Total Newby here

[Smithy]

Hello everyone.
New to the forum and to Large Format camera.
Looking forward to getting my first LF picture,only problem is its all new to me.
I recently purchased an old Wood &Brass full plate camera from 1897.
Thornton Pickard Ruby 8.5" x 6.5" with 3 double dark slides for glass plate.
I am hoping to modify these to accept cut down 8"x10" film.
This is were the forum members i hope can help.
Look forward to contributing to the forum if i can.
Kind regards from a very wet UK

[Ulophot]

Welcome, Smithy. You will indeed find individuals ready to help, offering knowledge gained from their own trip down the road upon which you are presently embarking. I have no clue about about the old plate cameras, but others will, and you'll find a thread for posting images of your camera, if you wish. For processing your film, you may wish to look at the new daylight-use developing tank from Stearman Press, which handles 8x10, 5x7, and 4x5, I believe. I am among the many happy users of the 4x5 model. In any case, your questions will surely find answers here.

What led you into large format?

[Andrew O'Neill]

Welcome Smithy!

[Tin Can]

and it begins...Welcome!

[Smithy]

Hello and thank you,Ulophot / Andrew and Tin Can for your welcoming words.

Ulophot,
I had recently got back into Photography and was looking at getting a new Fuji X-t3 and lenses, but i could not get into the idea of taking lots of easy to take pictures and then deleting just about all of them.So for considerably less money I have a 120 year old Mahogany and Brass antique which will go up in value instead of going down when the newest / latest models come out.
I like items with history attached to them and started looking at old Large Format cameras.I liked the idea that you have to take your time and plan the picture so you have to work harder to get a good pic.Then hopefully develop them as they would have been back in the day.Maybe not glass plates but substitute film instead.
My camera came with 3 original double dark slide (a work of art in there own right) , i am thinking that i might be able to cut the film down to the required size and add a packer behind the film to bring it up to the same level as the glass plate would have been.

Tin Can.
I am looking forward to the journey.

[John Kasaian]

Welcome aboard!

[Two23]

If you cut down 8x10, make sure you are keeping the corner where the notch code is. Otherwise you won't be able to orient it so the emulsion faces out. Oh, and welcome.


Kent in SD

[Neal]

Hi Everyone,
Hope you doing well,

My name is Neal and also newbie here.