From the compact 35mm to the more extensive options of 120 film.
Film formats analog photography
In analog photography, film size refers to the size of the image captured on the photographic film. The image size is determined by the dimensions of the roll of film used in the camera. Such a roll of film includes both physical dimensions of the film and the ratio between the width and height of the image. A film format therefore plays an important role, as it influences the composition, size and quality of an image.
What does 35mm film mean and what size image has it?
The most popular image format for film photography is 35mm, which is sold as a roll of film with the product name 135 film. The term “35mm” refers to the length of the film strip of the roll, which measures 35 millimeters. The length of the film roll determines the number of photos you can take before you have to change the film roll. The number therefore says nothing about the image size of the photo, although a 35mm roll of film often has a standard size of 24mm x 36mm. So the aspect ratio of the photo is approximately 3:2, which means that the width of the photo is 1.5 times the height. In more understandable photography language, this means a horizontal photo, such as you take with current digital cameras.
Due to the small image size, 35mm film is known for its compact dimensions, resulting in smaller and lighter cameras compared to larger film formats such as 120 film. 35mm analog cameras are therefore ideal for travel, street and documentary photography. Moreover, 35mm cameras are often more competitively priced, making them accessible to people with a smaller budget. The accessibility of 35mm quickly made it the standard for both amateur and professional photographers. The wide range of film rolls available, ranging from different colors to black and white, made it a suitable film format for various artistic purposes. Nowadays, 35mm film is still very popular, especially among photographers who are just starting out with film photography. The grain structure and color reproduction of film provide that nostalgic look that attracts many photographers.
Read more about the 5 best affordable 35mm analog cameras here
What does 120 film mean and what size image has it?
Another popular image format in analog photography is 120 film. It is also known as medium format and is sold as a roll of film with the product name 120 film. The term “120” refers to the name that Kodak gave to this film, version number 20 of a serie they started with ‘100’. Therefore you cannot derive the dimensions of the film from the name, which is approximately 61mm high, rounded to 6cm. This makes 120 film a lot larger (higher) than 35mm film, which means the cameras simply needs to be larger to hold the filmroll.
The amount of photos you can take with 120 film depends on the image format of the chosen camera. 120 film has different ways of using the film and therefore image formats, including the popular ratios 6×4.5, 6×6, 6×7 and 6×9. The standard 120 film is 6×6, which gives the image an aspect ratio of 1:1 and produces square photos. The 6×4.5 and 6×7 produce a rectangular image, with the 6×4.5 producing a smaller image (6 cm x 4.5 cm) than the 6×7 (6 cm x 7 xm). With a 6×4.5 camera you can take approximately 15 photos per roll, with a 6×9 camera this is a maximum of 8. There is also 220 film made (to a small extent) with the difference being the film is twice as long, allowing you to take double the number of photos per roll. Please note that not every camera supports this type of film and an adjustment is often required to the camera itself.
The big advantage of 120 film is the quality of the photos. Due to the larger film, the image is recorded on a larger surface area, leaving more room for details. This allows you to digitize and print the photos at a higher resolution with less loss of detail than with 35mm film.
Logically, a 120 film 6×9 camera produces a higher quality image than a 120 film 6×4.5 camera. On the other hand, a larger image size also means a larger and heavier camera. This means that 120 film, especially those with a larger image size, are less suitable for travel and that you often need a tripod to ensure that you can keep the camera steady while photographing. In addition, 120 film cameras are a lot more expensive than 35mm analog cameras, making them less accessible to people who are new to the world of analog photography.
Conclusion difference between 35mm and 120 film
When choosing the right film format and camera, it’s important which type of photography you practice and what you want to achieve with it in terms of the quality of the photo. Do you just like film photography because of that nostalgic image or do you also want to take professional photos that you can print in large format? Think about this carefully, because not every film camera is always easy to find (and equally affordable) and you cannot simply switch between the different film formats. For example, you cannot put a 120 roll of film in a 35mm camera and vice versa.
