What is a plate camera ?

[jk0592]

Pardon my ignorance, but I cannot figure exactly what is a "plate" camera. I see references to plate, half-plate, even quarter-plate cameras. Do these refer to given sizes, or to the coating process given to the light sensitive materials to be exposed in the camera ?

[grahamcase]

A Full Plate is now, I believe, just a reference to a specific negative size, 6.5" x 8.5". I believe that you can get film in this size, however it is remnant of the days when glass and metal plates were used, instead of acetate.

Half and quarter plates are fractions of that standard size full plate.

Other more experienced members of the forum will chime in and correct me shortly :)

[alex from holland]

Whole plate - 6 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches
Half plate - 4 1/4 by 5 1/2 inches
Quarter plate - 3 1/4 by 4 1/4 inches
Sixth plate - 2 3/4 by 3 1/4 inches
Ninth plate - 2 by 2 1/2 inches
Sixteenth plate - 1 3/8 by 1 5/8 inches


alex

[Pete Watkins]

According to the Ilford Manual of Photography published in 1958 and the 1966 revised version "the sizes in most common use and the names by which certain of them are known are as follows"
These are all in inches except where stated.
2 1/2 by 3 1/2
3 1/4 by 4 1/4 (Quater Plate)
9cm x 12 cm
3 1/2 by 5 1/2 (Postcard)
4 x 5
4 3/4 by 6 1/2 (Half plate)
6 1/2 by 8 1/2 (Full plate)
8 by 10
10 by 12
12 by 15
These sizes refer to both glass plates and flat film (sheet film)

Pete

[IanG]

Whole plate - 6 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches
Half plate - 4 1/4 by 5 1/2 inches
Quarter plate - 3 1/4 by 4 1/4 inches
Sixth plate - 2 3/4 by 3 1/4 inches
Ninth plate - 2 by 2 1/2 inches
Sixteenth plate - 1 3/8 by 1 5/8 inches


alex

And that's just some of the British/US sizes :D Then there's the Continental.

Ian

[Fourtoes]

Yep.

13x18 and 18x24 for a start.

[Nathan Potter]

4 1/4 X 5 1/2 (half plate size) is, I believe, the size of my early postcard size film camera. Hadn't realized this. Did Kodak copy the the half plate size in film so that it could be used in half plate cameras at the turn of the 20th century?

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[Pete Watkins]

Nate,
Over here half plate always was and is 4 3/4 by 6 1/2. I've got the film holders to proove it and I actually managed to buy some half plate film about 6 years ago. I've also got an old De Vere that takes this size.
Pete.

[Oren Grad]

Do these refer to given sizes, or to the coating process given to the light sensitive materials to be exposed in the camera ?

It can refer to cameras that were designed to be used to make pictures on glass or metal plates, using plate holders rather than film holders. Or it can refer to the traditional plate sizes, some of which were carried over into the film era.

A few photographers still enjoy working with plates rather than film. In most cases today that involves coating your own wet or dry plates.

[jk0592]

Thanks for all the good information, wonderful.

[Ash]

Some people say "plate" when they mean "large format" or "antique" camera.

[Nathan Potter]

Nate,
Over here half plate always was and is 4 3/4 by 6 1/2. I've got the film holders to proove it and I actually managed to buy some half plate film about 6 years ago. I've also got an old De Vere that takes this size.
Pete.

OK. I wondered about the size. I guess Alex is in error about half plate size?

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[dwross]

4-3/4 x 6-1/2 is by far and away the most common 'half-plate' size. My understanding is that back in the day someone decided that it was a more pleasing aspect ratio. It is nice.

There is also a true half a Whole Plate format, 4-1/4 x 6-1/2, often referred to as 'double quarter'.

There used to be an amazing number of unstandardized sizes. If you're shopping for an old camera, and you aren't absolutely sure you can get holders later on, it's always a good idea to buy a camera that comes with at least one holder. Sometimes holders can be modified, though. I recently bought a half plate camera that came with two book style holders and the seller very generously included three more (all slightly different from each other!) that didn't quite fit. It was no problem for my woodworker friend to plane off just a bit on both sides and then I carved new catch notches. They all fit perfectly now.

d