Chamonix?

[Jim Graves]

Hi All,
After the introduction of the Chamonix 4x5 cameras there was a flurry of enthusiasm for it. There have been, IMHO, an inordinate amount of used ones for sale here. To those of you who have sold theirs, is there something you didn't like??..Evan Clarke

Simple observation and a simple question.

I followed the Chamonix entry into the market pretty closely ... in fact, it was a really fun thread as pictures were posted, people asked about features, Hugo updated everyone on the answers and factory progress toward shipping. Then as shipping started, it was like Christmas morning everyday. I'd log on and read about Santa arriving here and there [with excited package opening descriptions and photos posted] and finally ending with the last arrivals in England after an interminable wait in customs.

Although there have been quite a few offered for sale ... I think the term "inordinate" is misleading ... especially when you realize that virtually all of the original recipients had not only not touched, but had not even seen the camera except in web photos before ordering.

It looks like a very nice camera for the price and from all accounts it is just that.

Evan [the OP] asked a legitimate question ... "To those of you who have sold theirs, is there something you didn't like??" ... How the heck does that become so controversial????

[ki6mf]

While I own the Enemy, Shen Hao, I agree with Jim Graves. LF is for those who enjoy the process and if you are happy with digital stay with that. In the above posts someone said 10 have come up since introduction You may see one a month on e bay compared to the 100 other LF 4X5 out there for sale. Those who use them like them and for the most part keep them. Quality is good and in the USA there is praise for Hugo who is distributing.

[gevalia]

I'd like to say 1st off that I really like my 45n-1 and use it in the field conatantly but there are a few irritations.
1. The focus screw placement (or worm drive as I call it) is at times frustrating when you're under a darkcloth.
2. There's no focus lock-down capability. I've cocked the shutter a few times and inadvertently upset focus because there was no lock and also because the focus wheel becomes loose over time. There is a way to retighten the wheel but once it gets loose, it seems to keep getting loose. A locking mechanism would solve this completely.
3. And this is a minor gripe but the base is not carbon fiber. It is wood with a carbon fiber veneer on it. While out in the desert, my tripod shifted and fell damaging the base when it hit a rock. The corner of the base chipped revealing wood covered with carbon fiber. Like I said, really minor and totally my fault, and I'm sad every time I look at it.

All this being said, you're gonna have to pry it from my cold dead hands.

[gregvds]

Hi,

I received mine some days ago now. The camera is really nice. What I really like is its design, the holes in the baseplates are really helpful to maintain the camera while attaching it to the tripod, or having it in hand simply, I rather prefer this than a leather hand on the top or on the backside, as in a Wista or old Linhof.

Its weight also is amazing.

Now, truely, the front screw to attach the front frame is sometimes cumbersome to screw and unscrew, you need to have the frame kept perpendicular to the base, but that's minor.

I think the camera would make a near pefect hit if the Aluminium was chemically hardened and anodized, rather than coated or painted. We'll see in time how this wears off. I assume a Canham would have better looking Aluminium gear and frame.

I knew the base was a sandwich of CF/wood/CF, it seems to me perfect, but the finition of the back focusing rails, thes are not as well finished on the inside as the baseplate faces and holes. This is cosmetic, but I bought also the camera because of its eastethic qualities (YMMV on that, don't fire at me).

When the camera is built, it's really rigid and behave quite confidently. We'll see in time if this will be maintained, anyway, I'll need some time to use it, be familiar with it, and save for a next one (There will be, I know myself now, after 25 years of buying photo gear, it's not a quest of the best equipment, it's a habit, or passtime, I enjoy it anyway).

The fresnel and GG are really nice, and easy to focus. Hugo accepted to follow my request to put the fresnel outside of the GG, and the factory achieved to put GG, fresnel, and a protective glass in the usual place, at no additional cost, try this with a big brand to see...).
I followed the discussions about the fresnel placement problem, even if a lot of users never complained about the focus of their camera, nor the results they got from it. Clement reacted quite frankly because other forum member (GPS) flamed down the camera without owning one, hence the answer of Clement, and I follow him on that point.

From my small experience with the camera, my darkcloth (paramo) goes fairly well with the camera, and the focusing knob is very handy on the rear like that, you're not outstretching arms to reach the front knobs.

Finish is ok, not top notch, but heck, I paid 650 euros for it, you must consider that also.

I'm amazed by the compactness of the back, when you come back to look at ebony's back, they look big and heavy without purpose.

I fear the CF plates (base and GG protection) will quickly collect scratches from everywhere, again, we'll see in time.

The universal bellow is very well done, and useful. I still don't have the camera for long enough to judge the dust problem, but it was already the case with my Leicas, my rolleis, the Wista, every camera collect dust like no hoover could dream about it seems.

So, all in all, I'm currently happy with the camera, which has very nice features, some details I'd love to have perfected, and a very good usability for me (I like to have a camera with me in a shoulder bag, and that's exclude a lot of them).

Greg

[Chuck Bradford]

I met Harley Goldman in Colorado this past fall and he showed me his Chamonix, when I got back home I orderd one because I wanted to shoot longer lenses than my Ebony would allow. I have not had the Chamonix long but so far am very pleased with it's operations. I plan to keep my Ebony, but on long hikes I'm sure I'll take the Camonix because it is just so much lighter.

[Vlad Soare]

Clement, you'll probably see such a thread pretty soon, as I've just ordered a 45n-1 from Hugo.
If I find it as magnificent as people use to say it is, I'll tell everybody about it.

Yes, as you would with any other camera you might buy, wouldn’t you?
Grats for your purchase!

I’ll be glad to read about your opinion about it.

OK, the camera is here. All I can say is WOW!
It's not perfect, but it's close enough.
This is one buying decision I don't think I'll ever regret.

[Ron Bose]

C'mon people, let's remember one thing, the price !!

The fact that this camera is being sold on by people moving on to Ebony's is quite a feat !

IIRC my wife's 45N cost me $650 ? So she doesn't use it, that's her issue ... I paid $2,500 for a used Canham 4x5/5x7 camera. How much do used or even new Ebony's cost ?

We can all yak about how nice a Lexus or BMW are, and how crap a KIA is. But remember that a KIA will cost you $15,000 and a Lexus or BMW $50,000.

An important factor is that most here can afford the BMW/Lexus cameras and that's why many walked away from the KIA ....

[Vlad Soare]

Spot on. I can't believe what superb camera I got new for just eight hundred dollars. It is everything it is supposed to be and does everything it is supposed to do, it looks great, weighs almost nothing and comes at an unbelievable price. It may have some quirks, but under these circumstances who cares?

[evan clarke]

I started this so I could make a decision whether or not to buy a Chamonix 11x14 and was fairly surprised to see anybody sell their 4x5s after such a short time. After all the posts, I still had to do a mental coin-flip and bought the camera. It is at least twice as good as I hoped, an elegant, simple execution of the design and freakishly light. This weekend I'll have a chance to set it up next to a Phillips so I can see how much copying/improvement/difference there is between them...Evan Clarke

[Mike1234]

I bought a used 45N-1 despite the little focusing error with the expectation of replacing the focus screen with a Maxwell. After a very informative telephone conversation with Bill Maxwell I opted for the standard screen. He suggested I call Bill Moretz to have the screen installed because there can be other things awry with the Chamonix factory screen installation including depth variations and warpage that Mr. Moretz can correct. Having Mr. Moretz install the screen will ensure a "no worries" scenario with a precision unmatched by the factory. I'm sending Bill Moretz the whole camera to ensure it's done correctly.