Affordable 8x10: Any Other Game than Intrepid?

[John Kasaian]

It's not the horse.
It's feeding the horse. LOL!

[Willie]

https://www.largeformatphotography.i...-modifications

Right here on these forums in the Classifieds. Might solve your problem.

[cp_photo]

I'd be really interested to hear first hand reports of the Argentum Camera 8x10 models from Hungary. There don't seem to be that many of them out there in the wild.

[sperdynamite]

I'd be really interested to hear first hand reports of the Argentum Camera 8x10 models from Hungary. There don't seem to be that many of them out there in the wild.

They look beautiful, nice prices. I wonder what an 11x14 would set me back? :-)

[Ari]

Hugo made me an offer I could not refuse.

Chamonix 810V on the way to me now. I of course should have just gone this way to start with. The old adage 'too poor to buy cheap' is true in my experience. Given my experience with the 57N and a 45N2 I used to own, I know I will be happy with this camera and that it will be a rock solid performer.

The Gibellini I think was cursed by a woods-witch at some point. After discovering that Fidelity holders don't fit, I packed up the spring back and the two holders they're replacing for a trip to Italy. This was a couple weeks ago, it should be there by now, but it's in tracking hell, somewhere in the midwest. It went to OH, then KY, then back to OH, now it's been 'in transit to next facitily' for 3 or 4 days. IF I get it back, I will promptly be selling it.

Hopefully this thread lives on and helps some people. NEVER buy Gibellini.

Sorry you had to go through that. I'd have hoped my own thread from 3-4 years ago might have helped someone but it got buried after some time.
I wanted to like the Gibellini, but the basic stuff, like light leaks and lens board compatibility, was poorly addressed in the design.
It was only made worse by the nonchalance of the owner and staff. I don't think any of them are photographers, more likely industrial designers.

Like you, by the end I was just fed up.
I'd had to send in a brand-new camera for repair twice, they took their sweet time getting it back to me each time, and brushed away any concerns I had about design flaws that were causing the problems.
When it finally all worked, I just didn't care anymore. I wanted to forget the whole episode, and sold the camera at a loss.

I think you've made an excellent choice with the Chamonix, Hugo is a good guy and your experience with him has probably been the polar opposite of that with Alessandro Gibellini.

[interneg]

I'd be really interested to hear first hand reports of the Argentum Camera 8x10 models from Hungary. There don't seem to be that many of them out there in the wild.

From what I've been able to track down, they seem pretty solid and simple, made with decent quality parts. Built for use, not display.

They look beautiful, nice prices. I wonder what an 11x14 would set me back? :-)

I recall there's about a year or so wait - I had enquired about a non-folding 8x10 with a short max extension & no tilts/ swings.

[Pops]

Gibellini makes an 8x10 camera with some 3D printed parts for 750 Eur. I have one and am happy with it.
https://www.gibellinicamera.com/product/bellatrix-810/

It looks nice, but no revolving back, correct? Also the price is now 990 euro.

[Tin Can]

This bears repeating, USA shipping is a mess right now. Don't ship in or out for a while.

Took an Express Mail package $40 to go from one end of Illinois to the other, 14 days! And it was ripped open, but contents intact.

Tracking became invisible, signature required disappeared. I was the recipient, I did NOT want that feature, shipper did, he won't do it again.

This morning I requested 7 refunds from Amazon for 'lost' packages, they recommended the action which I delayed for 8 days.

There are a variety of forces at work.

Politics are banned here, for a good reason.

I'd be careful now shipping anything really important. I've never had shipping problems until the last couple of weeks. Fed Ex delivered a package of film to a house 40 miles away. UPS was supposed to deliver a package the next day, and their site listed it as being in Wisconsin, but the next day it took a trip to California. The pandemic and social unrest have likely put extreme pressure on shipping companies.

[tigger_six]

What are the particular reasons for why Intrepid isn't a good choice for a budget 8x10? Is it not solid enough or is it mechanically flimsy?

[sperdynamite]

What are the particular reasons for why Intrepid isn't a good choice for a budget 8x10? Is it not solid enough or is it mechanically flimsy?

Honestly the Mark II may have been a good choice, I haven't had a chance to try it. I thought I was buying a sort of upgrade to the Intrepid with the Gibellini, but clearly their cameras are not ready for prime time. There was stuff I knew would annoy be about the Mk I 8x10, like the elastic straps holding the back on, but I think some of these things have now been addressed?

It should also be said that at the time I was going to buy the Intrepid, I figured I would do a small amount of direct positive shooting, and some contact printing. Now many months later, my ability to scan 8x10 film has gotten significantly more advanced. I'm hoping within the next year or so to pick up an 8x10 capable enlarger too, so I'm just generally taking the format (and 5x7) more seriously. So that's why it makes more sense for me to spend a little bit more on a camera.