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Thread: The Intrepid 4x5 Camera

  1. #11
    hacker extraordinaire
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    Re: The Intrepid 4x5 Camera

    This sort of reminds me of my own DIY 6x7 view camera, including the 'chunky' back (which makes short lenses impossible) and being disassembled to fold. There are pictures in the DIY thread. Mine is unapologetically an unrefined hacker project, and so appears the intrepid.

    The real challenge is always the bellows and in obtaining a large focal length range in a compact camera. I am skeptical that improvement is possible over the century or so of commercial cameras. If you want to do something new, design a good design in CAD that can be entirely cut out of a common sheet of material with a laser or water jet and assembled with glue and commodity hardware. Sell pre-cut kits and open-source the CAD files on github so the community can make refinements. Partner with a waterjet company to accommodate these in a good pricing structure instead of the huge rates usually charged for custom work. Source bellows fabric and sell it precut. That would be a cool project you might make some small money on. If you intend to just make and sell these, good luck.
    Science is what we understand well enough to explain to a computer. Art is everything else we do.
    --A=B by Petkovšek et. al.

  2. #12

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    Re: The Intrepid 4x5 Camera

    Interesting....both the idea and also some of the reactions.

    I'm curious to hear the target price point as opposed to if its a camera that does everything.

  3. #13
    The Intrepid Camera Co.
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    Re: The Intrepid 4x5 Camera

    some interesting comments thanks guys,

    just to answer some of Math's questions, the camera folds on the two struts on the side, you need to loosen the base screws in order to do this but nothing needs to actually be removed from anything if thats what you meant.

    The rack and pinion is made from various stock plastic parts for prototyping and in a final version would likely be Nylon.

    The price is going to be between Ł89-119 for the kick-starter (if we feel the camera is good enough to continue with)

    there is no mechanical way to keep the front standard flat, however we are planning on using guide lines so it can be eye balled quickly.

    If you notice on the picture on Post #7 there are holes that the front standard can be mounted on and then moved forwards from that position, allowing it to cover all positions.


    Better Sense, we have been looking into the idea of a Kit since the start of this and are weighing up the pros and cons of offering one, the camera is as you rightly noticed made entirely from laser cut 6mm birch Ply and a hand full of stock components. the bellows are also made using a laser cutter.

    The main objective of this project is to offer a camera that is an affordable base to start getting into 4x5 and also has affordable and easily obtainable accessories, like different backs ie. DSLR adapters and Graflock. I think with some more time and refinement we could get there,

    Useful feed back so thanks for that!

  4. #14

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    Re: The Intrepid 4x5 Camera

    I'll preface this and say I'm new to sheet film, so take this with a pinch of salt....

    It sounds like an excellent idea, especially at that price point. It could be a logical next step from experimenting with pinhole, or similar.

  5. #15

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    Re: The Intrepid 4x5 Camera

    Quote Originally Posted by Maxim Grew View Post

    there is no mechanical way to keep the front standard flat, however we are planning on using guide lines so it can be eye balled quickly.


    The main objective of this project is to offer a camera that is an affordable base to start getting into 4x5 and also has affordable and easily obtainable accessories, like different backs ie. DSLR adapters and Graflock.
    In general, digital backs or even DSLR cameras on a view camera require very precise movements on mechanically very precise cameras. Eye balling something is simply not enough. Your camera does not even have geared movements. How about that?

  6. #16

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    Re: The Intrepid 4x5 Camera

    I do hope all the nay saying is not putting you off. Most of the blather about movements is posturing anyway. Not many folk use them even when they have an abundance of them. Your pricing is attractive. The camera looks good enough to use. You might want to work on the knobs a bit to make them look less crude. Apart from that, if it is quick to set up in the field and doesn't weigh a lot it will be a fine outdoors camera. Make sure the materials can withstand the rain...

    RR

  7. #17

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    Re: The Intrepid 4x5 Camera

    Quote Originally Posted by Regular Rod View Post
    . Most of the blather about movements is posturing anyway. Not many folk use them even when they have an abundance of them.

    RR
    I wish it was so easy. Unfortunately, making standards plan parallel is a movement you have to use on a view camera, like it or not. And this movement is even of grater importance when using digital backs than it is for film. You don't need any abundance of movements to make standards plan parallel but you need their precision. One thing is to tout use of digital backs, another is to allow their precise use mechanically. So much for the blather.

  8. #18
    The Intrepid Camera Co.
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    Re: The Intrepid 4x5 Camera

    Quote Originally Posted by hoffner View Post
    I wish it was so easy. Unfortunately, making standards plan parallel is a movement you have to use on a view camera, like it or not. And this movement is even of grater importance when using digital backs than it is for film. You don't need any abundance of movements to make standards plan parallel but you need their precision. One thing is to tout use of digital backs, another is to allow their precise use mechanically. So much for the blather.
    I mentioned the digital back as something we would hope to offer in the future, we will take on board your knowledge so thanks for that! however current (early) experiments are showing that at longer focal lengths having the board parallel is working fairly well but i can see problems emerging when we try something like 75mm without bag bellows.

    and thanks for the encouragement RR, greatly appreciated! will be trying to neaten the knobs up in the next prototype!

    once again thanks for the feedback so far, it all helps!

  9. #19
    Unwitting Thread Killer Ari's Avatar
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    Re: The Intrepid 4x5 Camera

    I think for the price mentioned, this would be an excellent starter camera.
    I'd suggest ensuring that, despite the low cost, it should still lock down tightly and be reasonably rigid.
    Also, having user-replaceable parts (such as the plastic gearing) would be a welcome idea.
    As long as one can expect to get the desired results without it being a frustrating experience, there's no reason not to consider this as a good entry-level portable LF camera.

  10. #20

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    Re: The Intrepid 4x5 Camera

    Quote Originally Posted by Maxim Grew View Post
    I mentioned the digital back as something we would hope to offer in the future, we will take on board your knowledge so thanks for that! however current (early) experiments are showing that at longer focal lengths having the board parallel is working fairly well but i can see problems emerging when we try something like 75mm without bag bellows.

    and thanks for the encouragement RR, greatly appreciated! will be trying to neaten the knobs up in the next prototype!

    once again thanks for the feedback so far, it all helps!
    Maxim,
    I have even a better proposition - simply forget about proposing it as a camera for digital backs. Like that you avoid nasty criticism of disappointed customers and will be true to the camera's purpose -a beginners introduction tool. That's enough of a vocation for the baby.

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