Glass negative plates out of Russia?

[babavaga]

Good day. I'm a new one in this forum - reading it for a long time I just decided to write :-)

I've bought wooden 5x7 old camera on this September. Now I've finished restoring it. It doesn't have plane filme holders - only for glass negatives. I've found one place in Russia where to buy one, but they have only ISO 100 negatives. Does anyone know if I can buy some in US or EU?



Mike.

[Ole Tjugen]

Slavich glass plates were available for a while from retroPhotographic, but I doubt they have any left now. Apart from those, only holographic emulsions seem to be available.

So what you should look for are not glass plates, but cut film adapters for glass plate holders. that's what I use in my old plate holders (from 6.5x9cm through 9x12cm, 4x5", 5x7" and 13x18cm to 18x24cm.

Which reminds me: Make sure that the holders are for 5x7" plates and not 13x18cm plates before you get film sheaths: sheaths for 13x18cm won't fit in most 5x7" holders, and 5x7" sheaths will drop out of some 13x18cm holders. The old plate sizes are exact, so if the plate slot is 127x178mm it's 5x7"; if 130x180mm it's 13x18cm. Those few measly millimeters really do make a difference.

[dwross]

There's always the option of making your own dry plate negatives. It may be an extra step, but you'll have a unique product and you'll never have to worry again about availability!

[GPS]

Good day. I'm a new one in this forum - reading it for a long time I just decided to write :-)

I've bought wooden 5x7 old camera on this September. Now I've finished restoring it. It doesn't have plane filme holders - only for glass negatives. I've found one place in Russia where to buy one, but they have only ISO 100 negatives. Does anyone know if I can buy some in US or EU?



Mike.

Amazing they still have them at all!

[babavaga]

dwross, I've tried, but the result was unstable.
GPS, Really do:

it's smth around $20 for six plates 9x12 cm and $50 for 5x7 ;-)

[babavaga]

Slavich glass plates were available for a while from retroPhotographic, but I doubt they have any left now. Apart from those, only holographic emulsions seem to be available.

So what you should look for are not glass plates, but cut film adapters for glass plate holders. that's what I use in my old plate holders (from 6.5x9cm through 9x12cm, 4x5", 5x7" and 13x18cm to 18x24cm.

Which reminds me: Make sure that the holders are for 5x7" plates and not 13x18cm plates before you get film sheaths: sheaths for 13x18cm won't fit in most 5x7" holders, and 5x7" sheaths will drop out of some 13x18cm holders. The old plate sizes are exact, so if the plate slot is 127x178mm it's 5x7"; if 130x180mm it's 13x18cm. Those few measly millimeters really do make a difference.

I've bought 4 packs of Slavich ISO 125 plates... they are really interesting. I have "normal" camera 4x5, but it is very interestig to make photos like my grandfa I thought about ISO 25 and less plates.

[dwross]

dwross, I've tried, but the result was unstable.

I'm somewhat of a 'collector' of technical and anecdotal info on dry plates. If you get a minute, could you elaborate a bit? Thanks.

[babavaga]

I'm somewhat of a 'collector' of technical and anecdotal info on dry plates. If you get a minute, could you elaborate a bit? Thanks.

I've tried ambrotip (am I right in spelling?). Wet collodion process, then putting glass on a black velvet to make it look like positive. There were some troubles with edges ans unstable speed. Maybe I didn't hold exact temperature of "silver" bath, but there were no any exact data about temperature in literature I've seen.

After several tries I've bought Slavich plates. It's orthochromatic emulsion, so if You take suitable paper it's realy like a vintage print.

I'm only on my way to a vintage photography, so If you know how to make print closer to ancient I'll be a perfect listener

[Gene McCluney]

I'm only on my way to a vintage photography, so If you know how to make print closer to ancient I'll be a perfect listener

To get the "look" of a vintage photograph with modern films, you have to use a filter to remove the colors of light that vintage films such as ortho and blue-sensitive emulsions could not see. Ambrotypes and wet-plate images could only see blue light. Ortho films could only see blue and green.

There is no temperature guideline for wet-plate work, as you work by visual inspection along the way. You leave in the silver bath until the surface "looks" correct..when viewed under safelight.

[dwross]

If you decide to give dry plate a try, Kevin Klein has posted his recipe on The Light Farm website (which I edit). It's simple and the results are very nice. His contact print on albumen paper is 'vintage' all the way.

http://www.thelightfarm.com/Map/DryPlate/MapTopic.htm

Your old camera is beautiful. Great work on the restoration.