Setting up the Intrepid 4x5 Camera

1. Front Standard Controls

Intrepid Cameras have dual front standard controls for fast zeroing and using movements. The inner controls are for rise/fall and the outer controls are for tilt/swing, allowing you to independently utilise the movements.

2. Front Standard

The front standard is where the lens/lens board is mounted. It can also be moved independently to utilise the front standard movements (rise/fall and tilt/swing.)

3. Lens Board

Large format lenses must be fixed to a lens board before being mounted onto the camera. Unlike other film formats, this means you can use pretty much any brand of lens on any large format camera. The Intrepid 4x5 uses 96mm x 99mm sized lens boards making it compatible with most Linhof or Technika boards.

4. Bellows

The bellows are the extendable part of the camera. Turning the focus control will either retract or extend the bellows, moving the lens position in relation to the focal plane for focusing. They also allow the lens position to be altered when using front/rear movements.

5. Rear standard

The rear standard is where the ground glass (focusing screen) is located and can be rotated for switching between portrait and landscape. It can also be moved independently to the front for utilising rear tilt/swing movements.

6. Rear Standard Controls

The controls on each side of the rear standard lock the camera either when zeroing, doing movements or folding the camera away. Zeroing the rear is done visually when the bottom of the base is at 90° with the rear frame.

7. Base

The aluminium base provides super stable support for the camera. The base also contains the linear focus guides, the focus wheel and mounts for the front standard (relating to what focal length of lens you are using.

8. Zeroing Guides

The ruled guide on the front standard is there to help you zero as well as accurately apply lateral shift and swing movements to the front. There are also notches by each base mount to help with zeroing.

9. Graflok Clips

A Graflok back (or international standard back) is a feature found on many 4x5 cameras including all Intrepid 4x5s. It means the ground glass can be removed and a range of alternative backs can be mounted to the camera and fixed in place with the 'Graflok Clips.' This allows you to shoot 120 film (from 6x6 to 6x17), a variety of Instant Film types, the Intrepid 4x5 Enlarger and adapters for digital cameras.

10. Ground Glass & Fresnel

The ground glass is the focusing screen on a large format camera. The Intrepid 4x5 comes as standard with Intrepid ground glass with a 1/2" grid. The fresnel screen is available as an extra, which we strongly recommend as it brightens the projected image, particularly useful with wide angle lenses.

11. Focus wheel

Focusing is rear-controlled on all current models of Intrepid Cameras. This design allows for super fine focus and once you stop turning the focus wheel it will lock in place.

12. Rotating Back

The back of the Intrepid 4x5 can be rotated 360° for fast switching between portrait and landscape. It has magnets and clickable stops to keep it in place when inserting film holders.

13. Linear Focus Guides

The linear guides are a feature usually only seen on high-end cameras. They are incredibly durable and mean the focus won't move or skip even if the camera is knocked.

14. Bellows mount

The bellows on the Intrepid 4x5 camera are removable to allow for the use of Intrepid bag bellows or for switching to different bellows colours. Using bag bellows allows you to use wider angle lenses. The bellows are attached magnetically on the front and by 4 small screws on the rear.