Please help me customize a 4x5" chamonix N-2 camera with lens : ) !!!

[David de Gruyl]

So, you mean, I could even get it for less than the $88 this person is claiming?

$88 will buy you a carbon fiber lens board. You can use any board which fits a Technika.

[Ig Nacio]

Hi,

Thank you : ) !!! At the moment I have seen some used boards at that price.

So, that one for that price is not so bad!

Kind regards,

Ig Nacio : ) !!!

[ashlee52]

You asked about lens lengths. You can certainly use a 150mm lens for portraiture but a 210 will have slightly less distortion of near/far relationships. You can easily get an argument started here as to which is the "normal" length for 4x5. My feeling is you use a 150 where you might use a 35mm lens in 35mm, and you use a 210 where you might want to use a 90mm lens in 35mm. So eht 150 is ideal for environmental portraiture, whereas the 210 is ideal for a tighter portrait.

When I am backpacking a camera the Sinar Norma is darn close to the Chamonix (total outfit) in weight, even if the cameras are a bit different. Once on a tripod there is no contest which is easier to use. But he beauty of the LF situation today is that all the old cameras sell for peanuts, so you can try a few and trade what doesn't fit your style. Personally I like using them all and complicate my life by having so many options. If I could only have one camera it would be a Sinar. I mostly do contemporary landscapes. If I did more portraits the Sinar would be be even more the choice.

The real beauty of the situation is that any good LF camera, including the Graflexes, will take almost any picture you can imagine. So you have no bad choices, only about 50 good choices.

Certainly don't think that by having a budget you are limited from getting the absolute finest equipment. The may be a bit true of lenses, but by and large for $450 you can get as fine a LF camera as you could ever want. The best photographers in the world could be completely happy with cameras you can but today for that price.

There are some very smart people who would say start with a Graflex. That's what I did, and in that case you can buy camera and lens for under $450. Until you have owned one it is hard to believe what quality they had. But in the end they are a little bit more for handheld photography and a little bit less for studio or landscape.

[Ig Nacio]

Hi Ashlee,

Thank you for your message : ) !!!

I am looking again at different options that you have suggested.
I don't know much about LF cameras. I am worried about
picking a camera that later may become defective. Many sellers
in general, don't offer a warranty, or it is very limited.

In the past, I bought from a "neighbor", a man living about a mile
away from me, an old Leica. Shortly after, the telemeter went
kaputt. I had to pay an extra price for it by sending it to repair.

Therefore, I am inclined to buy a new chamonix camera. In a
way, it feels like buying a used graflex camera on e-bay without
the lens, (between $450-$550), plus an expensive "repair" of
$450. My idea is to use the new camera for six months and do
as much with it as to recover half of the investment within six
to seven months.

I have found an inexpensive tripod from the giottos brand that
can withstand the weight of a chamonix, plus lens weight and
a film holder. Some four and half pounds. The weight of the
tripod with head is less than four pounds.

I do plan to move a bit around with the equipment, so the lighter
things can be, the better, I think, it'll be.

Your message is very encouraging. I am very excited about
a LF camera. I look forward to shooting with large format soon : ) !!!
I'll try to see if there is something for me in the buy/sell forum!

Thank you again, kind regards,

Ig Nacio : ) !!!

[ndavid813]

Don't rule out a Chamonix N-1. You may have more luck finding one used for around (or maybe under) $700. I have one and really like it, though I've never been able to compare it to the N-2. They look pretty similar to me. the N-1 can have some issues with focussing wide (< 90mm) lenses due to the palcement of the fresnal screen. but since you are planning on using a 210, you should not have that problem.

Light tripods are OK - try to make sure you can attach a hook below the head to hang a heavy bag underneath to give the setup stability.