REVIEWS

Zebra 4×5 Dry Plate Tintypes

I used to make these myself, which was a huge pain in the butt. These are much nicer, come in a range of sizes/formats and far more affordable. Love it!

I’ve been using silver tanks for some time now – this Zebra tank is by far the best I’ve come across – it works perfectly in both my studio and mobile darkroom – great job guys

After shooting just one of these plates, men fear me, women want me, and a chorus of angels burst forth from the heavens to guide my hand in the darkroom. I expect my second plate will cause the earth to tremble at my feet when I press the shutter release. 10/10, grants god-like powers, will buy again.

Zebra Dry Plates made a custom lens board for my Intrepid 4×5 camera with a 45mm center drilled hole. That allowed me to attach an ancient Zeiss lens and Compur shutter that still work beautifully. The board arrived in Oregon from Slovenia one week after I ordered it! 7 days! It fits perfectly and looks beautiful. These guys are the best!

Excellent product with consistent performance and results!!

Zebra 4×5 Film Safe

Subject: Inquiry about adhesion and coating issues with FOMA Photo Emulsion on glass plates

Dear Zebra Team,

My name is Ian, I followed the recommended developing and fixing process without any issues. During both developing and fixing, the emulsion adhered well to the glass.

However, once I place the coated glass plate into water for washing, the photo emulsion layer immediately detaches completely from the glass surface.

For cleaning, I use light calcium carbonate mixed with a cleaning solution, applied with cotton pads, and then allow the glass to air dry naturally before coating.

Could you please advise how to prevent this detachment problem?

I would greatly appreciate your technical guidance on how to improve the adhesion between the emulsion and the glass.

Additionally, I have another question:

When pouring off the excess emulsion after coating, circular depressions or thinner spots sometimes appear on the glass surface.

Do you know what causes this, and how can I avoid it?

Thank you very much for your time and support.

Best regards,

Ian Chen

Taipei, Taiwan

📧 [your email address]

It took around 20 days for the order to arrive from Slovenia to Korea, and the package was very well protected with no noticeable damage.

The holder feels lightweight yet solid, and it fits perfectly on my Wista45. Can’t wait to start shooting with it. Thanks a lot!

For years I was limited to the same aspect ratio for all of my wetplate photography – roughly 4:5. Now with these reduction frames I can easily switch formats to better fit the composition I want. The pieces are well-designed and well-made. I like that they included the dimensions of the plate they hold in the printing itself – very nice touch! The reduction frames are great…probably addicting, since I already want to order some more.

Excellent plate holder. I have used many over the years and this may be my favorite. Sturdy, clean design and surprisingly lightweight!

Excellent product and after trying a few with subsequent orders I noticed an absolute consistency in the results!

Thank you so much for your efforts in custom making lens boards, and inserts for plate holders, much appreciated!

The golden dry plate tinotypes are outstanding. Their smooth, flawless finish reflects excellent craftsmanship, and the careful packaging ensured they arrived in perfect condition and right on time. They’re not only reliable and practical to work with but also come with a detailed user manual that makes the process straightforward and enjoyable. I’m genuinely excited to start using them.

I have not used them yet

They arrived on time and in good condition

Gute Qualität! Hochwertig verarbeitet! Passt millimetergenau! 👍👍👍

I’m making positive images on Zebra dry plates, then coating them with gold or silver to make orotones. They work well, though the recommended D-76 full strength gives quite a grainy result. Once I have time, I’ll try HC-110.

Sehr gute Qualität! Schnelle Lieferung

Great quality and easy to use. Works well with my K2D . I like the reduction plate gives a classic feel with adding something interesting

I ordered two Zebra 12×20 Wet Plate Holder V2s custom-fit for my 12×20 camera, and they turned out perfectly. The fit is exact, and the holders work beautifully for my photography. The use of magnets to close the back and secure the plate in place is a brilliant design choice. The 3D-printed material is high-quality and feels durable—I can see these holders lasting a long time.

Working with Zebra was a great experience. They were responsive to my questions and easy to work with. I trust Zebra to get things right, and I highly recommend them.

Very good quality, its a great product and makes a lot of fun using it.

Product satisfies all my needs when it comes to design and material qualities. Very convenient to operate.

My personal opinion is that i doubt you find anything better on the market simly because the product is perfect. I strongly recommend.

Apparently package was delivered to wrong location, right address and it might have been picked up by the delivery company DHL. I’ve contacted them to try and sort it out but if it’s lost I’ll order again. Love photography too much

Copal 0 board seems to be high quality and is light tight. Really happy to support this great business in any way I can, and I’ll definitely

Be back to try the dry plates!

So far the 4×5 Zebra glass plates and tintypes I’ve purchased have been excellently coated. They have held up exceedingly well in the two developers I’ve used so far: HC-110 and, accidentally, Rodinol. Follow the advice and instructions online, and these plates will become an excellent creative tool for your work. Now, I can’t get enough of them.