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Tintype Parlor Rockland

palmettoexplorer

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Dec 16, 2017
Messages
10
Location
South Carolina
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Medium Format
I bought the Tintype Parlor Kit from Rockland Collodion. I’ve heard mixed reviews on it but decided to give it a try. Have any of you used it? Second I called the company who makes and sells them today and they know very little about their product. I asked if you have to have a plate holder, film holder, or what...the salesman had no clue. For you who have used them...do you know how I actually put the 4x5 plate in the back of my camera?
Here’s what they told me...cut to fit the film holder but I’m not sure that would work.

Thanks
 
hi

ihave used it and had great results from it
did you call rockland colloid and that is what they told you ?
i find that difficult to believe because they have been selling
this product for 20years ( probably closer to 40 ). i have put their metal plates
in film holders they are kind of thick though and difficult so instead i use them
in something that uses septums like a grafmatic back or falling plate camera or bag magazine ( bag mag )
i also use a 35mm camera with small plates, MF cameras &c
i also make photograms with an enlarger, all sorts of stuff.
there is a thread here: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/rockland-colloid-should-i-bother.112558/
it might add additional insights ...

plate holder for glass plates, film holder for metal
or you can make a wet plate holder by cutting the septum out of a regular film holder
adding metal wire ( silver ) and using it as if you were shooting wet plates ... using something with septums is easy
because you can widen / make bigger the rails...
 
After the phone rang like ten times a guy answered the phone like your best friend would. No greeting nothing. He told me none of the workers are photographers and not ever the founder was. They are chemist. I felt more like I was the expert and he was the buyer. It was ridiculous.

I’ll check out that link and thanks for the tips
 
Depends on if you use a film back or plate back. I have heard of people modifying backs to take plates, but for your purposes I doubt that is necessary. If you took a thin sheet of metal you might be able to squeeze it in the film back with a little effort. I do not doubt that it will work. Most of the time things do not work it is due to user error, such as my first experiences with RA-4. The easiest way is to just use a plate camera, but it is possible to cut a film holder.
 

I’ve done a bit more reading and learned a lot of people have to cut it just a tiny bit especially the corners
 
Ok. Good information. Too bad I don't have the time to mess with this.
 
no prob!

bob's son runs the place now, if it was an older guy who answered the phone
he founded the company and is a WEALTH of information .. not sure where i read his BIO
but he was an art director in the 50s/60s and wanted a different look for some sort of photo project
so he invented a photo emulsion and eventually his company was born ... i've had conversatons with his son
and he was pretty knowledgable as well... no clue who you spoke with ...
if you "google" rockland tintypes there is a company in california someplace, a photo shop, that
might still be selling modified film holders or something .. can't remember what it was but they knew their stuff.

good luck !
john
 


Thanks for the response.

All I know it was some guy who said the owner had died years ago and had no idea about tintypes as a photography process just about the chemicals. It’s all good though, he still did help...it just wasn’t what I needed.

Thanks for the tips
 
The guy sounded fairly young. I’m good I’m the end. Maybe it was a new guy or something. I just have a bunch of unanswered questions.
 
there is info also on their facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/pg/rockaloid/community/?ref=page_internal
really weird they told you the guy who started it died years ago
i think i talked to him more recently than that ... oh well .. what can you do ?
there is a guy who responds in the facebook thread
named robert cone, that is the son of the owner ..
these guys
Dead Link Removed
can answer questions about film holders/conversions
i think they sell them / sold them at one point
what sorts of unanswered questions do you have ?
as mentioned i've done this process off and on for a handful of year.
ps at the bottom of this thread there is a "similar thread" block and it has
additional posts about rockland tintypes ...
 

Sadly, Rayko Photo Center has closed.
 
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