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  #1  
Old 27th February 2018, 10:43 AM
Agulliver Agulliver is offline
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Default Rejuvenating a unique quarter plate camera

Back in 1958 when he was a student at Southampton University, my father made a quarter plate camera from bits of other cameras. Being an engineer (he was earning a degree in aeronautical engineering while apprenticing at De Havilland aircraft) the camera has stood the test of time. It's a bit of an oddity, using pre-war Zeiss Tessar f4.5 lens, bits of some sort of Kodak and other parts he manufactured himself. The rangefinder is an addition he made, it works but is not calibrated correctly. The grip tube is designed to contain a 22V battery which powers the solenoid below the lens (which can electronically fire the shutter) and provide power to a flash gun. All quite ingenious.

Although I've "played" with this camera since my dad first showed it to me around 40 years ago, and some of my earliest darkroom experiments were making contact prints of his plates aged 7 in a bedroom cupboard....I do not believe this camera has been used since the early sixties.

Dad passed away in 2008 but my strong recollection is that he told me he moved away from glass plates because quarter plates were very difficult to buy even in the early 60s. He obtained a Zeiss-Ikon 520/16 folding 120 camera which I also have, and still use regularly.

Back to the plate camera....I decided to bring it back into use, so did a few basic repairs on the bellows to ensure they don't leak light, have checked the electronics and they do work but I'm not using them. The shutter has always functioned as intended - perhaps my "playing" with it as a child helped keep it in working order. There's a focus scale (in dad's handwriting) and a ground glass screen so the rangefinder can wait.

Being optimistic, I bought some Ilford Selochrome plates circa mid 50s on eBay. Ruined one (deliberately) practising with the darkslides and then on Saturday this past weekend decided to actually load up a plate and try a shot. It was as sunny day, I was visiting my mother (still very much with us) and felt a portrait of her in the back garden would easily show if the plates were any good and any obvious faults with the camera...nice range of light and shadow, details to focus on but also easy to spot if anything at all was recorded on the plate. I shot at approx ASA32, though in retrospect I shall try the rest of the plates at 10 or 20ASA.

Frankly I'm amazed anything came out. I'm reasonably proficient in the darkroom having handled B&W 35mm film processing for around 30 years, branching out into medium format in the 2000s. This plate however was loaded in a dark bag, processed in an orange B&Q bucket in my bathroom one evening not even in total darkness...Ilford ID-11 for 7 minutes, swirling the bucket roughly every 40 seconds...as I realised that I don't have any suitable trays at home (home being a flat, my darkroom is mostly at mum's).

I learned a lot about plates....including the orange gunk that remained after washing and that it can be wiped off (even the 1958 edition Ilford Manual of Photography doesn't go into details about that)

So...having taken the first photo with this camera since about 1961/62, and made a reasonable success....I consider it utterly insane to travel with the camera and take portraits and landscape shots....therefore that is exactly what I intend to do. Aware that the supply of genuine quarter plates is both low and usually vintage....I know I can cut down 5x4 sheet film but that I need inserts for the darkslides. I am possibly able to manufacture something as I work in a school with a full DT department and helpful DT technician...or am willing to buy if not too expensive. However here I am completely in the dark (so to speak) as to what is required.

I've attached a photo of the camera and the photo I shot on Saturday....any advice on film inserts? Any further tips on correct use of glass plates? I still have 10 left, and while I found loading them very fiddly I do intend to use them.

I've jumped the gun and ordered 50 sheets of Foma Retro 320 Soft, as I am quite a fan of Foma films in general and this is the only one of their line I haven't yet tried....plus conveniently the 5x4 sheets are cheap.
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  #2  
Old 27th February 2018, 08:09 PM
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MartyNL MartyNL is offline
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Welcome to the forum.

Can’t help you I’m afraid but it all sounds wonderfully mad!

