If you have been shooting 35mm film for a while, there usually comes a day when you look at an old Hasselblad, Pentax, or Mamiya and think, "I need to try medium format." Stepping up to medium format is honestly one of the best decisions you can make for your photography. The massive negatives, the incredible depth of field, and the deliberate, slowed-down process completely change how you approach taking a photo.

But when you start researching medium format cameras, things get a little confusing. You start reading spec sheets, browsing eBay, or checking out camera modules, and suddenly you are bombarded with numbers. Mamiya 645. 6x7. 6x9. And then, the most confusing duo of all: 120 and 220 film.

You might spot a switch on the back of a Yashica Mat-124G that says "120 / 220". You might find a Hasselblad film back that only says "A24", or a Mamiya RB67 film back listed for dirt cheap online with a big "220" stamped on it. Naturally, you ask yourself: what is 220 film? Do I need it? Is it better than 120?

Let us clear up the confusion. Here is everything you need to know about the difference between 120 and 220 film, and why you really only need to care about one of them today.

The Standard: What Is 120 Film?

Introduced by Kodak way back in 1901 for their Brownie No. 2 camera, 120 film is the absolute gold standard for medium format photography. Unlike 35mm film, which comes tucked away safely inside a metal canister, 120 is what we call "roll film."

If you have never loaded 120 before, it feels a bit like magic. The actual photographic film is attached to a completely opaque length of backing paper. This backing paper is longer than the film itself, protecting it from light at the beginning and the end. Both the film and the paper are rolled tightly around a plastic spool.

This paper backing is incredibly important for a few reasons. First, it protects the film from getting completely flashed by light when you load and unload the camera. Second, on vintage folding cameras and older TLRs (Twin Lens Reflex cameras), there is often a little red window on the back door. Because the backing paper has numbers printed on it, you literally look through that red window to physically see what frame number you are on. The paper safely blocks the light from the actual photosensitive emulsion.

Enter 220 Film: The Professional's Workhorse

Fast forward to the mid-1960s. Professional wedding and studio photographers were shooting almost exclusively on medium format systems. But they had a major complaint: 120 film is short.

Depending on the camera you shoot, a roll of 120 film might only give you 10, 12, or 15 shots before you have to stop, awkwardly unspool the film, lick the little sticky band (or tear off the adhesive strip these days), and load a fresh roll. Doing this while a bride is walking down the aisle or during a fast-paced fashion shoot was, quite frankly, a massive pain.

The industry needed more shots per roll, but they could not just make the spools thicker without redesigning every camera in existence. Their clever solution? They got rid of the backing paper.

220 film is exactly the same width as 120 film. The difference is that 220 film only has a paper leader at the very beginning and a paper trailer at the very end to protect it during loading and unloading. For the entire length of the actual film strip, there is no paper. Because film is much thinner than backing paper, manufacturers were able to cram exactly twice as much film onto the exact same size spool.

With 220, a wedding photographer shooting a 6x6 camera like a Hasselblad 500C/M could get 24 shots instead of 12. It was a total game-changer for working pros.

Cameras, Film Backs, and Pressure Plates

You might be thinking, "Great, twice the shots! I'll just load 220 film into my old vintage camera." Unfortunately, it was not that simple.

Because there is no backing paper running the length of the roll, 220 film is physically thinner inside the camera than 120 film. Medium format lenses have a notoriously shallow depth of field, which means the film has to be held perfectly, flawlessly flat to ensure your photos are in focus.

To do this, cameras use a spring-loaded piece of metal called a pressure plate. If you put thin 220 film into a camera calibrated for thicker 120 film (film plus paper), the pressure plate will not press hard enough. The film might buckle slightly, causing soft, out-of-focus images.

Camera manufacturers handled this in a couple of ways:

• The Switch: Cameras like the Pentax 67 or the Yashica Mat-124G have an adjustable pressure plate. You just press and slide the metal plate to the "120" or "220" setting, and the camera moves the plate closer or further away from the lens. It also changes the film counter to go up to 24 instead of 12.
• The Dedicated Back: Modular cameras like Mamiya RB67s, Bronicas, and Hasselblads used entirely separate, detachable film magazines. You would buy a 120 back (like the Hasselblad A12) for 120 film, and a 220 back (like the Hasselblad A24) for 220 film. The frame counters and pressure plates were hard-wired into the specific back.

Does 220 Matter Today?

Here is the most important takeaway if you are getting into medium format photography today: 220 film is essentially dead.

As digital photography took over the professional market in the early 2000s, the pros who needed 220 stopped buying it. Without high volume, it became way too expensive for film manufacturers to produce. The machines that glued the leader and trailer to the film were highly complex, and as they broke down, companies retired them. Kodak completely discontinued their last 220 film (Portra) around 2015. Fujifilm held out a bit longer, but it is basically impossible to find outside of expired, freezer-kept batches sold for steep premiums online.

While there are occasional rumors of tiny niche runs (a Chinese brand called Shanghai recently rolled a small batch), relying on 220 film in 2026 is a massive headache that just is not worth your time.

What If I Already Bought a 220 Back?

This happens so often to enthusiastic newcomers! You see a Mamiya RB67 back on eBay for thirty bucks. You buy it, completely overlooking the "220" stamped on it, while the 120 backs are selling for triple the price. Why is it so cheap? Because nobody can find the film for it.

Can you shoot 120 film in a 220 back? Sometimes, but you are playing with fire. Putting the thicker 120 film into a 220 back puts excessive strain on the winding gears. You risk stripping the delicate gears of a decades-old camera. Even worse, the mechanical frame spacing will be totally off because the camera is counting rotations based on the thinner film. You might get overlapping frames, or you might hit frame "12" but the camera still thinks you have 12 more shots to go, leaving you winding blindly.

If your camera has a 120/220 switch on the pressure plate, just leave it glued to 120 forever. If your camera requires separate backs, do yourself a favor and pay the slightly higher market price for a dedicated 120 back.

Ready for Medium Format?

Shooting medium format is one of the most creatively rewarding parts of analog photography. The massive viewfinders, the heavy mechanical clunks, and the final high-resolution scans are just incredible. Just remember that today, 120 is the one and only way to go.

If you are looking to make the leap into the big leagues of film, we are constantly sourcing, testing, and restoring amazing medium format gear. You can browse our current selection of medium format cameras to find your next favorite workhorse. And since many vintage medium format bodies do not have a built-in meter, do not forget to pick up a dedicated light meter to make sure those giant negatives are perfectly exposed. Grab some fresh 120 film, throw it in your bag, and get out there to shoot!