Page 3 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
Results 21 to 30 of 36

Thread: Chamonix Whole Plate Camera!

  1. #21

    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    now in Tucson, AZ
    Posts
    3,618

    Re: Chamonix Whole Plate Camera!

    WP was a popular format in the days before enlarging was common. It's been functionally obsolete since the 1930s, I think, as 8x10 took its place. So cameras are hard to find; few have been made in the modern era, and not very many vintage ones have survived the 100+ years since their manufacture. Film can be found or cut down, but holders are few and far between (not to mention potentially nonstandard sizes).
    Still, as people here have said, it's a lovely format with a long history. I'd be tempted by it if I didn't have too much on my plate already.

  2. #22

    Join Date
    Nov 1999
    Location
    San Clemente, California
    Posts
    3,804

    Re: Chamonix Whole Plate Camera!

    Quote Originally Posted by Roger Thoms View Post
    ...The nominal size is 6 1/2” x 8 1/2” and the the actual film size is 6 7/16” x 8 7/16”...
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	attachment.jpg 
Views:	10 
Size:	40.0 KB 
ID:	208542

    For exact dimensions of Ilford film, see the below-linked post, which reflects responses received when I worked with Lotus to establish a de facto modern whole plate film holder standard in 2005 (subsequently duplicated by Chamonix and Ebony). This was approached by starting with the actual 8x10 holder standard T-depth as well as lock rib design/location and shrinking overall length/width.


    The image Roger attached shows a box of TMY-2 from the Kodak whole plate custom order placed through Glazer's of Seattle in 2009. Those label dimensions convert to 163.5mm x 214.3mm, which fall within cutting tolerances specified by Kodak in 2005. However, somewhere in the Glazer's - Kodak communication process someone erroneously decided that the film should be smaller, perhaps confusing sheet dimensions with actual image area dimensions -- 157.6mm x 206.9mm in the "standard." As a result, Kodak film shipped in that order was so narrow it wouldn't stay under the rails of some holders. In my case, it fell out of Lotus and Ebony holders but was barely retained by Chamonix holders.

    I'm unaware of any later Kodak whole plate orders or, if there have been, whether cutting room dimension settings were corrected for them.

  3. #23

    Re: Chamonix Whole Plate Camera!

    Ilford Delta 100 in Whole Plate is in stock at B&H. I just ordered some more.

  4. #24
    Alan Klein's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    New Jersey was NYC
    Posts
    2,580

    Re: Chamonix Whole Plate Camera!

    Quote Originally Posted by Roger Thoms View Post
    Whole plate is simply a format. The nominal size is 6 1/2” x 8 1/2” and the the actual film size is 6 7/16” x 8 7/16”. As far as print size it is no different than other formats. You can contact print, optically enlarge, or scan. With scanning you have several options for output.

    Personally my limited work with whole has been black and white and contact printing. I do hope hope to shoot more whole plate in the future, as I recently got new bellows for my camera and my recovery from hip surgery and subsequent nerve transfer surgery for drop foot is coming along.

    Roger
    Thanks Roger. So it's just another view film camera that shoots 6 7/16” x 8 7/16” size film? Is it regular film? BW? COlor? Who makes the film? Who sells it? It seems like a limited market and all types of film wouldn't be available. Doesn;t that limit you?

  5. #25
    Roger Thoms's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    San Francisco, CA, Flagstaff AZ
    Posts
    1,607

    Re: Chamonix Whole Plate Camera!

    Sal, thanks for the back story on the TMY-2, that very interesting. I have shot any of it yet and will keep the width issue in mind when I do. Hopefully it will work with my S&S holders.

    Roger

  6. #26
    Roger Thoms's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    San Francisco, CA, Flagstaff AZ
    Posts
    1,607

    Re: Chamonix Whole Plate Camera!

    Quote Originally Posted by Alan Klein View Post
    Thanks Roger. So it's just another view film camera that shoots 6 7/16” x 8 7/16” size film? Is it regular film? BW? COlor? Who makes the film? Who sells it? It seems like a limited market and all types of film wouldn't be available. Doesn’t that limit you?
    Regular film, black and white unless you cut it down from a larger size. I'm sure someone has shot color but I can’t recall ever seeing any whole plate color images. Whole plate is one of the format available each year on Ilfords ULF program. So yes film choices are limited and whole plate is probably a poor choice if you shoot color.

    Roger

  7. #27

    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Posts
    991

    Re: Chamonix Whole Plate Camera!

    Quote Originally Posted by Alan Klein View Post
    Film and print size availability? But maybe you are using it for other purposes. So that's why I asked the question. Do you use other processes beside standard film? I'm trying to be educated on what whole plate is and what photographers do with it.
    Some folks do things to differentiate themselves from others....some like to do things that are difficult, to suffer for their art.
    We have folks here on the forum coating their own glass & metal plates, doing obscure processes, making their own paper, etc.
    In comparison, shooting WP is a walk in the park.
    Ilford ULF / Shanghai for film, J. Lane for glass plates, 8x10 paper for contact prints..but good luck getting your film processed by a pro lab!

  8. #28

    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Posts
    776

    Re: Chamonix Whole Plate Camera!

    Quote Originally Posted by Alan Klein View Post
    Thanks Roger. So it's just another view film camera that shoots 6 7/16” x 8 7/16” size film? Is it regular film? BW? COlor? Who makes the film? Who sells it? It seems like a limited market and all types of film wouldn't be available. Doesn;t that limit you?
    I hope y’all realize ours is a race against time. The WP crew are just slightly ahead of the 8x10 folks, somewhat more so than the 4x5 folks, and about on par with the ULF folks. Ok maybe it’s not the best analogy but we’re not kidding ourselves, right? I can’t be sure that my still young kids will be able to do LF photography when they reach my age.

    Let’s enjoy the ride though!

  9. #29
    Nodda Duma's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Batesville, Arkansas
    Posts
    1,116

    Re: Chamonix Whole Plate Camera!

    Quote Originally Posted by Roger Thoms View Post
    Regular film, black and white unless you cut it down from a larger size. I'm sure someone has shot color but I can’t recall ever seeing any whole plate color images. Whole plate is one of the format available each year on Ilfords ULF program. So yes film choices are limited and whole plate is probably a poor choice if you shoot color.

    Roger
    I’ve shot Whole Plate color... I cut it down with a paper cutter in the dark. Here is a Velvia 100 shot from a couple years ago.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	AE42C398-A85A-4C45-B0CF-ED16981A4342.jpg 
Views:	34 
Size:	122.2 KB 
ID:	208546
    Newly made large format dry plates available! Look:
    https://www.pictoriographica.com

  10. #30
    Roger Thoms's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    San Francisco, CA, Flagstaff AZ
    Posts
    1,607

    Re: Chamonix Whole Plate Camera!

    Quote Originally Posted by Nodda Duma View Post
    I’ve shot Whole Plate color... I cut it down with a paper cutter in the dark. Here is a Velvia 100 shot from a couple years ago.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	AE42C398-A85A-4C45-B0CF-ED16981A4342.jpg 
Views:	34 
Size:	122.2 KB 
ID:	208546
    Right on, I knew someone had shot color whole plate.

    Roger

Similar Threads

  1. Introducing Chamonix Whole Plate Camera
    By Hugo Zhang in forum New Products and Services
    Replies: 48
    Last Post: 1-Aug-2008, 07:38

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •