KEEPING Traditions

The Intrepid 8x10 Camera will take any standard 8x10 film holder allowing you to use a variety of black and white or colour 8x10 film. If traditional films are not your thing or you are looking to experiment you can also use the camera for all kinds of alternative processes such as: Wet Plate, Paper Negatives and and instant 8x10 film.

The Intrepid is a "bring your own" lens camera, but thankfully large format lenses are readily available secondhand. The 4x5 will work with pretty much any 75-300mm lens mounted on preferably one of our lens boards but it is also compatible with most Linhof/Technika style boards. Although it’s worth noting that most 75mm lenses will require a recessed lens board. For more in-depth advice on choosing your first lens, or getting your head around lens boards and shutter, check out our ‘Lens buying Guide’. If you don't feel ready to commit to a lens just yet, why not start out with one of our great pinhole lenses for a fraction of the cost of glass! They are great to experiment with and to help get the feel for the camera.

The Intrepid 8x10 is the only affordable 8x10 camera to be constructed from high quality and reliable materials. We use sustainably sourced furniture grade Birch Plywood on the front and rear standard, this is finished by hand with a wax oil sealant to protect the wood. The base and supporting parts of the camera are made from high grade aluminium that is hard coat anodised black. The rack and pinion focusing mechanism run on linear metal guides for frictionless sharp focussing. The ground glass screens are hand-ground in the workshop to ensure they are super bright an clear and the bellows are an incredibly durable vinyl on the outside with a triple layered light resistant lining, all hand made in our workshop.

8x10 is an amazing format, the film comes in sheets that are 52 times larger than a single 35mm frame. This produces an incredible amount of clarity and depth in your images, and a quality far richer than any digital camera can create. Large format photography is also one of the most rewarding photographic experiences, it forces you to slow down, take in the scene before you and really focus on what you want to create.