A plate camera is a type of camera that uses photographic plates to capture images. Plate cameras were the first type of camera to be widely used, and they remained popular until the early 20th century, when film cameras began to take over.

Plate cameras are typically very large and heavy, as they need to accommodate the large photographic plates. They also have a very long exposure time, meaning that the subject must remain still for several seconds while the image is being captured.

A half plate camera is a type of plate camera that uses photographic plates that are 4¾ × 6½ inches (120 × 165 mm) in size. This makes them smaller and lighter than full-plate cameras, which use 6½ × 8½ inch (165 × 216 mm) plates.

Half plate cameras were very popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as they were a good compromise between the image more...

38 items found:

These items have been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.

Richard Jules: Verascope no. 5 stereo plate camera [#34654], c.…

Verascope No. 5 Stereo Plate Camera with Twin Lenses

Richard Jules: Verascope no. 5 stereo plate camera [#34654], c. 1911, with twin Tessar 55 mm f4.5 lenses.

Richard Jules: type 2 Glyphoscope stereo plate camera [#66612],…

Type 2 Glyphoscope Stereo Plate Camera, c. 1905

Richard Jules: type 2 Glyphoscope stereo plate camera [#66612], c. 1905.

Richard Jules: Verascope no. 1 stereo plate camera [#28521], c.…

Verascope No. 1 Stereo Plate Camera with Leather Case

Richard Jules: Verascope no. 1 stereo plate camera [#28521], c. 1899, with lens cap and matching Verascope leather case.

Rancoule: 'Quo Vadis' 9 x 12 cm binocular-style plate camera, c.…

Rancoule 'Quo Vadis' Binocular Plate Camera, c. 1900s

Rancoule: 'Quo Vadis' 9 x 12 cm binocular-style plate camera, c. 1900s.

Graflex: Speed Graphic folding 3¼ x 4¼

Graflex Speed Graphic 3¼ x 4¼" Camera with Optar Lens

Graflex: Speed Graphic folding 3¼ x 4¼" plate camera, c. 1930, with Optar 135 mm f4.7 lens [#884480] and Kalart Synchronized range Finder attachment [#B90882].

Bing Werke: 'Fitax I' 12 x 9 cm stereo plate camera, c. 1920s.

Vintage Bing Werke Fitax I Stereo Plate Camera, 1920s

Bing Werke: 'Fitax I' 12 x 9 cm stereo plate camera, c. 1920s.

Graflex: revolving back Graflex series B plate camera, c. 1923,…

1923 Graflex Series B Plate Camera with Revolving Back

Graflex: revolving back Graflex series B plate camera, c. 1923, with Ross-Kodak Anastigmat 6" f4.5 lens [#110629] and film pack adapter attachment.

Half-plate tailboard camera with Taylor, Taylor & Hobson series…

Vintage Half-Plate Tailboard Camera with Cooke Lens and Shutter

Half-plate tailboard camera with Taylor, Taylor & Hobson series III Cooke 6½ x 4¾" lens [#6854], roller-blind shutter, shutter release cable, and 'Baker & Rouse' retailer's inlay.

Antique half plate camera and accessories camera 14 cm square,…

Antique Half Plate Camera with Accessories and Bausch & Lomb Lens

Antique half plate camera and accessories camera 14 cm square, as inspected together with a lens, 4 plate holders, bausch and lomb lens, magnifier etc.

Antique E. Suter Bale plate camera 17 cm high, 14 cm wide with…

Antique E. Suter Bale Plate Camera with Leather Case

Antique E. Suter Bale plate camera 17 cm high, 14 cm wide with leather case and accessories

Gundlach Optical Co.: Korona VII folding plate camera with…

Korona VII Folding Plate Camera with Unicum Lens

Gundlach Optical Co.: Korona VII folding plate camera with Bausch & Lomb 'Unicum' lens and shutter

Thornton-Pickard: New Imperial Triple Extension half plate…

1910 Thornton-Pickard Half Plate Field Camera with Aldis Lens

Thornton-Pickard: New Imperial Triple Extension half plate field camera, mahogany with brass trim and strips above and below rollerblind shutter, with leather bellows, circa 1910, with Aldis Anastigmat f7.7 No. 7 lens.