Best of luck
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  #3  
Old 27th February 2018, 08:43 PM
big paul big paul is offline
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on my 5x4 I have mostly been shooting Fomapan 100 ,that's my fast show imitation ,,and just started shooting Fomapan 400 its as cheap as chips ,but I suppose that you will have to chop it down ...welcome to fadu



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  #4  
Old 28th February 2018, 08:49 AM
Lostlabours Lostlabours is offline
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I remember this camera from a couple of years ago on APUG.

The lens looked cloudy, I don't know if it will clean or not. I may be able to help with plate holders as I've 4 shoe boxes full of them sorted by size - you'd need to find film inserts or make some - I have some that are too poor condition to use but you can have one to get an idea of how to make them. I bought thin aluminium to make my own then found a box and a half of new Kodak 9x12 film inserts and most of a box of Quarter plate.

I'd need to see the edge fit of the gg screen holder to match to plate holders. You might benefit from a new GG screen depending on how old it is.

Ian
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  #5  
Old 3rd March 2018, 11:53 AM
Agulliver Agulliver is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lostlabours View Post
I remember this camera from a couple of years ago on APUG.

The lens looked cloudy, I don't know if it will clean or not. I may be able to help with plate holders as I've 4 shoe boxes full of them sorted by size - you'd need to find film inserts or make some - I have some that are too poor condition to use but you can have one to get an idea of how to make them. I bought thin aluminium to make my own then found a box and a half of new Kodak 9x12 film inserts and most of a box of Quarter plate.

I'd need to see the edge fit of the gg screen holder to match to plate holders. You might benefit from a new GG screen depending on how old it is.

Ian
I do think this whole endeavour is delightfully mad. My further ambition is to take this camera on travels and shoot some portraits and landscapes.

Indeed, yes I posted to APUG a while back. I just find parts of that site populated by unpleasant people who are never dealt with by admin and will not be returning. The lens is fine, I think there were reflections on the photo. I'll add the APUG photos here too.

I've attached photos of the holders/darkslides. I have six of these which is sufficient to get me going. I have 8 of the Selochrome plates remaining which I intend to shoot, improving my familiarity with the whole process. I've also bought a quarter plate processing tank from an auction which will negate the need for darkening my bathroom and using the B&W bucket!

What I'd like to do moving forward is to cut down 5x4 sheet film and use it instead. Indeed I've already got some Foma Retropan 320 as it's cheap as chips now.

Looking at the holder, I do wonder if I could just slip the sheet film in there? I know everyone says to buy or make aluminium sheet holders The glass plates are a *very* tight fit. But I know I'm totally new to this form of photography.

What I love about the system is how thorough my dad was...there are three methods of focusing. The traditional ground glass screen (which he ground and mounted himself). a scale alongside the bellows which is accurate for "guess or measure the distance" and a rangefinder which he constructed. I've actually got this working in the sense that there is a second image which can be brought to match the main image in the viewfinder, but it's not calibrated at all.
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  #6  
Old 3rd March 2018, 11:57 AM
Agulliver Agulliver is offline
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I had to resize this one in order to upload....the darkslide/holder assembly.

I have six of these, all in similar condition and they seem to work. The fact that after all these years the whole thing works is a pleasant surprise.
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  #7  
Old 3rd March 2018, 01:26 PM
Lostlabours Lostlabours is offline
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Film can fall out without the inserts and also may get scratched by the dark slides.

Ian
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Old 12th May 2018, 11:11 PM
Ian Arthur Ian Arthur is offline
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Keep an eye on these guys as they want to start making dry plates again.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...hic-dry-plates
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  #9  
Old 16th May 2018, 06:23 PM
CornishChris CornishChris is offline
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these are also availbale

https://www.etsy.com/se-en/listing/5...op_home_feat_1
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  #10  
Old 17th May 2018, 02:22 PM
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Steve Smith Steve Smith is offline
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Ole on APUG uses sheet film in glass plate holders. I believe he has some sheets of something just a little less in thickness than the glass plate (possibly also glass) and he attaches the film using a small amount of bramble jelly jam (yes - you did read that correctly!).


Steve.
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