5x7 back for Intrepid 8x10

[Ben Haning]

I'm thinking getting a lightweight 5x7 camera that i could take on vacation. I have a Ansco 5x7 that weighs 10 pounds. I noticed the Intrepid 8x10 MKII is 5.5 pounds and I thought about making a 5x7 back to fit it. I could use the 5x7 back from the Ansco attached to a piece of birch plywood the same size as the 8x10 back. Is this a good option for a lightweight 5x7 + 8x10 camera?

[Peter De Smidt]

I have the Intrepid. That should work, although you may be limited to the lenses you use, as the back is fixed and there's no bag bellows. Intrepid says lenses from 180 - 600mm work. I tried a 120, and I couldn't focus at about 10 feet, let alone at infinity, although that was on a flat board. At some point the front of the camera would also be in the field of view of a wide lens.

[Tin Can]

I am using a 5X7 Premo SR (https://www.pacificrimcamera.com/rl/00720/00720.pdf) Page 16 in the link.

Weighs just under 4 lbs with a modern 150 mm lens in Copal 0 shutter. Which fits inside.

Closes up for travel, everything protected. The GG has a flip cover and you insert the modern DDS through a slot which blocks light.

Has rear tilt and swing.

Most people won't think it's a camera until it is set up. Lunchbox maybe.

Many are still in great condition as they were usually stored closed.

Mine came with undisclosed damage from eBay, somebody tried to open it with a screwdriver. That cracked the drop bed. It has a push-button! The bellows were perfect, but seller packed in hard Styrofoam and the original lens was slammed through the GG by a shipping drop. The bellows were cut by GG glass.

I made a GG and fixed the bellows. The crack got clear fiberglass filament tape...

On a old Reis Model C Tripod bought on this forum it's wonderful. I disagree with this thread. (https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?135273-Second-Hand-Ries-Model-C&p=1364722&viewfull=1#post1364722)

[Graham Patterson]

The Intrepid (Kickstarter version) is bellows limited with short focal lengths (say under 180mm). I can get a 90mm to focus by recessing it, but back tilt is about all the movement you have. I can do 5x8 using an internal masking board on 8x10, but then you would be carrying 8x10 holders. And do remember that the Intrepid is going to need about 14x14x3 inches packed with minimal padding. If the largest you need is 5x7, that is a lot of extra bulk. When traveling I consider both weight and bulk for both daytime use and relocation.

[pepeguitarra]

I have the Intrepid. That should work, although you may be limited to the lenses you use, as the back is fixed and there's no bag bellows. Intrepid says lenses from 180 - 600mm work. I tried a 120, and I couldn't focus at about 10 feet, let alone at infinity, although that was on a flat board. At some point the front of the camera would also be in the field of view of a wide lens.

This is a shot with the 8x10 Intrepid MkII and the Fuji 125mm:

https://live.staticflickr.com/7806/32475369967_85fb09a8e0_n.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/RtJL4R)Vignette (https://flic.kr/p/RtJL4R) by Palenquero Photography (https://www.flickr.com/photos/palenquero/), on Flickr

[Ben Haning]

The cost of the Intrepid 8x10 is way less than Canham, Chamonix, Shen Hao 5x7 models. I had not considered the wide angle issue since I'm primarily interested in portraits. Bulk wise the cubic inches of the Intrepid is about half the volume of the Ansco. If I had the 8x10 I could use the 8x10 back when wide angle was needed, but then I would be carrying even more gear with two sizes of holders and 2 backs. Next year we are taking a trip to SE Asia and I was wishing I could take some LF portraits while there. Pepeguitarra the vignetted photo with the Fuji 125mm is a cool look. Thanks everyone for your advice.

[MAubrey]

The auction site has recessed Sinar-style boards that go as deep as 44mm. That would make it possible to shoot a 135mm lens on 5x7, if you wanted.

There are a few 135mm plasmats that cover 5x7 for when you do want to shoot wide.

But since you're wanting to shoot portraits, the Intrepid's 600mm extension is far less limiting for 5x7 than it is on 8x10. That seems like a decent plan.

[Peter De Smidt]

Pepeguitarra, was that taken with the back tilted as far back as possible, the camera tilted forward to plumb the back, and then front rise and tilt to square the lens?

For 180mm and up, using a 5x7 back should work great. I'll probably make a 5x7 back for my Intrepid as well.

[Eric Leppanen]

My recollection is that when Intrepid first introduced their 8x10, they talked about following up with a 5x7 reducing back in lieu of a dedicated 5x7 camera.

https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?136546-INTREPID-CAMERA-4X5-Gen-2-Users-amp-Reviews&p=1420007&viewfull=1#post1420007

Why not ask Max for an update, or perhaps he has a prototype he'd like to share? :)

[Ben Haning]

I thought I'd give a quick update. I emailed Intrepid about the possibility of a 5x7 reducing back for the 8x10 mkII. Naomi replied, "We are soon going to launch a 5x7 reducing back!"

[Bob Salomon]

I thought I'd give a quick update. I emailed Intrepid about the possibility of a 5x7 reducing back for the 8x10 mkII. Naomi replied, "We are soon going to launch a 5x7 reducing back!"

What is their definition of soon? And introduce doesn’t mean deliver.