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Thread: Intrepid 4X5 camera Kickstarter

  1. #11

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    Re: Intrepid 4X5 camera Kickstarter

    It's awesome to have more analogue photography products.
    It is great that there's a viable market for it.

    But one can also critique a product - as long as it doesnt fall into the BTDT and 'everything old is gold, everything new sucks' type moaning.

    I thought there were a few threads on this already- I heard about it here first.

    If I was new to LF and considering LF, I would definitely be a supporter - with some questions on the plywood and bungee usage. Although bungees are probably like a spring back, but unless others shoot and review, we'll not know.

    And them getting funded so quick -wow!

  2. #12
    IanG's Avatar
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    Re: Intrepid 4X5 camera Kickstarter

    It's forgotten that LF equipment is a fraction of the price in the US compared to Europe, and also the tradition for using LF is growing faster amongst amateurs in Europe. LF was purely a professional medium until the early 1970's in Europe quite different to the US,

    So the price in the UK at £130 is good. There aren't really any cheap second-hand FF cameras here unless they need work and parts.

    Ian

  3. #13

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    Re: Intrepid 4X5 camera Kickstarter

    First off a disclaimer, despite the 'plywood' handle I have no connection to this plywood 4X5 project.

    That said it looks like a good idea to me, at least on a cost basis. The Walker Titan 4X5 pinhole camera sells for $219 in the US and is pinhole only. They have sold well over 1000 of them since introduction. Just now checking a currency conversion I see that 129 BP is about $209, add $32 to ship to the US and the price comes to under $250 total price. Pretty good IF they can carry it off and sell them for that price after backer rewards are fulfilled.

    My concerns are that the whole thing may be too wobbly, I noticed that in the video, when they moved the bed back and forth it shifted side to side a bit.

    As for the Travelwide, well at $99 it was an easy decision to back it. Unfortunately the execution has proved much much more difficult than those two lads ever imagined. It seems almost every part has had to be redesigned and as it stands now there is simply no estimate for delivery of the camera. The next time we see a picture of Ben, I quite sure he will be bald from pulling his hair out.

  4. #14
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: Intrepid 4X5 camera Kickstarter

    Quote Originally Posted by IanG View Post
    It's forgotten that LF equipment is a fraction of the price in the US compared to Europe, and also the tradition for using LF is growing faster amongst amateurs in Europe. LF was purely a professional medium until the early 1970's in Europe quite different to the US,

    So the price in the UK at £130 is good. There aren't really any cheap second-hand FF cameras here unless they need work and parts.

    Ian
    If EU LF hardware demand is so high and pricey why haven't we noticed speculators moving USA excess to EU? During my decades of British motorcycle collecting I often sent bikes back to England. Buyers were here filling containers, same with Japan, any Japanese bike under 400cc was scooped up and returned to the motherland. I have been involved in both.

    Perhaps import taxes are the problem, as I understand British citizens can import used British products duty free. As least that was true 20 years ago.

    I also now regret selling all those bikes for relatively little as young people in US are eager to buy the old junk bikes. Prices have soared.

    I expect LF gear to soar in demand and price in US within 5 years. Attrition is still the biggest claimant here.
    Tin Can

  5. #15
    IanG's Avatar
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    Re: Intrepid 4X5 camera Kickstarter

    Quote Originally Posted by Randy Moe View Post
    If EU LF hardware demand is so high and pricey why haven't we noticed speculators moving USA excess to EU? During my decades of British motorcycle collecting I often sent bikes back to England. Buyers were here filling containers, same with Japan, any Japanese bike under 400cc was scooped up and returned to the motherland. I have been involved in both.

    Perhaps import taxes are the problem, as I understand British citizens can import used British products duty free. As least that was true 20 years ago.

    I also now regret selling all those bikes for relatively little as young people in US are eager to buy the old junk bikes. Prices have soared.

    I expect LF gear to soar in demand and price in US within 5 years. Attrition is still the biggest claimant here.

    The forums and ebay mean we can do this as individuals cutting out middle men (speculators). We now get stung on all imports from outside the EU, Import duty (which varies), and VAT 20% which is paid on the cost of the item + duty & postage (shipping) this can add 30-35%. Doesn't matter now whether it was a British product originally.

    I've heard of US LF photographers coming to shoot in Europe and then selling their gear here before leaving and that paid for some of their trip.

    If you watch the forums you'll see many people from the EU and other parts of the world snapping up items from the US. 5-10 years ago LF equipment was very much cheaper here in the UK, I had a wide choice of De Vere enlargers to pick from when I bought my 5108, there would be 30 to 40 5504/507/5108's listed on ebay regularly with a good turnover, now they are much less common and much higher prices. The same has happened with other LF equipment here.

    So yes I think you're right I've seen an increase in US prices as well, albeit slower at the moment.

    Ian

  6. #16

    Re: Intrepid 4X5 camera Kickstarter

    Travelwide issued me a full refund in 10 seconds... Not even a "hey, we are almost there" speech. Kind of says something

  7. #17

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    Re: Intrepid 4X5 camera Kickstarter

    Quote Originally Posted by dodphotography View Post
    Travelwide issued me a full refund in 10 seconds... Not even a "hey, we are almost there" speech. Kind of says something
    No patience. You will regret that one.
    The Viewfinder is the Soul of the Camera

    If you don't believe it, look into an 8x10 viewfinder!

    Dan

  8. #18

    Re: Intrepid 4X5 camera Kickstarter

    May be a good camera to do wet plate on?

  9. #19

    Re: Intrepid 4X5 camera Kickstarter

    Quote Originally Posted by richardman View Post
    May be a good camera to do wet plate on?
    great point!

  10. #20

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    Re: Intrepid 4X5 camera Kickstarter

    Quote Originally Posted by IanG View Post
    The forums and ebay mean we can do this as individuals cutting out middle men (speculators).
    Ian, Jim Galli and I are arbitrageurs and proud of it. By buying low "here" and selling higher (usually) "there" we help sellers here who don't have the wherewithal to find buyers and buyers there who don't have the wherewithal to find sellers. Information is scarce and costly. To the extent that Jim and I have better knowledge than our sources and customers we help both, pull up prices where we buy and depress prices where we sell.

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