Intrepid Enlarger Kit with 4x5 camera

[fatihayoglu]

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So, I am percolating the idea of starting to print my films and buying my first enlarger. Instead of regular know versions, I have found this solution. Actually you use 4x5 camera as enlarger by putting a light source to the back of it, which is a brilliant idea. I have 35mm fils up to 6x9 120 so I guess I should get 105mm lens to use with all of the formats I’m shooting, except 4x5.

https://intrepidcamera.co.uk/products/intrepid-enlarger-kit?taxon_id=33

My question is around the feasibility of the system and also to print 8x10, what height should be my copy stand?

what do you guys think?

Cheers,

Fatih

[250swb]

Part of the answer depends on how big you anticipate printing. You'll need a very tall and sturdy copy stand to do a 16x20 from a 4x5 neg so you may as well have bought a second hand 4x5 enlarger in the first place after you've factored in the other costs of the Intrepid system. I would also doubt that LED light source would work for large prints. The answer would be to email them and ask how large in practical terms can you print taking into consideration illumination, exposure times, height of copy stand, etc.

For a similar price of an enlarger, or the Intrepid you could get an Epson V700 which is very good at scanning 4x5, the size of print isn't an issue because you can just send the file off for printing. It comes with a 4x5 mask.

8x10 enlargers are scarce, but you could contact print in a frame, or use an Epson by placing the negative directly on the flatbed to scan it, and again print size isn't an issue.

[Pyrogallol]

I made a replacement light box for my half-plate enlarger using three panels of led bulbs, each with about 12 little daylight colour bulbs. It is brighter than the ancient cold cathode head,  does not give off any heat and runs on 12 volts through a transformer so the homemade wooden box is not on mains voltage. I have made 20 x 16 prints at about a minute or two exposure with the lens stopped down to about f11. So I would think a no-heat led light source would be best to use with a 5 x 4 camera so that you are not risking overheating the camera.

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Edited September 22, 2020 by Pyrogallol

[verwackelt]

my concern about the intrepid enlarger is, that you additionally  need a very sturdy column to attached it.
I would better buy a used 4x5 or 8x10 enlarger at ebay which has that column and all other parts included…