Re: If I were to custom-make plate holders, would you buy them?

From: Sandy King <sanking@clemson.edu>
Subject: Re: If I were to custom-make plate holders, would you buy them?
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2004 14:17:48 -0400

> Not exactly. Full plate is a size that existed long before the 6.5" X
> 8.5" size became standard. Full plate is always very close to 6.5" X
> 8.5" but it is in fact a nominal size and holders and cameras were
> not built to any specific standard. I own several different old
> "full-plate" cameras, one made in England, and holders that fit these
> cameras are absolutely not inter-changeable with the 6.5" X 8.5"
> format that appears to have become standard sometime around the turn
> of the century with cameras made by Gundlach, Eastman, Seneca, etc.

I have been interested in history of photographic materials,
instruments, etc. Emulsion and processing chemistry, progress in
sensitometry, etc. are relatively easy to gather information (so far
in my search). Do you know of good source for camera equipment like
these topics? I have a paper "Photographic enlarging: a history" by
Eugene Ostroff (1984) published in Photographic Science and
Engineering, 28, 54--89, but something equivalent of this in camera
would be ideal for me as a starter.

I have a Seneca Competitor in 6.5x8.5 size and this is precisely that
size, as you said. (Mine has serial number of one hundred something.)
I am a little worried about how much of use is left, especially in the
rails.

--
Ryuji Suzuki
"You have to realize that junk is not the problem in and of itself.
Junk is the symptom, not the problem."
(Bob Dylan 1971; source: No Direction Home by Robert Shelton)