What an incredibly testy bunch we have here.
A little reading of the content is in order, I think:
- My initial look at the bubble level accuracy showed minimal variance
- My repeat was done more carefully and showed them to be accurate
- My suggestion was that a separate level might be appropriate if the user had doubts about the built-in devices.
My take on many of the comments on the this thread:
- There appears to be an ongoing war regarding Chamonix cameras
- On one side we have people who are really jazzed to see a quality product with a few weak points at a moderate price point
- On the other side are others who find it offensive that anyone would consider a cheap camera made by eight guys in China worth using.
I obviously fall into the first group. After all, I bought the camera and was pleasantly surprised at what came in the box. It meets my needs 2+. To address and validate some of the comments of the second group, I can offer this:
- No, the Chamonix 045N-2 is not a technical studio camera. It is not even a technical field camera. A person would be a fool to try and use it for such.
- No, it does not bear one of the hallowed names, nor is it backed by a support network.
- Yes, the built-in bubble levels could be viewed as being sort of silly (see the first bullet point). After all, field cameras are generally not used for that kind of work. It is sort of like putting spoilers on a Jeep.
- On any moderately priced photography product, one of the main concerns is build quality. It is appropriate to be skeptical about whether the camera is true when assembled, parallel when zero'ed, well-designed, and made of quality materials.
As for my inexperience with LF...I freely admit that and framed my review within that context. I guess that the main strength that I bring to the review is that I actually
OWN the second generation camera and have actually used it too. I also looked at and handled several other cameras in my price range and above before ordering the Chamonix and felt that the Chamonix represented the best value for my needs (light, portable, rigid, etc.). I still feel that way. Will I change my opinion in the future as I gain experience? Perhaps. I intend to post a follow-up review at six months or maybe a year.
While I have very limited experience, I am not totally ignorant. My move to LF came as a result of long-term frustration with the lack of movements on my small format film and digital cameras. No, I did not even consider Ebony, Arca-Swiss, or Technikardan. All of those wonderful cameras are well beyond my budget. I knew that from the time a store clerk showed me a Technikardan back in the late 1980s. Drool hit the counter and I wanted one on the spot, but the price tag emphatically said no. Am I ignorant of what these cameras have to offer? No. Is the Chamonix a compromise in features/quality? Maybe. I guess I will find out.
Steve
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