Full Plate Film Holders - Market Response Please

[fotoman]

It seems as though numerous responses to my previous thread, have ONCE AGIAN shown considerable interest in the Full Plate format, but they are diluting the intent of that thread. I'm posting this new thread to better keep tabs on the two different potential products. If in fact there is a reasonable demand, then for costing reasons, tooling for both Full Plate and 5x7's at the same time creates a much more viable manufacturing scenario from my perspective.

So the big question is, can I please have a hand count... I'm looking for hard numbers. How many people are wanting to purchase how many Full Plate Film holders? Like the 5x7's, these would be in every way comparable to Toyo film holders (quality wise) other than for same three aspects...

1. They would carry the Fotoman brand name
2. The dark slide would be stainless steel (like in a Horseman RF holder)
3. The pricing would be more attractive

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I would be up for a half-dozen full-plate holders initially, and at a later date, probably another half-dozen, maybe more.

 

[Sal Santamaura]

Assuming they match the Lotus whole plate holder specifications I've described here (there was a url link here which no longer exists), don't STINK like recent production Toyo holders do and cost less than a Toyo 8x10 holder, I'll take a dozen.

 

[athanasius80]

I'd be down for a few full plate holders myself. Keep us all posted!

 

[Andrey Donchev]

I'm interested too! Thank you for your effort!

Andy

 

[Sal Santamaura]

Everyone -- Paul asked for hard numbers. How many would you purchase???

 

[Oren Grad]

Everyone -- Paul asked for hard numbers. How many would you purchase???

I'll second Sal's point. Fotoman can't do it unless they have a pretty solid commitment to a quantity that will be profitable. Even if it's only two or three, if you can commit to a specific number it will really help.

To repeat my comment from the LFF, I'll take at least six.

 

[athanasius80]

I'm poor and probably won't be able to afford any, but I'd sell something and buy six. After all, when's the next time I'll be able to get them made new?

 

[Jersey Vic]

I can use at least 3. How much would they be?

 

[fotoman]

I can use at least 3. How much would they be?

Obviously that will depend on how many we can run. I'm hoping to get enough response to make an intial run of 200 pieces. If this happens, pricing will be in the $60 range.

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

I would take at least 3, would like 6 if I can scrape up the money.

Wayne

 

[colrehogan]

I would buy six of the whole plate film holders. And then maybe a few more after that.

 

[clay]

6 for me

 

[Sal Santamaura]

Good news today:

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showpost.php?p=231691&postcount=31

 

[Sal Santamaura]

And for those interested in a camera to use the new holders in:

http://theonlinephotographer.blogspot.com/

 

[Peter Schrager]

dumb question here??

OK so someone tell me that in order to use these holders I will need a specialized
view camera to use them?? Or to have a camera back modified by Richard Ritter
Would it not be possible to be able to have the holders fit into the sliding back of my current 8x10? ;or am I asking too much?? I mean these cameras don't exist so why is everyone ordering holders? I would love to try the format myself
So somebody please respond.
Thanks, Peter

 

[clay]

If you just want to try the format dimensions out, mark your 8x10 ground glass with a pencil and then chop your negative after you develop it. That is what I did for a while before diving in. There are a decent number of old whole plate cameras still floating about, but most will be pre-1925, with the occasional exception like Oren's Rittreck camera.

 

[Peter Schrager]

fukk plate inquiry

Clay-thanks for the info. I guess the lack of or whatever answers the question.
So everyone who is buying these holders has one of these cameras?? Or are you going to start modifying 5x7's and 8x10's?? Just VERY curious
Thanks, Peter

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I'll be putting a 6x8 back on my Century Master studio camera. The camera was made to take modular backs up to 8x10. Whole-plate cameas do show up on the 'bay from time to time. Not nearly as exotic as 7x11.

 

[Oren Grad]

Peter, there are plenty of whole plate cameras floating around. If a bunch of new whole plate holders went on sale today, almost certainly most purchasers would be owners of antique cameras, simply because there are far more of those around than there are new cameras or custom-built adapter backs.

The important thing is that if you're interested in the format, there are many ways to end up with a working camera, to suit a wide range of budgets and preferences.

