Half Plate Film

Megrez · Dec 8, 2010

Hello everyone,

I recently purchased a wooden half-plate camera (plate size 6½" x 4¼"), complete with shutter and lens, with the intention of using it for black and white photography. The camera also came with three wooden book type DDS plate-holders. I have made some aluminium plates to act as support for film.

I am aware that I can purchase 5" x 7" film and cut it down in the darkroom. However, wonder if anyone knows of a supplier who still makes half-plate film, or would cut the film for me?

Alternatively, someone suggested having the camera modified so that it will take 5" x 7" film holders. I wouldn't even know where to start, in terms of modification.

Please can anyone help?

Many thanks in anticipation,

Gary

TheFlyingCamera · Dec 8, 2010

Ilford MIGHT make this film size, but only during their annual large/ultra-large film run. Which you've missed for this year. Barring that, some of the Eastern European manufacturers might make it. Another solution is to get some whole plate film (which you definitely can get during the annual Ilford ULF film buy) and cut it in half.

David William White · Dec 8, 2010

I believe Rob Skeoch has a few boxes for sale of whole plate FP4 left over from this year's run. I picked up a box from him a couple of weeks ago. You can contact him here or at bigcameraworkshops.com.

Megrez · Dec 8, 2010

TheFlyingcamera - thank you so much for that. I had no idea Ilford did a one-off film run each year.
David - Huge thanks. I will contact Rob and see what he has.

Jerevan · Dec 8, 2010

I don't know, but this film is a bit too big, right? http://www.lumiere-shop.de/index.php?page=product&info=1670

edp · Dec 8, 2010

Half-plate is 4¾×6½ , not 4¼. This year's Ilford special didn't include half-plate, but Simon Galley said he'd put it on the next one ( (there was a url link here which no longer exists) ).

You can get Wephota NP15 and NP22 in that size (which unless somebody knows better and can correct me I think is Efke 25 and Fomapan 100) from lumiere-shop.de (Germany) here:

http://www.lumiere-shop.de/index.php?page=product&info=1670
http://www.lumiere-shop.de/index.php?page=product&info=1652

He tells me that it should be available in January; I'm expecting the last of the NP15 he had in stock to arrive in the post tomorrow

edp · Dec 8, 2010

TheFlyingCamera said:
Another solution is to get some whole plate film (which you definitely can get during the annual Ilford ULF film buy) and cut it in half.

Half-plate is actually a bit bigger than half of whole plate, in old English sizes, it's 4¾×6½. Although I wouldn't be at all surprised if there was an American half-plate a different size.

edp · Dec 8, 2010

Megrez said:
I recently purchased a wooden half-plate camera (plate size 6½" x 4¼"), complete with shutter and lens, with the intention of using it for black and white photography.

Anything off of this list?

http://www.earlyphotography.co.uk/site/camera_b_chapter.html

Jerevan · Dec 8, 2010

Okay, I was thinking the 4 1/4" dimension seemed a bit strange. But as edp says, there are quite a few "half-plates", especially in Japan for example.

edp · Dec 8, 2010

Speaking of which you might still be able to get Acros 100 in half-plate if there are any packs still lying around in Fuji's factory.
(Japanese half-plate is the same as English half-plate but the film is measured in millimetres: 118x163):

http://www.japanexposures.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=25&products_id=114

Jerevan · Dec 8, 2010

There's also the metric half-plate, 12x16.5 cm.

The plastic 6 1/2 x 4 3/4" and the 12x16.5 filmholders have the same outer dimensions, by the way.

Ian Grant · Dec 8, 2010

edp said:
Half-plate is 4¾×6½” ,

No, No, No

Half plate is 6½”x4¾" it's an ENGLISH size not to be confused with the . . . . . . . .

I sold a whole plate/half plate/5x4 De Vere monorail last month and bought a nice Half Plate Thornton Pickard or Butcher on Sunday, plus 2 more TP shutters to restore

Did you buy your camera on Sunday Gary, I nearly bought 4 Half plate cameras for about a third of what they'd fetch on Ebay, instead I bought the one most suitable for me to use, withe the most movements. I'll make a second back to enable me to use 5x4, and possible another for 6x17.

Post some images of your new acquisition Gary and welcome to APUG BTW.

