Just Curious - Who's Using 10x12, whole-plate?

[Richard K.]

A couple of questions here...

1.) How many are currently using (or will order soon, I guess) 10x12 or whole-plate? I'll put myself down for one of each and one 7x17 for the question below.

2.) Has there ever been a registry done here or on APUG of how many users there are of the various UL and unusual formats (eg. 7x11, 10x12, 5x12 etc.)? I couldn't find it but maybe I'm using the wrong key words. Seems it might be useful for minimum order sharing etc... :confused:

BTW I find that 10x12 over 11x14 has going for it some of the things that whole-plate has over 8x10. To wit, it's a little more manageable and lighter than 11x14, especially if you want a reversing back camera, looks good on the wall especially on 18x22 board and film is readily available, both as 10x12 and you can cut 12x20 in half...

PS Was there ever a Deardorff 10x12?

-Richard, West of the Humber

[Diane Maher]

I'm using 5x12 & whole plate.

[Steve Hamley]

Richard,

Yes, there was a Deardorff 10x12. Occasionally Dagor77s eBay ads will show a picture of one along with larger and smaller versions. Quality Camera had one for sale a year or so ago, but I thought it was a bit overpriced - but they are scarce, probably more so than the 11x14s.

Steve

[Joe Smigiel]

Whole-plate and 10x12 are the formats I shoot most in wetplate.

[Ole Tjugen]

My cameras are metric, so I use 24x30cm (close to 9.5x12") and 30x40cm (close to 12x16").

The 24x30cm is a very nice size, just enough larger than 8x10" to look a lot bigger, while still being portable. 30x40cm is too big and heavy for my taste.

[Sanjay Sen]

I have a 10x12 (Charten?) camera that I intend to use for 10x12 as well as 5x12. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten around to using it due to various distractions that have kept me away from photography for the past few months. :(

[Monty McCutchen]

I'm in with Joe. I shoot an old 10 x 12 camera from India for my wet plate work. Its a fantastic format.

Monty

[wfwhitaker]

I have a wonderful old Hare (English) 10x12 plate camera that was converted to take film holders. Movements are limited, but the camera is quite portable. I'm still working on a reversible 7x11 reducing back for it.

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

I shoot whole-plate film when I remember to cut the sheets down and load the holders, which is not nearly as often as I remember to load the 8x10 holders. Like Joe and Monte, I am an occasional member of the collodion-cult, and shoot wet-plate in both formats, as well as the occasional whole-plate Daguerreotype.

[athanasius80]

I will be shooting whole plate once I make a reducing back for the 8x10. I have the plate holders, just need to cut the glass.

[David Karp]

I use WP film using an Improved Seneca View.

[Sandeha]

Just got into whole plate. It's good.

[Antanas-Lukosevicius]

I use whole plate, it is divine.
Anton

[Rob_5419]

8 whole plate users so far, another 7 unspoken for and lurkers unaccounted for, excluding those in denial ;)

I shoot whole plate (glass negatives and film negatives) too. That's 9 then.

How much constitutes 'enough' to have any marketing power in any case? It sounds like a great venture. I'm sure we might have more bargaining power as a group, but on the face of it, if a group of even 20 whole plate photographers can be mustered, it's a very small number to try and persuade any film manufacturer to be nice to us.

Ilford Harmon UK is already nice to us ;)

[John Ossi]

You can include me in the whole-plate camp, so there's an even ten.

[David Karp]

There are more. Just search some of the other threads on the WP subject.

Just think, if not for the Internet, many of us would know would not even know of the existence of WP, and others would have been using the format thinking they were the only one left! I certainly would not have known about WP if it were not for some of the people on this site.

[Jim Galli]

Guilty. Quite a lot of WP. I have a 1012 reducing back for the Deardorff but no holders yet. Anyone got some 10X12 holders for me?

[Oren Grad]

< pokes head up out of burrow >

Whole plate!

< ducks back underground >

[clay harmon]

Both

[David Karp]

< pokes head up out of burrow >

Whole plate!

< ducks back underground >

Does that mean we will have a long winter?

[Chauncey Walden]

An "even" baker's dozen for whole plate.

[Scott Davis]

Working on using whole plate- still waiting on the Fotoman film holders. I've got two different whole plate camera setups - a WP back for my Century Master studio camera, and a Seneca WP field camera. All the WP glass plate holders I have don't quite fit - they're all a scoche(sp???) too small.

[John Schneider]

Once I finish my Thalmann-inspired whole plate conversion back for my 4x5 Arca A/B (and get some of the Fotoman holders), that'll make 14 users. I played around with my Rittreck with WP back and a pair of Rittreck holders, but decided I'd be happier with a monorail (if anyone is interested in the camera, please PM me).

