Introducing Chamonix Whole Plate Camera

[Turner Reich]

I might as well get in on the stupid question of the thread but... what is whole and half plate? My guess is that whole is 10x8 and half is 5x8 but Im guessing here.

Thanks and the best of luck with the project.

[Andrey Donchev]

The whole plate is 8 1/2 x 6 1/2 in. Use the search option. There are a lot of post regarding it.

[Pete Watkins]

Turner,
Just for the info half plate is 4 3/4 x 6 1/2.
Pete.

[Brian Ellis]

Hugo Zhang is like Seve Simmons. He (mis)uses this forum to promote his commercial
interest.

This kind of thing used to bug me too. But now that the forum permits the sale of anything related to photography if listed in the "For Sale" section, and the promotion of any new photography product if listed in the "New Product" section, I don't see any problem with Hugo's announcement.

I do think it's too bad that whoever makes these sorts of decisions has chosen to ignore the guideline that restrict FS announcements to LF equipment. Not that I have a major problem with FS listings for digital, 35mm, etc. equipment, I just think that if FS listings for non-LF gear are going to be allowed then somebody should change the guideline rather than leaving it as it is but ignoring it. But what the hell, if Al Gore can burn up untold megawatts of electricity and other fuels to keep his mansions comfortable and still get a Nobel Prize for helping the environment, who am I to complain about following guidelines?

[Jan Pedersen]

One day when i have my new Chamonix i will book a tickett, fly to Island and take some nice photos. I hope i get a chance to meet Gudmundur Ingolfsson. No i am not going to show him the camera. Something else.

[Rob_5419]

Wow - another WP camera coming out!


Good luck with the WP venture Hugo and I really hope it works out. I won't go on the waiting list, although I might change my mind later and come knocking on your Inbox...

Being British, I think we also have a slightly different take on whole plate philosophy too. Partly I've decided to stick to traditional whole plate bookform plate holders.

Why? Because they work beautifully; and because Fotoman have been very disappointing in promising time and again that the whole plate holders will be coming out next month. 6 months is a reasonable time scale to hang onto, partly to reassess the Fotoman situation. I've given up waiting for them and just got on with working out my own (traditional) bookform workflow and won't be needing to buy costly WP double dark slides. I have to say this is immensely satisfying (and cheaper) route for whole plate photography. Although it is more likely to be limited to British users, since bookform plates are available in abundance here. These bookform holders are also closer to my own vintage in terms of age.

Jan - are you going down the WP route too? Iceland is also inflected with Norse myths too - it has a very rich culture. As you know, it is the mythical home of goblins although there is evidence that trolls still exist there.

All the very best Hugo and whole platers. Go whole-platers go!

[Jan Pedersen]

Rob, Not going down the WP route, i was thinking about it for a while but desided to continue with 8x10 basically due to availability of film and size of lensboard. The 8x10 use Sinar lensboards and i like older lenses in large #5 shutters so that was a better choice for me. Price difference is very small to.
Iceland was in our history books in Denmark but i don't remember reading about trolls that is why i am intereseted in going there to see them up close.
Best to Hugo and all Whole Platers, will be interesting to see more prints in that format.

[Scott Davis]

Hugo-

Of even greater interest to me is the issue of whole plate film holders. Since you indicate that the camera will be built to accommodate Chamonix whole-plate film holders, do you have a price and an availability date?

[Michael Graves]

Hugo, have you built a prototype that you can post pictures of?

[Diane Maher]

Hugo,
Can you PM me the information on this camera?

Diane