Plasticca info anyone?

[alex from holland]

A nice lens Alex and a perfect focal length for bigger plates.

Have you shot anything with it yet?

Nope not yet.
I have tried several soft focus lenses for wet plate, but somehow it doesn't work right.
Lot's of unpleasant glow.

alex

[Steven Tribe]

This is a later "Kronar" follow-on from the Plasticca production after Zweirzina left Dresden in a hurry (mid 1930's)!
Plasticca range had a 60cm but not the useful (sizewise) 50cm.
I have a feeling that the very dramatic soft lenses and most alternative processes don't combine too well - too many variables?

[Emil Schildt]

This is a later "Kronar" follow-on from the Plasticca production after Zweirzina left Dresden in a hurry (mid 1930's)!
Plasticca range had a 60cm but not the useful (sizewise) 50cm.
I have a feeling that the very dramatic soft lenses and most alternative processes don't combine too well - too many variables?

This Kronar is only the second I have seen.. rare? (A frend of mine has one)

Alex: try it out and show us - at least some made in a "normal" technique.. I am curious..

Steven: I do think that soft focus (drematic) images can be used for alternative techniques. I certainly can think of some...

But I don't know about the wet plate - maybe the "mistakes" in pouring interfear with the image?

[eddie]

I have a feeling that the very dramatic soft lenses and most alternative processes don't combine too well - too many variables?

this one DOES.

But I don't know about the wet plate - maybe the "mistakes" in pouring interfear with the image?

normally soft focus lenses do not work well with wet plate. this one does. i have used it with great success.

eddie

[Craig Tuffin]

this one DOES.



normally soft focus lenses do not work well with wet plate. this one does. i have used it with great success.

eddie

I remember this plate...nice one Eddie!!!

Emil...I think you should try wet-plate...you'd be outstanding!!!

I was also a believer that SF lenses don't work with Ambrotypes or Tintypes...that they needed some area of sharpness. However, when considering wet plate negatives, I think the transition to an albumen or salt print actually works very, very well. Julia Margaret Cameron is one of my heros and I don't think she has a sharp image in her complete body of work. She worked in minutes rather than seconds most of the time so sharpness was out.

I recently tried to prove my theory wrong by finally shooting an ambrotype with my eidoscope instead of leaving it in the cabinet until the film came out.

[Steven Tribe]

Alex, do you have problems getting an acceptible focus with the 50cm O.Simon Kronar with close images? Our friend in Oslo finds the 60cm Plasticca doesn't produce a sharp central area in a small studio.

[eddie]

Basically the glow from the sf makes the plate look over exposed. U need to print a WP neg to get the glow. Just like a regular Neg image.

John coffer and I had this talk when I was shooting my eidoscope at his place. I kept cutting the exposure till there was zero details and it looked like mush. I switched to my Cooke and the negs were perfect.

[alex from holland]

I have yried my eidoscope which was acceptable.
2 weeks ago i tried a nice Darlot d'artiste which showed a beautiful picture on the ground glass, but in real it looked horrible

I haven't tried this kronar yet. Will try ot in the coming weeks. Have tp make a new lensplate for it.... Time, time, time

[Steven Tribe]

Some extra information about the Plasticca!
This thread has the best title, but the other “Plasticca” threads have lots of information too.

I have just got hold of an example of the Netherlands version of Germany Plasticca. We already know about the Kronar version which I think comes from Belgium. This no information about it’s German origin - just CAPI and “amateur Plasticca” along with 200mm, F4.5 and a very high serial number. The style of the engraving in the lens ring is exactly the same as the German version.

CAPI, as our Low Countries colleagues will tell us, are the initials of C.A.P. Ivens, who had a very successful photoshop chain in the Netherlands. They still exist as CAPI-LUX - but are no longer in the photographic trade (who is!).

I have always wondered why the Plasticca catalogue in cameraeccentric included many recommendations- all from residents in The Netherlands.
There is no indication that this is produced by CAPI, except that the smaller focal lengths are given the “amateur” label - which doesn’t appear on the German engraving.

Anyway, here is my new 200mm. I can confirm the presence of a pale yellow plane glass as the rear “lens”. The front lens is much further away from the rear filter than was the case in my old 600mm version. The smaller versions were also made to be directly mounted in shutters - which I will check out

[Ron (Netherlands)]

CAPI, as our Low Countries colleagues will tell us, are the initials of C.A.P. Ivers, who had a very successful photoshop chain in the Netherlands. They still exist as CAPI-LUX - but are no longer in the photographic trade (who is!).

Hello Steven, the name reads C.A.P. Ivens which stands for Cornelis Adrianus Peter Ivens, son of the photographer Wilhelm Ivens. C.A.P. was father of the well known cineast Joris Ivens. Don't think they made any photographic supplies themselves, but were merely retailers.

His newly opened shop in Amsterdam (may 1916):



customers in his shop in Amsterdam:



darkroomfacilities in is shop in Amsterdam:



Art Deco interior: