8x10 Camera for film and glass plates

[gosse]

I had been considering getting an 8x10 camera made for glass plates (such as those offered by black art woodcraft), but I was thinking I might still want to use film (I make dry plates, not wet plates). Is there an 8x10 camera that is easily used for both? Like are plate holders easy to get for something like a Deardorff or other field camera? I was thinking that might be more versatile.

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

If you are not going to use wetplate there is absolutely no reason to use a wetplate camera. Contemporary wetplate cameras are heavy and have very limited movements. Buy a folding 8x10 such as a Deardorff if you plan on moving around, or a monorail for studio work, and then find yourself some 8x10 plate holders on eBay.

[Bob Hubert]

Many 19th and early 20th century dry plate cameras were later fitted with metal inserts to hold film. I recently purchased a full plate camera outfit with three book-form holders that all had metal inserts as well. I can shoot either plate or film with the camera.

[alex from holland]

Get yourself a calumet c1 or another fieldcamera.
You can modify a 8x10 plateholder for using glass and use a standard one for film.
http://collodion-art.blogspot.com/2010/10/normal-film-holder-for-wet-plate.html

[Mark Sawyer]

Agreeing with what's been said above. The Black Arts cameras are lovely, but offer no movements. Movements can be very important in wet plate, with soft focus lenses, or in any sort of photography using wide apertures. With limited depth of field, you need the movements to vary the plane of focus on different parts of the plate. Without them, your focusing choices will be severely limited.

Contemporary film-holders (Fidelity, Lisco, Riteway) are easily converted to wet-plate holders appropriate to tintypes, ambrotypes, and glass-plate negatives. This also lets you use a conventional back, and the camera can be used for film or plate photography with no modification.

[Kimberly Anderson]

I am planning to use modified 8x10 holders in my Canham camera when I start to shoot wet-plate. Keith didn't think there would be any issues worth seriously considering to sway my decision.

[jodyake]

I have started making my own dedicated wet plate holders that will fit in any standard 8x10 camera back. They are made out of ABS plastic and aluminum. They take a full sheet of 8x10 glass or metal. heres a photo. I have a few left for sale. they are $350 plus shipping.http://cl.ly/3s12032J1b2h1x3G423k