Learned the Zone system, via Minor White's teachings, with an 8x10 back in the late 1970s. Camera was a B&J flatbed view, 12" Velostigmat Series II F/4.5, and a B&J wooden tripod. Hiked up many a stream/gorge south of the Rochester NY area during all seasons with all photo equipment in a primitive solid framed backpack... fueled by a hearty steak & eggs breakfast. More than once fell through ice in the winter. Super-XX processed in FG-7 with a 9% sodium sulfite solution and printed on Dupont Verlour paper.

Sold the 8x10 camera for an 11x14" B&J wooden flatbed view. Also acquires a 20" 508mm f/7 Caltar. Whole system just proved to be just too much to handle and carry at the time to hike in the New England forests so sold everything in Shutterbug back when.

Then bought and used an Improved Eastman 11x14" view camera. Jewel of a camera.... so ultra light and so compact, but consequently very un-rigid. Many exposures ruined because of movement. It was like a sail in the wind. Sold it.

2 years ago purchased a Chamonix 11x14" view camera. Back around 2000, digital was growing exponentially and prices of view camera lenses exponentially dropping. Fortunately back then purchased quite a few optics at ridiculously low prices and kept them.

Wanted to finally put together my "ideal" 11x14" system... almost there. I needed a case for my 11x14 Chamonix with 3+ lenses and holders. Cost of a new Pelican case was way up there,so I bought an older (probably from the late 1960s) Sinar case made for their 8x10 Norma, gutted it out and padded it with glued cut sections of anti-fatigue dense foam flooring that I bought for very little money at LOWES. Nice thing was that the right bottom side of the Sinar case had a built in section to slide down into lenses on Sinar boards and by coincidence the 11x14 Chamonix uses Sinar like boards. Case is quite beat up on its exterior which makes it look a lot less valuable (and intern its possible contents) than a bright new Pelican case. Strictly to be carried in the trunk of my medium sized SUV. Being 69 years old, backpacking the 11x14 system no longer feasible.

The Charmonix 11x14... a superb camera in every way. Would to compare it side by side to an original Phillips 11x14.

Lenses... my experiences

Went through quite a few Eskofot Ultragon Lenses. None covered as claimed.

90mm f/ Berthiot Paris Perigraphe. Recent purchase. Produces a beautiful circular image on 11x14 film with 1" black borders on the 11 inch dimension. Now am in the process of constructing a really recessed lens board for this optic.

5.9" f/ RD Gray Extreme Angle Periscope lens mounted in a Copal shutter by S K Grimes. Wonderful optic that fully covers 11x14. Have to stop it down all the way. 150 year old optic. Corner sharpness definitely has its limitations, but am willing to put up with its vintage image look. Had to fabricate a base plate to move the lens back to enable infinity focus.

183 f/18 B&L Protar. Covers only but only "absolutely directly on center". Hard for me to focus.

180mm f/12.5 Schneider Dasykar. Pre-Angulon. Just unearthed it after maybe 20 years of it being lost in storage. Does cover 11x14. This spring have to compare it to the 183mm Protar.

250mm f/6.7 Fuji. Close to covering 11x14 but not in the corners by about 1/2 an inch. Now use it on my Full Plate Chamonix. FYI It is the version that has info engraved inside on the retaining ring for the front element.

250mm f/5.6 Fuji SF (Soft Focus) lens. This one was a really surprise to me. I used it on my Whole Plate camera but by chance mounted it onto the 11x14 and saw that it actually covered the format. Bokeh is unique wide open. Stop it down to f/90 and absolutely great for contact prints.

305mm Kowa f/9 . First time I used it found out it did not cover 11x14. Later took its lens hood off and found out that it actually did cover 11x14... the lens hood was vignetting the corners. Sold it whe acquired the 305mm G-Claron.

305mm f/9 G-Claron just covers when stopped down and is amazingly sharp.

12 3/4 (plus 18 7/8, and 27") Protar. Classic optic. Still mastering using the single cells alone. But from what I've read, you need to use a red or orange filter when using the single cells alone. With no cell separation, will never part with this optic.

355mm G-Claron f/9. Just an amazingly sharp optic.

14" f/6.8 Goertz Double Anastigmat. Dagor image Bokeh. Allows for extreme movements. Don't know if it really differs from a Dagor.

508mm f/7 Caltar. Was my only lens with my wooden B&J view. Sold it with the B&J many years ago. After purchasing the Chamonix, realized I wanted another copy of this optic. Took me 2 years to find one on EBay and although was willing to pay a premium for the lens, fortunately got it at the first bid price. It's my main lens to use... wide max aperture makes it just a pleasure to focus and compose with. I honestly think it is the very best optic for the 11x14" format. I believe Rodenstock was the maker of this lens.

600mm f/9.5 Portrait Group 14x17 to 16x20. This optic I had S K Grimes mount into a Copal shutter. When stopped down is amazingly sharp. Initially I thought I wanted it for its vintage image Bokeh, but it turned out to be just an excellent lens to use.

Tripod is the large Ries J100 with their J250-2 head. Had to swallow couple of times when I ordered the combo, but on using it was worth every $$$. People at Ries are also most pleasant to deal with.

Final prints have been mostly on silver paper up to now, with some Salted prints last year. This spring will be scanning negs and making Digital negs to print on Platinum/Palladium paper.

Please feel free to add comments and info on other lenses...

Greg