My experience with and reflections on the Intrepid 4x5 enlarger

the kit fits any graflok compatible camera, so it should work. If i may suggest, try using your camera in vertical mode and see if the focusing is easy and stable, it's probably the most important thing for the kit to work.
the controller changes the source's colours based on what contrast you set. I think there's bw mode with discrete steps resembling the gel filters, and colour mode with continous controlling of the light, more or less like using a colour head on an enlarger.

tykos said:

colour mode with continous controlling of the light, more or less like using a colour head on an enlarger.

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Very few people actually use this enlarger for color work I think - and that's a good thing, because it cannot be expected to work, and indeed it doesn't work well. The filter resolution is inadequate to do accurate color balancing.

yeah, i've read something about it, but he was talking about bw printing (i've read something is off in the highest grades, too, never tried though) so i was just describing the two working modes.
In the end: he doesn't need contrast filters, the light changes colour and provides contrast.

Yes, indeed. The ratio between blue and green is altered just like with e.g. an Ilford 500 system. Just a whole lot less heat and noise created in the process!

I’ve been using the iIntrepid 4x5 enlarger for a few months now. No tripod, but a column from an old enlarger. I used to have an Omega 4x5 enlarger, but in my small darkroom I kept bumping my head and knees all the time. I’m lucky to have a ‘spare’ Tachihara 4x5 (managed to buy it very cheaply once), so I use that for my fixed setup. Compared to the Omega, I don’t think it’s a big step backward. Sometimes even the opposite… The Omega was cooled by two fans that sounded like airplanes taking off. Now it’s quiet. I only use black and white, no color. I did adjust the light intensity a bit (yes, that’s possible); I ended up with about 8 seconds for a 4x5 enlargement to roughly 24x30 cm. Too little to bother making further adjustments in my opinion. Since it’s my permanent setup, I’ve been able to align and balance it properly. At least I don’t have to go back to a monster of a 4x5 enlarger

Thank you all for sharing your experience and tips. Will do some measurements in the closet first, and test the rigidity of my 4x5 in vertical position.

Just wanted to push back a bit on the idea that the Intrepid's aren't any good for colour. The LEDs are far from perfect, but you absolutely can print colour with them. If you're a dedicated colour printer, and very picky with exact colours it isn't a good pick. But if you only occasionally want to print colour for your own use, it's absolutely fine. I've printed a dozen or so colour images and always got results I liked.
For those with an intrepid, I've just released a first stab at a custom firmware that does f-stop printing. It's more set up for printing using physical filters, but does give direct RGB control of the light if you want that (it can't change the LED spectra, but at least you get as much accuracy as is possible with the LEDs it has). Docs and firmware are here , happy to help anyone that wants to give it a try, it's easy to revert the the original firmware.

Wouthazel said:

I’ve been using the iIntrepid 4x5 enlarger for a few months now. No tripod, but a column from an old enlarger. I used to have an Omega 4x5 enlarger, but in my small darkroom I kept bumping my head and knees all the time. I’m lucky to have a ‘spare’ Tachihara 4x5 (managed to buy it very cheaply once), so I use that for my fixed setup. Compared to the Omega, I don’t think it’s a big step backward. Sometimes even the opposite… The Omega was cooled by two fans that sounded like airplanes taking off. Now it’s quiet. I only use black and white, no color. I did adjust the light intensity a bit (yes, that’s possible); I ended up with about 8 seconds for a 4x5 enlargement to roughly 24x30 cm. Too little to bother making further adjustments in my opinion. Since it’s my permanent setup, I’ve been able to align and balance it properly. At least I don’t have to go back to a monster of a 4x5 enlarger

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Mine is set up on an old copy stand that I picked up for $3 at a second hand store. I had to trim it a little to get it through the bathroom door but it is a sturdy old bugger and works perfectly. I haven't tried to print anything bigger than 16x20 but I am pretty sure the column is long enough to go up another step if I decide to but I am not sure my bathroom is big enough to print much larger. So for me this is perfect.

I was using an old manual focus Beseler 45MX (still own it) and there was no possible way to use that in my small, 2nd bath. Besides I can barely carry it around when it is disassembled. I keep telling myself that I will build a new darkroom in my garage but every time I have to pull the car into the garage to work on it I realize that trying to fit a darkroom in there, along with a broken car I need to repair, will require an addition.

I am not a professional printer and never will be but I love making medium sized prints and giving them away to friends and family every now and again. I do a little digital printing as well but I am not very good with the software so those prints rarely ever seem to turn out the way I would like. I haven't tried to print color yet but I suspect I'll give it a go someday.

For me the Intrepid allows me to print things the way I am used to doing it, and still enjoy. Is the Intrepid the perfect solution? Of course not; but, for what I need I haven't run across anything better yet. And 5 years later it is still working so it seems sturdy enough.

With regard to the 50mm issue, the bed doesn't get into the way of the projected image does it? This may apply more to using the camera as a camera with 50mm being pretty darn wide on 4x5

MTGseattle said:

With regard to the 50mm issue, the bed doesn't get into the way of the projected image does it? This may apply more to using the camera as a camera with 50mm being pretty darn wide on 4x5

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I have used the enlarger for 4x5 only ( and a little som of 6x12), never for 35 mm.

Edit: I'd missed the discussion in the OP of 50mm and the compression bracket, I'll leave this portion of the post though as there's some numbers, and it's evidence that I should read posts properly before chipping in.

It occurred to me after writing this that this only applies if you are using the 4x5 enlarger kit on an intrepid 4x5 camera. If you have a different camera you might be able to get something going.

