Plate holder blues...

Rhodes · Sep 8, 2019

I bought a goerz ango that was a complete set: camera, five 4x5 (with 9x12 cm adapters) double glass plate holders and transport box. Got the camera fix and recovered and decided in the last vacation time of this year, to have fun with it.
But, in my head the idea was stuck, the plate holders are 4x5 and this is post card size, there for it is 10x15cm. Bought a unused box of 10x15 Agfa isochrom plates and went to load the holders.
That's funny, the plate is bigger than...hummm let my check something...ah yes, 4x5 is 10x12 cm...
Enfim...
Any one knows about 10x15 holders that can be use with a goerz ango? Or it is best just to buy 4x5 glass plates and forget about the Agfa ones?

adelorenzo · Sep 9, 2019

These are orthochromatic plates? If so, why not just cut them down under a safelight with a glass cutter and a straightedge.

Luckless · Sep 9, 2019

Rhodes said:
Any one knows about 10x15 holders that can be use with a goerz ango? Or it is best just to buy 4x5 glass plates and forget about the Agfa ones?

Third option: Find a camera that uses 10x15 holders, and use your current stock of plates as an excuse to expand your collection?

[I'm mostly commenting to follow along. Have been curious about working with plate cameras.]

Rhodes · Sep 10, 2019

adelorenzo said:
These are orthochromatic plates? If so, why not just cut them down under a safelight with a glass cutter and a straightedge.

yes, they are. Superorthocromatic, acording the box, but never though about that. Even so, cutting, possible damage to the emulsion or something.

Luckless said:
Third option: Find a camera that uses 10x15 holders, and use your current stock of plates as an excuse to expand your collection?

[I'm mostly commenting to follow along. Have been curious about working with plate cameras.]

eheheh, But that is buying another LF format camera...oh well it is for a good cause. The plates should be use.

I entered the "glass plate" world when bought a 9x12 camera, thinking that the holders were for film. After learning about glass plate holder and such and knowing that J.Lane glass plates existed, I bought a box and began to shoot with them.
And working in read light is always cool!

JPD · Sep 10, 2019

That's an interesting camera. The name "Ango" stands for "Anschütz - Goerz". What lens does it have?

So the plate holders you got with it don't fit? Or do they fit? If the camera takes 4x5 plate holders, then 10x15 plate holders will not fit.

If the 4x5 plate holders fit you can use film sheaths (sheet film adapters) and use easy to find 4x5 sheet film.

Nodda Duma · Sep 10, 2019

Rhodes if you want I can cut those plates down to fit your holders. I’ll be able to do so without damaging the emulsion. Just ship them to me and cover shipping cost back. Piece of cake.

-Jason

Rhodes · Sep 11, 2019

JPD said:
That's an interesting camera. The name "Ango" stands for "Anschütz - Goerz". What lens does it have?

So the plate holders you got with it don't fit? Or do they fit? If the camera takes 4x5 plate holders, then 10x15 plate holders will not fit.

If the 4x5 plate holders fit you can use film sheaths (sheet film adapters) and use easy to find 4x5 sheet film.

No, the glass plates that are 10x15 cm do not fit in the holders that I have. I have the 4x5 holders - 10x12,5 cm. Funny thing, I have a French catalogue from 1910, of this brand, and in pages about the camera, have the several sizes and in the 4x5 size, have the cm corresponded. The next size available to buy is 10x15 and the largest was 13x18.
Mine have a Carl Zeiss Tessar (I think, have to check it, since I am not at home) 150mm f/4.5; it is a late model, after the Zeiss bought goerz. And it is in yards (!?), not M or Feet.

Nodda Duma said:
Rhodes if you want I can cut those plates down to fit your holders. I’ll be able to do so without damaging the emulsion. Just ship them to me and cover shipping cost back. Piece of cake.

-Jason

Jason, thank you for your offer, I will sit on it since do not want to bother you with this. If by some reason I do not buy a 10x15 plate in the near future and the shipping to the US is not expensive, since the box is heavy, I will contact you.

Nodda Duma · Sep 11, 2019

Ah yeah... couldn’t tell if you were in the US or not. Shipping would be too much to make it worthwhile. Glass cutter and straight edge will work. Cut emulsion side down, on top of lens tissue.

