horseman FA or Chamonix dilemma..

[Raymond L. Fenio]

I am considering selling my horseman FA and ordering a Chamonix 4x5. The horseman is a fine camera but I suspect the Chamonix is more practical with its movements and wider range of lenses that are usable. I shoot mostly landscapes and find the horseman easy to pack but using a grad ND filter a pain with many of my shorter lenses. I am interested in any ideas.
I heard that another 4x5 model is in the works by Chamonix but am not certain of its release date. Does anyone know if the Chamonix will accept the reflex viewer that I use on my Horseman?

[john collins]

Hello Raymond,

Hugo Zhang is the man to contact with questions about Chamonix cameras. He can be contacted through this forum by looking on the members list. BTW, I think you're on the right track - Chamonix cameras are worth looking into.

[BarryS]

I have a Chamonix 4x5 and it's a nice camera, but I'm not sure I understand the issue with the ND grads on your Horseman. The Horseman seems like an excellent durable camera, but a little restricted as far as movements and lenses in large shutters. The Chamonix 4x5's about to be shipped are the same model--with some fairly minor changes. If you're not on the waiting list, the earliest you could get a new Chamonix is probably December. Chamonix is going to offer a reflex viewer as an attachment. It looks like the Cambo and maybe it's from the same factory, but your viewer could probably be easily adapted for the Chamonix. Maybe you can find a Chamonix nearby that you can see before deciding on making a switch.

[Raymond L. Fenio]

Yes, I'd like to see a chamonix but am not sure if anyone in the Reno/Tahoe area has one. The problem I have with the Singh-Ray P- ND grad is that with lenses that do not extend beyond the bed the filter will not slide down enough to work on many scenes - it hits the bed. I thought of buying a used filter then trimming the bottom. Of course I may be missing an easy solution to this problem.

[Brian Ellis]

I don't think there's any comparison between the two cameras. The FA's claim to fame is its light weight and compact dimensions. But it has a very short bellows (10.25"), no interchangeable bellows, fairly restricted movements (only slightly more than an inch of front rise/fall and an inch of front tilt for example). The Chamonix weighs about the same as the FA but it's a full-feature 4x5 camera with interchangeable bellows and maximum extension of 15". But if you're happy with the FA and the only problem is the filter, you'd certainly want to be sure that Chamonix will solve the filter problem before you switch. Hugo could probably tell you if you can't find a camera to try.

[Greg Miller]

Yes, I'd like to see a chamonix but am not sure if anyone in the Reno/Tahoe area has one. The problem I have with the Singh-Ray P- ND grad is that with lenses that do not extend beyond the bed the filter will not slide down enough to work on many scenes - it hits the bed. I thought of buying a used filter then trimming the bottom. Of course I may be missing an easy solution to this problem.

One possible solution to the GND problem is to drop the bed and then add enough front rise to offset the drop bed. If the FA has enough front rise top do this then the lens should be much higher than the bed which should allow you to use the GND.

[Raymond L. Fenio]

Thanks for the info. I find the lack of movements on the FA frustrating even though it is a nice camera. I will order the Chamonix. I originally bought the FA because I have a horseman VHR 6x9 and wanted to use the same lensboards, plus the accessories such as reflex viewer. For now, I will try Greg's suggestion and drop the bed to see if the ND grad will work.