There's a tripod plate with a 2D, which you don't have to use if light weight is a priority.
There's a tripod plate with a 2D, which you don't have to use if light weight is a priority.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
I had a 2D 8x10 for a while. It was a nice looking camera. I don't know if this is typical of Kodak 2D cameras, but the bellows was such that with any significant rise, the top of the bellows obscured the image area. With proper disclosure, I sold it.
Given their somewhat large lens boards, I've seen lensboard attachments that provide front tilt.
I had a look at a new Intrepid 8x10". Looking nice, but for me the lack of bail arm is a no go. Maybe one stainless steel can be copied from my Wehman camera and put in afterwards. I intend to look into this.
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I have the Intrepid 8x10 Mark I. It's an okay camera, but you have to keep in mind what it is; basically, a very inexpensive, lightweight camera that's kind of rough around the edges. Each time I set my camera up, I have to use a triangle to ensure the back and front standards are perpendicular to the base. When the front standard is set correctly, it is not parallel to the side structs which makes it impossible to visually set it in good vertical alignment. The controls are not particularly smooth and cannot be locked down enough to totally avoid movements. The overall finish is what I'd call "unfinished furniture." The groundglass is mediocre.
All that said, the camera does exactly what I need it to do. That is, it allows this old geezer to still hike some decent distance with 8x10. My Deardorff is a much more finely crafted and easier to use camera, but that sucker is heavy! Therefore, even with the somewhat negative comments above I do enjoy using the Intrepid 8x10; and it's my understanding that the newer version 2 solves many of the issues with the original Kickstarter model.
I have the late 2017 Intrepid 8x10. It’s not particularly well built and I don’t expect it to last for long. It doesn’t lock down tightly, the bungee cord back is sloppy and hard to work with. The plywood components are starting to warp. You can’t put a heavy lens on the front, and the 3D printed lens boards Intrepid sells warp badly over time, making them unusable. If you order one, expect it to take six months longer than Intrepid says it will take to deliver it.
Other than that, it’s nice and light, easy to set up, and inexpensive. But given its flaws, I would opt for a Kodak 2D as a better choice.
My 2D weighs 12 lbs 6 oz with the tripod plate. The tripod plate alone weighs 13 oz, but the camera balances better on a tripod with it.
There's a reason Ansel had a pack mule when shooting 8x10! Frankly, the weight of the camera is minor compared to all the other stuff you'll have to carry. Heck, my tripod weighs more than my Calumet (I have the magnesium version.)
The Calumets are underrated in my option. They are really solid and smooth cameras. More movements than you'll ever need. Insane bellows length (32"?) The only thing I dislike is the "film plane" focusing (the film plane moves, not the lens plane.)
Ok, I had a chance to weigh mine this evening. Wow, I really though it was lighter than it is. My 810 2D with a lens board weighs 10 lbs - 9.5 oz, add the extension rail which I always keep in the backpack and it's 11 lbs - 14 oz, and with the sliding tripod block which I never carry it's 12 lbs - 12 oz. So mine is actually a little heavier than the catalog weight. Hopefully I can happily go back to thinking it's lighter than it really is.
Roger
I've found that camera gear starts gaining weight as the altitude you're hiking increases.
Kent in SD
In contento ed allegria
Notte e di vogliam passar!
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