My guess is your camera takes old style book form half plate holder, designed for glass plates, so it's not a simple case of using modern half plate film holders unfortunately. However I recently made a converter plate for a 6x7 roll film back to allow it to fot a Quarter plate camera back, and also rebuilt an early Graflex 5x4 back which gives me confidence that a half plate camera can be adapted without modifying the actual camera itself.

Ian

gandolfi · Dec 8, 2010

page 17

http://www.wephota.de/down/wephota/wepr.pdf

Megrez · Dec 9, 2010

Yes. I apologise Ian. Half plate is 6½”x4¾! Thanks for the info. Ian. I will post some photos of the camera in question as soon as the weather is good enough to take it outside. I bought two half-plate cameras and a mountain of book-form plate-holders. In the meantime, this is one of the other half-plate cameras I own: http://www.flickr.com/photos/luminouslandscape/5038834070/ All of the cameras were bought from private collectors, not Ebay. Any further comments would be gratefully received. Many thanks, Gary

Megrez · Dec 9, 2010

Thanks you so much everyone for your helpful replies. I will order some film from Wephota - I am extremely grateful for that source.

Also, please accept my sincere apologies for getting the film size incorrect! The other size I quoted was for the Tintype half-plates which, for some strange reason, were smaller.

Jerevan · Dec 9, 2010

Nice camera! It was interesting to see the geared rise/fall construction. I've never seen it placed on the front like that. Working book-form plateholders (that actually fits the camera, too!) is a great thing.

I found this in your flickr photostream and all I can say is: wow!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/luminouslandscape/4819277886/in/photostream/

werra · Dec 9, 2010

edp said:
You can get Wephota NP15 and NP22 in that size (which unless somebody knows better and can correct me I think is Efke 25 and Fomapan 100) from lumiere-shop.de (Germany) here:

Wephota should be from old East-German ORWO factory, not some relabeled stuff.
NP15 is absolutely lovely film, btw. At EI25 in A49 or Rodinal. Fine and beautiful grain.
At least the stock from DDR times is. I hope they have not screwed up something during last 20 years.

edp · Dec 9, 2010

Wephota just do confectioning as far as I know, so I've no real idea where the film originates.

I wish the postman would hurry up, he's got 250 sheets of it in his bag.

Megrez · Dec 9, 2010

Jerevan - Thank you so much for your kind remarks about my photo.

I have ordered a box of Wephota Planfilm black and white 100 ASA. Now I will have to wait patiently until it arrives! Many thanks once again for all your help and suggestions, which are very much appreciated. )

Just looked on the massive dev chart and can't find this film. Does anyone have a development time for Wephota Planfilm black and white 100 ASA in, sa,y Rodinal or ID11 please?

removed account4 · Dec 9, 2010

while you are waiting for your film to arrive
you can always cut some paper to the right size
some folks pre flash it, others use a filter ( if it is vc )
a asa to start at would be anywhere between asa 6 and 25

nice camera ( and welcome to apug btw )

john

werra · Dec 9, 2010

Megrez said:
Just looked on the massive dev chart and can't find this film. Does anyone have a development time for Wephota Planfilm black and white 100 ASA in, sa,y Rodinal or ID11 please?

It's in the unlisted section: http://www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.php?Film=NP&Developer=&mdc=Search

Dev. times for rodinal look same as for old ORWO production.

edp · Dec 9, 2010

Megrez said:
In the meantime, this is one of the other half-plate cameras I own: http://www.flickr.com/photos/luminouslandscape/5038834070/

It looks like a good one. Little clues like the slots in the screws all being aligned say "high quality".

Peter Black · Dec 12, 2010

Megrez said:
I have ordered a box of Wephota Planfilm black and white 100 ASA. Now I will have to wait patiently until it arrives! Many thanks once again for all your help and suggestions, which are very much appreciated. )

How did you actually order and pay for it, and do you need to understand German to do it?

Thanks, Peter

Jerevan · Dec 12, 2010

There is an english version of the Lumiere website. And I suppose they take plastic card as a payment option.

edp · Dec 13, 2010

Now the postman's been and it turns out I haven't got enough room in my fridge. Have to throw some food away to make room for film.

Half Plate Film

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