Intrepid has announced its most compact darkroom enlarger yet. The Intrepid Enlarger has been launched on Kickstarter, where the new product has eclipsed its project goal of under $30,000 USD by more than $100,000.
Intrepid writes that the Intrepid Enlarger 'is a total rethink of the traditional darkroom enlarger. A super compact, simple and fun to use kit for making prints from your color and B&W film at home (from 35mm to 6x9), simply mount it on a tripod or copy stand!' The company goes on to say that the new enlarger can 'even be used to make scans of your negatives using a digital camera/smartphone. '
This isn't Intrepid's first rodeo on Kickstarter. The company has previously run successful campaigns for the Intrepid 4x5 camera and a 4x5 Enlarger. As mentioned, the new Compact Enlarger is more compact than Intrepid's previous products, but it includes other improvements.
A big change is the inclusion of new LED technology. This allows the user to control color balance, contrast and exposure without needing to use separate filters. The enlarger comes with a timer control, which includes controls for adjusting color balance and contrast.
You can use the Intrepid Compact Enlarger to make black and white prints, color prints and scan negatives. For making prints, the enlarger works similarly to a traditional enlarger, allowing you to adjust focus, set the time and expose the paper. When making color prints, you can use the cyan, magenta and yellow dials to adjust the color balance of the print.
The included timer is the 'brains behind the operation. ' You can use the timer to set exposure times, contrast and color balance. The timer has a USB port as well, allowing for future firmware updates.
The Intrepid Enlarger timer
The Intrepid Enlarger doesn't ship with a lens, so you will need one before you can use the kit for making prints. For working with 35mm, a 50mm enlarger lens is recommended. For 120 film, a 70-90mm lens is best. The Intrepid Enlarger uses an M39 thread, which is a typical thread for enlarger lenses. You will also need darkroom chemicals, photo paper, trays, tongs, printing easel and grain/focus finder. For additional information on what's included and what you'll need to supply yourself, visit the Kickstarter page.
For a pledge of pid Enlarger with both 35mm and 120 carriers. Intrepid expects its new enlarger to begin shipping to backers in August. For the full details on the Intrepid Enlarger, visit Kickstarter.
During its prototyping and design process, Intrepid has worked with numerous film photographers. A few photographers have published hands-on videos of the Intrepid Enlarger, including Ribsy of Doing Film Things. You can check out his video below:
Roger with Shoot Film Like a Boss also published a hands-on video. For unboxing video fans, Chris B Photo published one earlier this month. Both of these videos are below:
Note/disclaimer: Remember to do your research with any crowdfunding project before backing it. Pledges to crowdfunding campaigns are not pre-orders. DPReview does not have a relationship with this, or any such campaign, and we publicize only projects that appear legitimate, and which we consider will be of genuine interest to our readers. You can read more about the safeguards Kickstarter has in place on its ‘Trust & Safety’ page.
. dpreview.com2021-3-22 20:57