After actually trying with a 50mm and 40mm, basically it's a firm No. Even with the recessed lens board with the m39 thread they provide. I can't get the lens close enough to the neg to get a sensible sized print in focus. I can get to about a 6x9cm /maybe/ a bit bigger, but not close to even a 4x5" print.
The 80mm works a bit better. You have to get the enlarger up high, but I reckon you /might/ get to an 8x10 off of a 35mm neg, not sure about larger.
With the Compact, and 8x10 for a 35mm gets the back of the lens to about 4cm from the neg. The closest the 4x5 can get the back of the lens to the neg is around 6cm.
For most practical purposes, 35mm isn't really a good option on the 4x5 enlarger kit (with an intrepid camera anyway).

tykos said:

i've read something is off in the highest grades

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It's an issue with the blue/ green filter Ilford MG500 heads and the Heiland LED head, neither of which can quite hit G5. The Intrepid seems to be able to do it, which was quite surprising.

There's a certain irony that the Intrepid head which seems to have been intended for doing colour is better at B&W, and the Heiland, which seems to have been meant for B&W, is better at colour.

Lachlan Young said:

There's a certain irony that the Intrepid head which seems to have been intended for doing colour is better at B&W

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IDK if the Intrepid head is really 'intended' for color. It can do color, in a very compromised manner. It's in no way optimized for color work. It works "in a pinch" as the saying goes - and that's about it.

koraks said:

IDK if the Intrepid head is really 'intended' for color. It can do color, in a very compromised manner. It's in no way optimized for color work. It works "in a pinch" as the saying goes - and that's about it.

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The timer is definitely intended for colour though.

Sure, but the light source is not very suitable.

koraks said:

Sure, but the light source is not very suitable.

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It's fine for the price (for a new device). If you're not too precious about exact colours it'll get ti a decent print. Anything better would have required substantially more engineering and cost. The Heiland LED is 5 times more than the entire intrepid enlarger. It might be 5x better, but still apparently not great. I've argued this to death elsewhere though.
Is it a serious colour enlarger, no.
Can a casual user get a colour print from it? Yes.

You can get color prints from it. You can easily get much better color prints with any old dichroic enlarger.

koraks said:

You can get color prints from it. You can easily get much better color prints with any old dichroic enlarger.

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Indeed, but... old dichroic enlargers:
- don't easily fit a 35mm to 4x5 enlarger in ine shoe box
- are hot and noisy
- aren't actually all that cheap everywhere
- don't come with a warranty
- don't support an active film focused small business
- aren't made new

The Intrepid is full of compromises that I personally am happy to make.

tcolgate said:

It's fine for the price (for a new device). If you're not too precious about exact colours it'll get ti a decent print. Anything better would have required substantially more engineering and cost. The Heiland LED is 5 times more than the entire intrepid enlarger. It might be 5x better, but still apparently not great. I've argued this to death elsewhere though.
Is it a serious colour enlarger, no.
Can a casual user get a colour print from it? Yes.

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I certainly hope so. That is my cold weather project and I'll be using it to make some 8x10 prints from some 4x5 Portra 160 in a few weeks. I bought a whole box of Fuji Crystal Archive paper this summer just for that purpose.

Pioneer said:

I certainly hope so. That is my cold weather project and I'll be using it to make some 8x10 prints from some 4x5 Portra 160 in a few weeks. I bought a whole box of Fuji Crystal Archive paper this summer just for that purpose.

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RA4 isn't quite as fun as B&W, but I hope the results will bring uou a bit of joy! I've got an ra4 kit in the cupboard waiting for me to try some RGB additive printing experiments. I think it'll all be with Gold 120 negs.

It should certainly be interesting and I am looking forward to it. I have never tried printing color but as soon as I noticed that the Intrepid Enlarger could handle color I started making plans. I have the paper, the developer and some negatives. I am just waiting for some quiet time with no honey do's. For me that is usually January into March. That is usually when my wife works with her ceramics and beyond the occasional pack mule role I am relatively free to try new stuff. After that the gardening & flower bug bites pretty hard in this house.

Pioneer said:

It will certainly be interesting. I have never tried printing color but as soon as I noticed that the Intrepid Enlarger could handle color I started making plans. I have the paper, the developer and some negatives. I am just waiting for some quiet time with no honey do's. For me that is usually January into March. After that the gardening bug bites in this house.

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It's worth getting a drum if you don't already have one. I got an 8x10 cibachtome drum for cheap. It's easier than using trays , and I think it's more efficient on the chems. I just roll mine by hand on the floor

I have a Jobo and a couple of drums that handle paper. I have used them for black & white but I am pretty sure they won't care if it is B&W or color.

The big stumbling block has always been the enlarger. I do have a color head with my Beseler but I have never used it. I haven't had a real darkroom in quite awhile so that is why the Intrepid setup was so intriguing. The color was just a plus. Being able to print 4x5 negatives in my tiny 2nd bath was the primary attraction.

Pioneer said:

The big stumbling block has always been the enlarger. I do have a color head with my Beseler but I have never used it. I haven't had a real darkroom in quite awhile so that is why the Intrepid setup was so intriguing. The color was just a plus. Being able to print 4x5 negatives in my tiny 2nd bath was the primary attraction.

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I think the magic of this thing is for folks who are really limited on space, and want to do both B&W and RA4 printing. I mount my 4x5 to a copy stand and use this thing pretty often. It took some getting used to, but I have made some prints im proud of with it. The most fiddly part is focusing on the intrepid 4x5 because it's on the back of the camera, but if you aren't printing big it's not a huge deal. Id love to set it up as a projection style enlarger instead of on a copy stand at some point, but that requires more space than i've got! It's a pretty nice piece of kit, especially if you have a copy stand already. Trying to set it up with a tripod to print is annoying!