Quote Originally Posted by goamules View Post
You're on your way! The first time shooting, people either think of film, and expose too short, or think wetplate needs more than it does, and go too long. You're in the zone now, and most days at that time should start about there.

Rather than shooting with several plates at various speeds to figure it out, save time and materials. If you can do it with the tiny plate holder, make a test exposure by removing the dark slide just 1/4 of the way out of the holder, and shoot 2 seconds. Then move it 1/4 more out and shoot another 2 seconds, and so on. You will have 4 bands showing exposures of 2, 4, 6 and 8 seconds. At about F4, one of those will be good. Adjust slightly from there.

I used to do about 6 exposure bands on a quarter plate to determine the zone. Now I just lick my finger, hold it up to the wind and light, and guess the time. After a while you will get where you are spot on every time, in any light, and with any age of collodion. It becomes second nature, you can FEEL the light.
I might be able to get at least a couple exposure times on the tiny plate. Hard to gauge where my dark slide is on it. You're right, though, I come from shooting only film so my expectations of exposure times are way off!