127 film sits perfectly between the classic 135 and 120 film formats, with a native width of approximately 46mm. Major film manufacturers discontinued official 127 film production decades ago, leaving this vintage format largely dormant for years. Yet a wealth of well-preserved 127 film cameras still circulate on the second-hand market, keeping this analog tradition alive. Standout models include the iconic Kodak Vest Pocket Camera ā a resilient companion through both World Wars ā alongside beloved classics like the Rollei Baby, Yashica 44, and Primo JR.
At Reflx Lab, we took on the mission of reviving 127 film two years ago, launching our first iteration: the PRO100 Color Negative Film. Now, weāre expanding our 127 lineup with the brand-new Fortuna C200 Color Negative Film, meticulously converted from the classic Lucky C200 120 film stock. And more B&W 127 film is on the way.
Weāve received countless questions about our 127 film conversion process, so weāre breaking down the full workflow in detail today.
The first step is trimming the back paper. Standard 120 film features a 61.5mm-wide back paper, which we precisely cut down to 46.5mm for 127 format. The slight 0.5mm margin is intentional: the back paper needs to cover the film edge entirely to prevent light leaks and ensure shooting safety. Weāve built a custom dedicated machine exclusively for this back paper trimming step to guarantee consistent, precise results for every roll.
Original 127 back paper (below) compared with our 120-converted back paper (top).
Beyond width adjustment, we also shorten the back paper length. The 127 format is roughly 20cm shorter than standard 120 film, so tailored length trimming is essential for a perfect fit. During the respooling process, we reverse the back paper orientation ā flipping it so the original āexposedā side becomes the film start, and the factory-marked āstartā side becomes the film end. This reversal is a key technical adjustment designed to align with the back paperās numbering system.
Most 127 film cameras feature a centered red window, where shooting begins at frame number 9. A smaller number of models have a side-mounted red window, requiring users to start shooting at frame number 12. Our reversed back paper setup ensures accurate frame counting for both camera designs.
Ā 
Red window in the middle, and red window on one side
The second core step is film slitting, a process that requires complete darkness to avoid exposing the photosensitive emulsion. To solve this, we developed a custom dark box equipped with an infrared camera system. Most analog film stocks are insensitive to infrared light, allowing us to clearly monitor and control the entire slitting process inside the box without causing any exposure damage. Note that this dark box works with all conventional films, excluding infrared-sensitive film stocks.
Inside the light-tight dark box, we use a professional precision cutter to trim full-size Lucky C200 120 film down to the standard 127mm width. The leftover 16mm film strip from this process is perfectly sized for 110 format film ā and yes, weāre officially developing new 110 film stocks, so stay tuned for future releases!
Once the film slitting and back paper trimming are complete, both core components are ready for final assembly. The subsequent respooling workflow follows a refined, standardized process similar to 120 film production. First, we thread the customized back paper onto a 127 spool, then evenly roll the trimmed film in sync with the back paper. Finally, we secure the film tail to the back paper with a high-adhesion sticker to fix the position and prevent shifting during shooting.
Ā