[RJ-]

Whole Plate - (No. 15).

Restoring a vintage English bookform whole plate camera.

Although I enjoy restoring cameras, this one is proving more demanding than I had envisaged.

[Oren Grad]

Does that mean we will have a long winter?

< pokes head up out of burrow >

Sorry, not telling whether I can see my shadow. :p

< ducks back underground >

[David Karp]

< pokes head up out of burrow >

Sorry, not telling whether I can see my shadow. :p

< ducks back underground >

:)

[Ole Tjugen]

Come to think of it, I have an incomplete whole plate back for my Gandolfi. Maybe i should get around to putting springs on it, finding holders, finding film...

Or maybe I should continue shooting 18x24cm...

[Rob_5419]

Although I enjoy restoring cameras, this one is proving more demanding than I had envisaged.

Hi RJ,

I did warn you about this one. It's as beautiful as it is rare. Judging by the work you've put into other restorations of vintage cameras, this one should be interesting.

So what happens now that we've completed the survey?

<All duck back underground until the Fotoman holders come out>

[Jon Wilson]

WP Camera Update inquiry....Does anyone use a Seneca Century Premo WP Camera with Glass Plates and/or WP film? I believe those WP holders are 7 13/16th inches in width, 9 15/16 inches length, .56 inches/18.5 mm thick with the T-Rib 3.01mm wide and the distance from the inside edge (film/plate side) of the T-rib to the end of the holder is 9 1/8" in length. Can anyone confirm these measurements/dimensions for your Seneca Century Premo WP camera? Thanks. Jon

[Iga]

Hi !
I have 3 WP cameras and use them all from time to time.
Devere monorail
Vageeswari folder
Ritreck 5x7 with WP back.

Igor.

[Bill_1856]

After several years lusting after a Whole Plate setup, I have finally got a new bellows and GG for my gorjezus brass and mahagony Gandolfi. I am afraid it may turn out to be too large and bulky for me to handle in my dotage.
I still think it's the ideal negative size for large format landscape contact printing, but from a practical POV, 8x10 makes more sense and ain't all that much bigger.

[Peter Gomena]

I, too, love the size and proportion of my WP camera. I only wish there was an economically practical way to acquire a new one. I love my 1895 ROC Standard, but I would like to have a modern field camera. Having to buy custom-built film holders is the budget killer. Until I win the lottery, I'll just grin and bear it!

Peter Gomena

[Steve Goldstein]

I have a Seneca WP that's quite massive so it rarely leaves the house. I've been toying with the idea of fabricating a WP back for my Canham MQC - I have access to a full machine shop (with machinist) so the cost would be time, materials, and bellows.

[goamules]

Since we're checking in, I also am shooting more whole plate, in my Rochester Universal. It's very light and folds about 4 inches thick. The only problem is the lensboard is small, so so far I've made lensboards for a Dallmeyer Wide Angle Rectilinear, Rapid Rectilinear, Triple Achromat (all use the same flange size), a Dagor and a Verito. That ought to do it, but I'd like a small petzval that would cover. I need to check my Dallmeyer 3D, it may just fit.

[Peter Gomena]

My ROC also has a small lensboard. The original RR that came with the camera fits it very well, but the big Petzvals I see on this forum won't make it. I generally put modern lenses on the camera, so it's not an issue for me. More of an issue is the weight - it is a "portable" studio camera. It probably belonged to a traveling portrait photographer at one point. Heavy bed, 24" of bellows. I still love it.

Peter Gomena

[Scott Davis]

Steve- which Seneca do you have? I have two of the "black beauty" whole plate field cameras and they're very lightweight and portable. The only complaint I have is that the bed extensions are not interchangeable between cameras (the bed on one is in better condition than the other, but it only fits on the less-well preserved body).

[Steve Goldstein]

Scott, it's the "Improved Seneca View", finished in black. I was lucky it came with a few plate holders complete with sheaths for film. Overall it's about 9 pounds including an aluminum plate I fabricated that works with my Arca-Swiss type heads. I suppose I should weigh it without the plate, it's big and certainly overkill.

[Craig Roberts]

Add me to the list - Eastman View #1

[Petzval Paul]

I always shoot WP and 6'x8'. I like the formats and see no reason to shoot any standard, modern formats since I don't use film.

[Scott Davis]

Steve- I'll have to weigh mine, but I'm pretty sure it's close to my Canham 5x7 in weight - around 6 lbs. Maybe 7. Mine takes film holders, of which I've managed to acquire 12 or 13. I could stand to have the holders refurbished, but they're fine so long as I don't let exposed film sit in them for too terribly long before processing.

[peter schrager]

I use W.P. too!! and I love it with a lightweight camera I bought from japan and a back made for me by Richard Ritter to fit the Chamonix holders
Best, Peter