Help needed with plate holders

[Tom Keenan]

I have only experience with film but would like to explore some wet plate photography. I have done a fair amount of reading but no practical experience yet. A local photographer gave me three glass plate holders. I am having trouble figuring them out so I figure someone here may be able to point me in the right direction. Every aspect of them seems to be extremely well made (beautiful woods, hinges, fit, finish and so on) so I would like to put them to good use. They are bigger than what I expected measuring approximately 14 in. by 14 in. on the outside. When I look inside it looks like a plate of 10in. by 12 in. would fit in either portrait or landscape. Is it that simple? Are these 10x12 plate holders? Any idea what kind of camera these would have been made for? Thanks in advance.
Tom Keenan

[Gene McCluney]

It's quite possible that the plate size is 10x12, and it is also possible that the plate holder allows you to orientate the plate horizontally or vertically. The Plate holder may only fit on the camera in one direction, with the darkslide pulling up. As to "what" these were for, I have no idea. 10x12 has not ever been a real popular size. The chance of you finding a camera these holders would fit is very slim, unless the friend who gave you the holders also has the camera somewhere. Originally, many glass plate holders came with nesting inserts to allow you to use progressively smaller plates within the same holder. Back in the days before practical enlargers, you shot a plate the size the customer wished the finished photo to be.

[Tom Keenan]

Thanks for the info. Looks like these may not be the right holders to start my adventure.:(
Tom Keenan

[Gene McCluney]

Thanks for the info. Looks like these may not be the right holders to start my adventure.:(
Tom Keenan

The Star Camera Company does custom retrofit of a new wet-plate back and holder to dry plate and film type wooden cameras.

http://www.starcameracompany.com/index2.htm

In addition, you can custom modify a modern film holder to accept a glass plate, and with that you can use an unmodified modern sheet-film camera for wet-plate. For Wet-Plate, you only need ONE (1) holder as you coat, sensitize, expose and develop a single plate before you set-up to do another one. There is no preloading several plates and shooting them all then processing...you only have a few minutes to expose and develop once you pull the plate out of the silver bath.

[emo supremo]

So Tom, how are you getting on? I was watching this thread, observing the YouTube videos on how to coat the glass, etc. I was tempted to try this in the yard this summer so I didn't have to deal with the fumes.

Any idea how to do this with a Deardorf 8x10? Have you seen a ref or url that describes how to convert the conventional Lisco-type film holders to do these old timey negatives?

[Gene McCluney]

Here you go. Making a wet-plate holder from a common film holder:

http://www.photoformulary.com/user_uploads/Making%20a%20Wet%20Plate%20Holder.pdf

[timsumma]

Just a heads up. Linhof film holders are designed to be converted to plate holders with the easy removal of the septum used to hold flexable sheet film.

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

Just a heads up. Linhof film holders are designed to be converted to plate holders with the easy removal of the septum used to hold flexable sheet film.

Huh? I haven't ever seen a modern Linhof holder like that. A few old ones (which wouldn't fit into a regular GG back) might, but certainly not the modern ones. If you mean the film/plate holders with the the septum on a spring, these are not very workable for wetplate.

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

By the looks of what you have, I would guess that it is a custom made 10x12 holder, but good luck in finding the correct camera for that. You might be able to have someone like Ray at Star camera make you a back with ground glass for a 11x14 or 10x12 camera, but then again, it might be cheaper to just start from scratch...

[emo supremo]

Thank you folks, this looks like it might be a gas to try out.

[Michael Carter]

John Alex in India sells cameras with plate holders; I have two 10x12; the holders do not interchange so get holders with the camera you get from him. Look in buy it now only and 8x10 or larger large format cameras on ebay.
Michael Carter