Thornton-Pickard: New Imperial Triple Extension half plate…

Antique Half Plate Field Camera with Original Accessories

Thornton-Pickard: New Imperial Triple Extension half plate field camera, mahogany with brass trim and strips above and below Rollerblind shutter, with leather bellows, circa 1910, with Beck Symmetrical lens and original cable release. Baker and Rouse…

L Gaumont & Cie, Paris: Block-Notes compact folding plate…

Compact Folding Plate Camera with Dagor Lens

L Gaumont & Cie, Paris: Block-Notes compact folding plate camera [#3342], circa 1910, with 70 mm Z f1.68 Dopp-Anasteigmat. Dagor lens and London Stereoscopic Co. magazine. Original leather bellows.

Thornton-Pickard: Imperial Perfecta double extension half plate…

Antique Thornton-Pickard Half Plate Camera with Beck Lens

Thornton-Pickard: Imperial Perfecta double extension half plate camera, circa 1909, with Beck symmetrical lens and Thornton-Pickard rollerblind shutter; Ketts, Melbourne retailer's plaque

Sanderson Cameraworks: The Sanderson Regular folding plate…

Antique Sanderson Folding Plate Camera with Goerz Lens

Sanderson Cameraworks: The Sanderson Regular folding plate camera with finely polished wood interior and heavy leather exterior, circa 1905, with Goerz Dopp-Anastigmat Series III Dagor 125 mmZ f6.8 lens [#207868]

Rochester Optical & Camera Company: Pony Premo B folding plate…

Pony Premo B 5x7 Camera with Victor Shutter

Rochester Optical & Camera Company: Pony Premo B folding plate camera, 5x7 inch plates, with Victor shutter; Harrington & Co., Sydney retailer's plate

Thornton-Pickard: Amber compact folding view half plate camera…

Antique Amber Half Plate Folding Camera with Retailer's Plate

Thornton-Pickard: Amber compact folding view half plate camera (S 69305 impressed on base of shutter), circa 1899, brass bound lens and Harrington & Co., Sydney retailer's plate with additional plate 'Harrington's Favorite Outfit'

Rochester Optical Company: Premo Senior stereo folding plate…

Antique Premo Senior Stereo Folding Plate Camera

Rochester Optical Company: Premo Senior stereo folding plate camera (marked Pony Premo No. 6), circa 1895, with Bausch & Lomb stereo pneumatic shutter 'unique' and rapid rectilinear lenses. Original maroon bellows.

Rare Thornton Pickard triple Imperial camera with triple…

Rare Triple Imperial Camera with Original Tripod

Rare Thornton Pickard triple Imperial camera with triple extension, half plate and lens, including original tripod

A W. Rouch Patent portable half plate mahogany field camera…

Rouch's Portable Mahogany Field Camera with Brass Lens

A W. Rouch Patent portable half plate mahogany field camera 1880 -1885 with Dallmeyer Rapid Rectilinear 6 x 5 brass lens lacking stop. Labelled: 'Rouch's Patent Camera, Manufactured by W. Rouch & Co, 180 Strand, London'.

A Thornton-Pickard Imperial Triple Extension half plate…

Thornton-Pickard Half Plate Field Camera with Meyer Aristotigmat Lens

A Thornton-Pickard Imperial Triple Extension half plate mahogany field camera with Thornton-Pickard shutter with cord release, Meyer & Co. Aristotigmat 18 cm brass lens, damage to ground glass back.

Houghton: Sanderson mahogany & brass half-plate field camera…

Sanderson Mahogany Field Camera with Thornton Pickard Lens

Houghton: Sanderson mahogany & brass half-plate field camera with Thornton Pickard Rectoplanat f8 lens, original leather bellows, rack and pinion movement, two double dark slides.

Houghton: the Favourite Victo (made for Harringtons Ltd)…

Houghton Mahogany Camera with Beck Lens & Thornton Pickard Shutter

Houghton: the Favourite Victo (made for Harringtons Ltd) mahogany & brass half-plate camera, with Beck symettrical lens mounted on a Thornton Pickard shutter, original bellows, cable release.