 

[Peter Schrager]

Full Plate

Oren-believe me I'm usually the first one to jump over the mountain when it comes to getting things done with group purchases/orders. I waited what-over a year for the amidol purchase but now I have what I consider to be a lifetime supply. I think it;s wonderful to have some of these different sizes available for the LF community. 5x7 was my FIRST camera over 30 years ago and I never ever saw anyone else using one that I remember. Ebay and the internet have changed the parameters. You're right; these things come up quite frequently on Ebay.
I'm in for at least six holders....
Best, Peter

 

[Oren Grad]

The more mountain jumpers, the merrier!

You won't have to join a group purchase for these holders, though - my understanding is that they'll be offered as a retail product and sold to individual purchasers through the usual Fotoman dealer network.

 

[Rob_5419]

Clay-thanks for the info. I guess the lack of or whatever answers the question.
So everyone who is buying these holders has one of these cameras?? Or are you going to start modifying 5x7's and 8x10's?? Just VERY curious
Thanks, Peter

Err...most of us have at least one whole plate camera. Maybe three. I'm losing count.

There are plenty of whole-plate cameras available - maybe less so in the States compared to England & Japan?


Here's the reference for the firestarter threads Peter:

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=23909
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=23875

Of course, the Ebony is a goal-post niche product in the whole-plate camera revival: it probably is the only modern whole-plate camera in (current) manufacture. The rest of the available whole plate cameras are more vintage cameras which require some degree of work or restoration.

OK so someone tell me that in order to use these holders I will need a specialized view camera to use them??

Ok.....you need a specialised view camera to use them.....not!

A traditional whole plate camera - UK = Sanderson/Thornton Pickard/ Lancaster/Gandolfi/Coronet models, or Japanese (Nagoka, Charten, Ebony), or American (you guys know more about these than I do) is all you need.
There are various 8x10" cameras which can accept a whole-plate reducing back. If there is no pre-existing whole-plate reducing back, that's where the camera machinist comes in to manufacture a reducing back for your 8x10"....

Or to have a camera back modified by Richard Ritter

Oren's answered that question for you. Yes.

Would it not be possible to be able to have the holders fit into the sliding back of my current 8x10? ;or am I asking too much?? I mean these cameras don't exist so why is everyone ordering holders?

Not at all - you're asking the same question that most of us asked. The modification charge for your 8x10" may however be the same as a whole-plate camera + lens....

Essentially the whole-plate format (6 1/2 x 8 1/2") lives on, despite the slide of the whole-plate camera into history's annals. I think the internet does indeed have a lot to do with this, particularly that awful auction site where suddenly, a whole-plate camera being off-loaded in the middle of nowhere, becomes instantly accessible to every other obscure whole-plate fantasist across the ocean. Some of us have always admired the whole-plate format for its size and format dimensions, only to have been thwarted by the lack of camera knowledge/film availability etc. Personally, I think adapting an 8x10" is only a part-solution, as the attraction towards whole-plate is a personal size of camera and negative area which is more manageable for book-printing and design as contact prints.

Again, don't get too over excited about film availability.

I've just heard from Fuji that whole-plate Fuji Acros is no longer available ;(

If you are ever in the British National Portrait Gallery or anywhere where Victorian plate photographs are displayed (Julia Margaret Cameron, Dorothea Lange, Ansel Adams etc), then the whole plate format and its attraction will start making sense...

 

[colrehogan]

Again, don't get too over excited about film availability.

I've just heard from Fuji that whole-plate Fuji Acros is no longer available ;(

Did you hear it from a Fuji rep? I asked Dirk Rosler from Megaperls (the place to get loose sheet is looking into the Fuji Acros whole plate sized film, but I haven't heard back from him yet.

Diane

 

[Oren Grad]

Did you hear it from a Fuji rep? I asked Dirk Rosler from Megaperls (the place to get loose sheet is looking into the Fuji Acros whole plate sized film, but I haven't heard back from him yet.

Diane

I checked my Japanese references back to 1995, and don't see any record of Acros ever having been available in whole plate. Certainly one or more of its predecessor emulsions would have been, but I don't know how long it's been since those were deleted from the catalog.