Using film in glass plate holders

Macaroni · Jan 16, 2021

Hello

I have a Voigtlander Avus camera with a couple of glass plate holders. As going into the rabbit hole of dry collodion photography is not an option for me right now (too inexperienced), I was wondering if I can just use the specified 6.5 x 9cm film with the glass cartridges? I have done a test before using a cut out piece of darkroom paper with the camera, and although this resulted in a negative image, I was very pleased with the results.

Also, is there any other DIY options for developing 6.5 x 9cm format apart from doing it in total darkness in a tub (like u would develop photo paper, only without the safe light), or buying the $50 film holder for a standard 2x35mm developing tank?

removed account4 · Jan 16, 2021

Hello Macaroni

I'm not familiar with your exact camera. but you might have to find septi that were made specifically for your camera like they did in the "olden days" when film was being used with plate cameras. they might not be easy to find, sometimes they are "rare". Regarding processing your film ... There is also the "TACO" method ... ..
this video shows both the septi and the developing method...

JensH · Jan 16, 2021

Macaroni said:
Hello

I have a Voigtlander Avus camera with a couple of glass plate holders. As going into the rabbit hole of dry collodion photography is not an option for me right now (too inexperienced), I was wondering if I can just use the specified 6.5 x 9cm film with the glass cartridges?

Hi Macaroni,

look for "Planfilmeinlagen 6,5x9cm" on german (or local) ebay.
These sheet film inserts were made for this and work good.
You just put your film in them and put them into the plate holders...

Best wishes and welcome here
Jens

paolod · Jan 16, 2021

You can also use the Kodak Combination Film and Plate Holders. They are spring loaded and can take either glass plates or sheet film and will hold both at the correct focal plane. They were available in a few different sizes.
For the 6.5x9 cameras they made two different holders, which are marked 6.5x9cm and 2 1/4 x 3 1/4". They are exactly the same on the outside, fit the same cameras and use the same dark slides, but are different inside.
The 6.5x9cm holder will fit the J Lane dry plates in sixth plate size, or 6.5x9 sheet film, but I have not been able to find any currently available sheets in that size.
The 2 1/4 x 3 1/4" holder will fit the smaller 2 1/4 x 3 1/4" sheets which are currently available as Arista Ultra EDU 100 (Fomapan 100).

Bob S · Jan 17, 2021

paolod said:
You can also use the Kodak Combination Film and Plate Holders. They are spring loaded and can take either glass plates or sheet film and will hold both at the correct focal plane. They were available in a few different sizes.
For the 6.5x9 cameras they made two different holders, which are marked 6.5x9cm and 2 1/4 x 3 1/4". They are exactly the same on the outside, fit the same cameras and use the same dark slides, but are different inside.
The 6.5x9cm holder will fit the J Lane dry plates in sixth plate size, or 6.5x9 sheet film, but I have not been able to find any currently available sheets in that size.
The 2 1/4 x 3 1/4" holder will fit the smaller 2 1/4 x 3 1/4" sheets which are currently available as Arista Ultra EDU 100 (Fomapan 100).

LInhof also made them. They also had an ejector lever and, if desired, numbered friskits.

Ron (Netherlands) · Jan 17, 2021

The Kodak holders won't fit the thin metal glass plate holders made for the Voigtländer AVUS - only the film sheats might fit.
At the German Ebay site look for 'Planfilm Einlagen'.
Won't be easy to find, and if you find them, most probably at cost.

Here you see 3 of those sheats in front of the picture. The metal sheats compensate for the (missing) glass if you use sheet film:

grain elevator · Jan 17, 2021

I have a single sheath (that converts a plate holder for film) somewhere, you can have it for postage (€ 3,70).
Someone has mentioned it before, but I thought I'd make it explicit: You mention collodion. But that's not your only option on glass. Glass plates with normal silver gelatine emulsion exist. Not sure if anyone in Europe makes them, J. Lane in the US does, and you might be able to find old ones, or make them yourself.

Ian Grant · Jan 17, 2021

Jens Hallfeldt said:
Hi Macaroni,

look for "Planfilmeinlagen 6,5x9cm" on german (or local) ebay.
These sheet film inserts were made for this and work good.
You just put your film in them and put them into the plate holders...

Best wishes and welcome here
Jens

A tip is regardless of the country Ebay uses the same database and login for ebay.com. ebay.de. ebay.co.uk etc, but some items on say ebay.de might not be found on ebay.com in a search. I found far nore plate holders and film inserts on ebay.de than ebay.com or .co.uk.