Ian Grant · Sep 11, 2019

The Goerz Anschütz Ango was sold in the UK in 4 sizes, Quarter plate, 5x4, Postcard, and Half plate, production was at CP Geoerz Optical Works, 1-6 Holborn Circus, London. After WW1 the factory and production was taken over by Van Neck, who became Peeling & Van Neck in 1919, and the cameras were sold as the British Anshutz Camera. Van Neck became the importer/distributor of Goerz, Foth, Deckel (Compur) and other German companies in the UK.

By 1921 Peeling & Van Neck were importing Goerz cameras from Germany and selling the Goerz Anschütz in the same British sizes, the company now occupied less space only 4-6 Holborn Circus (not 1-6), so had presumably closed the production side. Later when Zeiss dropped the Anschütz camera Peeling & Van Neck resumed production with the help of Gandolfi who made the wooden body, only one size of the VN Press Camera 9x12 was available, production continued and Gandolfi records show 728 bodies made after WWII.

Ian

Alex Varas · Sep 11, 2019

Hi Rhodes,

I shoot 10x15 with my Voigtlander Bergheil and as I have seen some other 10x15 cameras the holders should be the same, if I find more holders around here I will let you know.
I have some 9x12 glass plates if you want to trade

Regards,
Alex

JPD · Sep 11, 2019

Rhodes said:
No, the glass plates that are 10x15 cm do not fit in the holders that I have. I have the 4x5 holders .

But the 4x5 holders fit the camera, right?

Then you can use sheet film adapters and use sheet film in 4x5.

Rhodes · Sep 12, 2019

JPD, yes they fit. Of course, but I for LF film I normally use my speed graphic. And I really have to use it more.

Thank you Alexvaras, I will consider.

JPD · Sep 12, 2019

Rhodes said:
JPD, yes they fit. Of course, but I for LF film I normally use my speed graphic. And I really have to use it more.

Well, the difference between plates and sheet film is the substrate the emulsion is coated on. With sheet film you'd get to use the exciting Ango camera, develop the sheets the way you are used to, and you'll support the film manufacturers. Old glass plates can be foggy and have ugly spots, and it's easy to load them backwards in the holders by mistake. With sheet film the camera will show you what it's capable of, and you can use it hand held. And you can drop a holder without the plate cracking. Plus that if you're very happy with the results you don't have to worry about storing the sheet film negatives compared to the fragile glass plates.

But, of course, using glass plates can be fun and different. It's a hobby after all!

Jerevan · Sep 13, 2019

I can't figure out exactly where you are located but if it is in Europe, then you could buy some newly made J Lane plates either from Germany or the UK.

Rhodes · Sep 13, 2019

JPD said:
Well, the difference between plates and sheet film is the substrate the emulsion is coated on. With sheet film you'd get to use the exciting Ango camera, develop the sheets the way you are used to, and you'll support the film manufacturers. Old glass plates can be foggy and have ugly spots, and it's easy to load them backwards in the holders by mistake. With sheet film the camera will show you what it's capable of, and you can use it hand held. And you can drop a holder without the plate cracking. Plus that if you're very happy with the results you don't have to worry about storing the sheet film negatives compared to the fragile glass plates.

But, of course, using glass plates can be fun and different. It's a hobby after all!

Of course, but I had good experiences with old glass plates and getting film inserts for the glass plate holder is not off the table but for now is 4x5 plates.

Jerevan said:
I can't figure out exactly where you are located but if it is in Europe, then you could buy some newly made J Lane plates either from Germany or the UK.

Portugal, my home town is Figueira da Foz, if you click the name of my location, it gives you the location in google maps. I have bought J.Lanes glass plates before, normally 9x12. I enjoyed the ortho ones and have a few left. Now it is just getting the time to go shoot.

Jerevan · Sep 17, 2019

Rhodes said:
Portugal, my home town is Figueira da Foz, if you click the name of my location, it gives you the location in google maps. I have bought J.Lanes glass plates before, normally 9x12. I enjoyed the ortho ones and have a few left. Now it is just getting the time to go shoot.

I saw this, but I was thinking it might be somewhere else - you know some places like Paris exist in at least two different locations on Earth. Great to see that you are on the dry plate train. Me too, soon.

Plate holder blues...

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