Vintage Thornton Pickard folding plate camera, with original…

Vintage Thornton Pickard Folding Plate Camera with Accessories

Vintage Thornton Pickard folding plate camera, with original canvas carry bag and tripod

Pony Premo No.6 vintage folding plate camera, with two plates…

Vintage Pony Premo No.6 Folding Camera with Lenses and Case

Pony Premo No.6 vintage folding plate camera, with two plates and Premo Optical Outfit box of six lenses. In original leather case.

Thornton Pickard Royal ruby folding plate camera, on matching…

Thornton Pickard Ruby Folding Camera with Tripod and Plates

Thornton Pickard Royal ruby folding plate camera, on matching tripod with two plates

Graflex glass plate vintage camera Patented Sept 7 1920 graflex…

Vintage Graflex Glass Plate Camera

Graflex glass plate vintage camera Patented Sept 7 1920 graflex plate camera by Eastman Kodak Co.

A Thornton Pickard 'Imperial' Triple Extension glass plate…

Thornton Pickard Imperial Glass Plate Camera and Accessories

A Thornton Pickard 'Imperial' Triple Extension glass plate camera, with two tripod bases, a Dallmeyer lens, and a satchel containing numerous plates and plate backs. Old repairs to bellows.

Butcher (England): A National half plate mahogany field camera…

English Butcher Half Plate Field Camera with Film Holders

Butcher (England): A National half plate mahogany field camera c.1905-20. The camera with Beck symmetrical lens in Tp-style roller blind shutter, requires only very minor restoration. Also, three timber Dds film holders matched to the camera.

An early 20th century half-plate tailboard timber camera with…

Half-Plate Timber Camera for Restoration

An early 20th century half-plate tailboard timber camera with brass lens. The camera appears incomplete, with non-original timber insert and requires restoration.

A late 19th - early 20th century timber half-plate studio…

Antique Timber Studio Camera with Cooke Aviar Lens

A late 19th - early 20th century timber half-plate studio camera, 'Photographic Productions Pty Ltd Sydney' to front standard the only identification. The camera on fitted stand with leather bellows (in need of attention), a Cooke Aviar Anastigmat Series…

Kodak Ltd., Kingsway, London. Studio camera no. 1, 6 1/2 x 8…

Kodak Studio Camera with Stand and Lens

Kodak Ltd., Kingsway, London. Studio camera no. 1, 6 1/2 x 8 1/2' plate camera of wood and brass construction complete with Studio stand and J.H. Dallmeyer lens; various focussing backs, etc. Main Mounting lens board is missing; generally in good…

A timber and brass half plate camera. With plaque to rear…

Antique Half Plate Camera with Lenses and Plate Holders

A timber and brass half plate camera. With plaque to rear standard 'J W Smiles Maker Edinburgh'. The camera with Ross 8 X 5 Rapid Symmetrical and set of stops for lens. Additionally Thornton Pickard Beck Symmetrical and Taylor Taylor Hobson lenses, a…

C1890 Marion & Co. Camera. Mahogany 6 x 8inch glass plate…

Mahogany Glass Plate Camera, Marion & Co. (1890)

C1890 Marion & Co. Camera. Mahogany 6 x 8inch glass plate camera. No lens. Height 30 cm. Width 28 cm. Diameter 15 cm. (folded)

A vintage Pony Premo no.3 plate camera with a Bausch & Lomb…

Vintage Pony Premo Camera with Accessories and Case

A vintage Pony Premo no.3 plate camera with a Bausch & Lomb lens. Together with four glass plate holders, tripod and original leather carry case.

A vintage Cambo Dutch made plate camera, together with plates…

Vintage Cambo Plate Camera Set with Accessories

A vintage Cambo Dutch made plate camera, together with plates and other accessories

A late 19th century bellows extension glass framed plate camera,…

Antique Stereo Victo Bellows Extension Camera with Carry Case

A late 19th century bellows extension glass framed plate camera, the mahogany case with lacquered brass lens, fittings and plaque engraved ' Stereo Victo', the original canvas carry case with three mahogany plate backs