A second tip if you find tthem aon say ebay.de/itm/********************************* you can edit the URL to your tegular ebay portal in my case .co.uk so ebay.co.uk/itm/********************************* This does work, I do it regularly.

German exampple on .de
And here on .co.uk

Might help a little, meanwhile I'll go see if I have any 6.5x9 film inserts, I don't think so I havequite a few smaaller then Quarter Plate and 9x12 (no spares inthe last 2 sizes).

Ian

ntenny · Jan 17, 2021

Ron (Netherlands) said:
The Kodak holders won't fit the thin metal glass plate holders made for the Voigtländer AVUS - only the film sheats might fit.

Maybe there are different versions of the Kodak holders? The combination holders mentioned by paolod will definitely fit the Voigtländer cameras, and they don’t contain a separate film septum, just an integral spring-loaded plate that makes them work with either film or plates. I assume they were intended for the Kodak AG Recomar cameras, which have the same back specs as Voigtländer.

I think the only regular-stock source of 6.5x9 is Adox CHS 100 II (Fotoimpex lists it, but currently out of stock), and I believe Ilford will cut it during their annual ULF event.

I like this format—it makes nice miniature contact prints that fit well in a nominal 2”x3” frame.

-NT

Ian Grant · Jan 17, 2021

I was wrong I have 11 6.5 x 9 film inserts. I need to keep 6 for 6 KW Patent Etui plate holders but that leaves 5 spare that I'd sell.

Not quite sure what Ron is saying about the Kodak inserts, they are actually thinner than most so no issues fitting any plate holder.

Ian

paolod · Jan 17, 2021

The Kodak combination holders will fit, they are the thin metal holders. I use them with a Kodak AG Recomar 18. My Recomar came with the exact same Voigtlander film pack holder as the one in post #6.

BAC1967 · Jan 17, 2021

I just bought these 9x12 film holders for my ICA Trona, they work great. I think 9x12 is the smallest size they have.
https://alternativephotographicsupp...oria-fotograficzne/wkladka-negatywowa-9x12-cm

I have a question, do I need to compensate for focusing with film inserts. It seems like the film emulsion would be slightly back from where the plate emulsion would be. The thickness of the metal insert that wraps around the edge of the film. Or is that not enough to worry about?

Ron (Netherlands) · Jan 18, 2021

Ian Grant said:
Not quite sure what Ron is saying about the Kodak inserts, they are actually thinner than most so no issues fitting any plate holder.
Ian

Guess I had the wrong Kodak holders in front of me - the ones I saw had big metal tabs at the end and were actually as thick as the AVUS plateholder, so these wouldn't fit into the original plateholder. But I guess there are also Kodak holders meant to put into an existing glass plate holder.

Re the film sheats / inserts, see hardly any offered on Ebay at the moment.

Murrayatuptown · Nov 20, 2022

I got a batch of Kodak metal single sheet negative/plate holders for a Medalist 2 cut film back. I read they were the same as those used in the Recomar 18. I discovered some of them were 6.5x9 cm and wondered if they were the same external size...as in whether they would fit the Medalist back.

That was confirmed above.

Does anyone know if 120 film height will fit the 6x9.5 cm holders (so only have to cut the width (length) dimension. It might be too tall.

Thanks

abruzzi · Nov 21, 2022

I don't think so, its too wide for the 60mm from 120 roll film. 6.5x9 was more common in europe, and from european sellers like Fotoimpex you can still get it in a couple of film types. The easiest cut for that size is to start with 5x7 sheet film and cut it in exact quarters, so two cuts gets you 4 sheets.

Murrayatuptown · Nov 21, 2022

6.5x9 cm...I keep 'misspelling' that.

Thank you. Cutting 5x7 down sounds good. I'll end up with easier-to-handle sheets of reasonable thickness, too.

I found a strip of 120 or 620 film negative I didn't see any ID negative on last night & tried it under 3 edges of the K/R film frame. It >seemed< like it JUST fit, but I didn't cut a piece to try a complete fit including latching the film frame. It might have had a little curl. I was aware of how things it felt and thought it would be pretty awkward in the dark.

I think that also dismisses any silly idea I had about cutting down remaining sheets in a loaded Graphic 3x4 film pack adapter. I think there are 10 of 16 sheets left. But I wonder about the used ones...I assume there are latent images due to the missing first several paper number tabs.

Thanks again.

Murrayatuptown · Nov 21, 2022

'thin', not 'things'

Using film in glass plate holders

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