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Thread: First Forey Into 8x10 Format/ Intrepid 8x10 Camera

  1. #1

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    First Forey Into 8x10 Format/ Intrepid 8x10 Camera

    New member here. I have been using a Graflex 4x5 camera since 2004 or earlier. I didn't often use it, but at times liked to take it out for landscapes or portraits. My Graflex is in need of repair, so its sitting right now. I am seeing a lot of old pictures from the 50s and was told they often used 8x10 view cameras for such pictures. I decided I'd like to get into 8x10, especially since its 4x the rez of 4x5 and its a huge jump up from any digital camera currently out there. Again I'd use it for landscapes, hikes, or portraits in or outdoors.

    I was looking on Ebay and found a couple cameras used. First was a Calumet C1 and second was the Kodak 2D. Price varied from $600 US dollars to $800. But then I found out a new company making 8x10 field cameras with movements, and looked into them. They make the Intrepid 8x10 view camera and my price in Canadian dollars is only $702 with shipping from the UK. This camera only weighs 5 pounds and folds up nice and compact. Good for hikes. Is this camera decent enough to use and own? Or should I still go for the old models on Ebay at risk of faulty parts? Is the Intrepid rugged enough for everyday use?

    I plan on getting some Lisco Regal film holders for this camera. Used of course. Lens of choice Im looking at the Fujinon 300mm f5.6 for most of my uses. The Fuji is currently mounted on a Toyo square board. Not sure if this board fits the Intrepid? I have a Fujinon 210mm I could adapt to use on this camera, as I also use it on my Graflex. Will my Graflex Speed Graphic boards mount to the Intrepid, with or without an adapter? My films of choice are Kodak Portra 160, Adox CHS II 100, Ilford Ortho 80, and Kodak TMAX 400.

  2. #2
    Peter De Smidt's Avatar
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    Re: First Forey Into 8x10 Format/ Intrepid 8x10 Camera

    “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

  3. #3
    Vaughn's Avatar
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    Re: First Forey Into 8x10 Format/ Intrepid 8x10 Camera

    I just cruised eBay for prices on 8x10 cameras. The market there seems quite high...which is healthy, but difficult for newcomers to 8x10.

    If you do the research on users of the Intrepid 8x10 and find it them satisfactory, then it could be a good deal. I have never seen one to know how well it is built. I am using a 110 year old 5x7 camera (new bellows) that seems as sound as when it was made. It lacks front movements beyond rise/fall, but still is sweet. My 8x10 is a Zone VI. A little on the heavy side, has a couple of design weak points, but over-all I have been very pleased with it over the last 25 years. Getting a decent deal on a used 8x10 would be a good idea -- it lets you check out its featured, pros and cons, etc. And you should be able to sell it close to your buying price. An old well-made camera with sound bellows would be sweet.

    My lens for the 8x10 has been the Fuji W 300/5.6, tho I recently added a FujiW 250/6.7, which sees a lot of use. I like the 300...its a 'wide normal' and at f/5.6, easy to use in darker situations such as under the redwoods. If your Fuji is an inside-lettered 210mm, then it will just cover 8x10, I believe. I have a Graphic Raptar 210/6.3 that I can use with the 8x10 (barrel, no shutter). For longer lenses I use a 19" and a 24" Red Dot Artar lenses (barrel). My Zone IV has a 28" (27"?) bellows draw so can handle them.
    "Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China

  4. #4

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    Re: First Forey Into 8x10 Format/ Intrepid 8x10 Camera

    Welcome aboard!
    Sorry I don't know anything about the Intrepid. The C1, IIRC is a beast of a camera so generally not considered ideal for hiking very far from the car. The K2 has a very good reputation but they are old and aren't immune to old age so good condition is certainly advisable unless you're up for a "project" One nice thing about the K2 is the large lens board---offering lots of room for experimenting with old brass lenses
    I don't shoot color 8x10(too rich for my blood!) But I really like Ilford Ortho 80 and as for Kodak TMAX 400 ---it is certainly excellent---but I shoot more Ilford HP-5 than anything else
    "I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White

  5. #5
    Peter De Smidt's Avatar
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    Re: First Forey Into 8x10 Format/ Intrepid 8x10 Camera

    You can get older, better built cameras cheaper, but you may have to do some refurbishing, which takes some skill and tools. For instance, I bought an Agfa 8x10 from the 1950s not that long ago for a couple of hundred dollars, but one of the screws for holding the extension is broken, and the tripod mounting fixtures need to be re-done.... That said, the wood used is likely to be high quality, and the cameras were generally well-made.

    Intrepids are pretty good cameras, but I'm not convinced that the plywood will stay straight over time. I already see a bit of bowing on my back, which looks like due to the force of the springs. In addition, I just noticed that the back has swelled a bit, making switching from horizontal to vertical, and vice versa, a bit more challenging. On the other hand, the camera is really light.

    For a bit more money, Gibellini has an interesting looking 8x10.
    “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

  6. #6
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    Re: First Forey Into 8x10 Format/ Intrepid 8x10 Camera

    Long-running thread about the 8x10 Intrepid here:

    https://www.largeformatphotography.i...10-experiences

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    Re: First Forey Into 8x10 Format/ Intrepid 8x10 Camera

    My other option was a Kodak 2D. There's two for sale currently. How much do they weigh in comparison?

  8. #8
    Peter De Smidt's Avatar
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    Re: First Forey Into 8x10 Format/ Intrepid 8x10 Camera

    No direct front tilt with a 2D. I don't have one anymore, and so I can't weigh it. They're quite light, and they're better built than an Intrepid.
    “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

  9. #9
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    Re: First Forey Into 8x10 Format/ Intrepid 8x10 Camera

    Back in the day, the Eastman Kodak catalog (check the 1934-35 edition on the Pierce Vaubel site) specified the weight of the 8x10 2D as 11 1/4 lb - not particularly light. Particular samples may be a bit more or less than that depending on what's been done to them over the many years since they were made.

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    Roger Thoms's Avatar
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    Re: First Forey Into 8x10 Format/ Intrepid 8x10 Camera

    Quote Originally Posted by Oren Grad View Post
    Back in the day, the Eastman Kodak catalog (check the 1934-35 edition on the Pierce Vaubel site) specified the weight of the 8x10 2D as 11 1/4 lb - not particularly light. Particular samples may be a bit more or less than that depending on what's been done to them over the many years since they were made.
    I'll weigh mine tomorrow, it's definitely lighter than that.

    Roger

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