Hi guys,
My new Chamonix 045n-1 is here. Yupee!!!
I must say I'm impressed. It's a real beauty, and I can't believe how lightweight it is. By Jove, it's even lighter than my 35mm EOS!
On the minus side, I find the two rings that lock the lensboard in place too small and stiff. Given that the camera cannot fold with a mounted lens, and so I'll have to use those tabs each and every time I fold and unfold it, this might become a slight annoyance. But we'll see; maybe I'll get used to it.
Also, it would be nice if the front tilt and front rise could be locked and unlocked independently of each other.
Another minor annoyance is that when the camera is folded the screw that attaches the front standard to the baseboard is loose and rattles. But I can live with that.
Otherwise, everything seems just perfect to me.
I removed the Fresnel lens. Focusing problems aside, I never liked Fresnels. I don't like how they make the image dimmer when you look at it sideways, and I also hate those concentric rings. Anyway, I'm used to the dim ground glass of my Calumet CC-400, compared to which Chamonix's seems to be a great leap forward even without the Fresnel lens.
I managed to figure out most features, but I still have a couple of questions.
Firstly, can the bellows be easily replaced? I ordered the standard version because it was cheaper, and I could barely afford the camera as it was, but if I buy a universal or bag bellows later on, will I be able to replace it myself?
Secondly, on the back there are four locking rings similar to those used for the lensboard, only bigger. Two up and two down. What are these for?
Thanks.
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