Anybody interested in a 5x7 (5x8) Chamonix?

[Jan Pedersen]

No, not trying to sell one but i would like to buy one at the best price possible.

Whole Plate seems to be increasingly popular, great that a group purchase of the Chamonix WP is moving forward.
I can see some of the benefits in WP but commited to 3 formats already i really don't need a number 4
I am hoping that there would be a few people interested in a group purchase of a 5x7 (5x8) with a reducing back so we could get a discount like the WP group can get.

Anyone interested? Know you are, ;) let's get an order together so we can see the coming Spring through one of these pretty little things.

[keithwms]

How much? (ballpark)

[Jan Pedersen]

Not cheap why we need to group together. The price i have is around $2,230 but we could be getting a 10 - 15% Discount if enough would commit to make a group order.

[Alex Wei]

why not join the whole plate group purchase but with a 5X8 back? I don't think the size and weight will be significantly different. The price should be about the same. Plus, just in case you want try out WP, it's there for you :)

[Jan Pedersen]

Alex, It is an option that i thought about but, getting one more format to deal with made this a less attractive solution than the 5x8 with a 5x7 back.
The size and weight would have to be a bit more to and i believe the WP will be more expensive than the 5x8 to.
The WP is however a very nice format for contact printing so will see what happens.

[Nick_3536]

Not cheap why we need to group together. The price i have is around $2,230 but we could be getting a 10 - 15% Discount if enough would commit to make a group order.

At that price why not just get two Shen Hao 5x7s? :confused: Or is it the 5x8 bit you want?

Next year I'd be interested in a 11x14 maybe but I'm fairly happy with my 5x7s .

[Jan Pedersen]

At that price why not just get two Shen Hao 5x7s?

Also a serious option, indeed very serious. There's a lot of options, i could just continue using my 5x7 2-D with it's limitations but my post was just to see if anyone was ready to invest in the Chamonix 5x8 and not much else.

WP may win in the end.

[Songyun]

Amund just sold his Shenhao 57. IMO the quality of these two cameras are not on the same level, but you do save a few hundred dollars on the Shenhao.

[Nick_3536]

Amund just sold his Shenhao 57. IMO the quality of these two cameras are not on the same level, but you do save a few hundred dollars on the Shenhao.

He sold it for a smaller camera.

At the quoted $2200 you'd save almost $1000 going with the Shen Hao FCL 5x7. $2200 is enough for the FCL810 plus a 5x7 reducing back. Plus a 4x10 back. And half the shipping from China. :eek:

Now if the Chamonix is less then the $2200 that's different but at that price it's quite a bit more then a Shen FCL .

[Ted Harris]

And .... for 20% more(400 more plus or minus) you can get the proven, US made and serviced Canham T57. The Chamonix may be a fine camera but until we have some experience with one I'd get a Canham. BTW, my Canham has now been going stron nearly 12 years.

[Songyun]

The 045-N1 is a great buy for that price. But for the 058 or 810 you will find that the price is very close to canham's price. I bought a 045N1, and now I am thinking to get an 810 next year. I like this camera because it is so light and rigid.

[Chauncey Walden]

Seeing this talk about a 5x8, a format I had never heard of, I had to go measure some old (ca 1915) glass plate negs I picked up at an antique store a couple of weeks ago. By golly, they were 5x8! It's a nice format.

[davidb]

So the 4x5 is $700 and the 5x7 is $2200 ?

Really ?

[Jan Pedersen]

So the 4x5 is $700 and the 5x7 is $2200 ?

Really ?
Yes, it does not make much sense with that price difference.
I think i will use what i have and maybe later get an 8x10 maybe with an extra 4x10 back if that can be made.

[Songyun]

Yes, it does not make much sense with that price difference.
I think i will use what i have and maybe later get an 8x10 maybe with an extra 4x10 back if that can be made.

i am thinking about the same thing.

[davidb]

Yep...count me out.

[Alex Wei]

The price depends on the number of cameras made. 4X5 market and 5X8 market is clearly different.

[Songyun]

Yep...count me out.

Don't say it too early, I just get off the phone with Mr. Yu. The high price is due to the low demands, just look at the Ebony WP camera thread. There might be some discount for big order numbers. samething might be true for other format too.

[Dave Wooten]

Seeing this talk about a 5x8, a format I had never heard of, I had to go measure some old (ca 1915) glass plate negs I picked up at an antique store a couple of weeks ago. By golly, they were 5x8! It's a nice format.
5 x 8, cut 8 x 10 film in half, going one way we get 4 x 10 going the other we get 5 x 8. There is a great interest in China in the arts and in photographic fine arts.

5 x 8 is a 1.6 ratio/the golden mean.

[Jan Pedersen]

So you are in Dave ;)

[Dave Wooten]

I think 5 x 8, 1.6 is a very pleasing format ratio. moving up from that you have 6 x 10, a format that Clyde Butcher had Ron Wisner build for him....some of those cameras are out there I don t know where, that is a rare one, and of course the 12 x 20. If you have seen some of Dick Arentz's prints in that format ratio, indeed lovely.

For me the price quoted is way out of line, I feel it could be built in the U.S. for less if a manufacturer was approached with an upfront quantity order.

Features important to me (and each person is of course different) would be more than ample front rise and enough bellows to use the Fugi 450 C and the Fugi 600 C.
For the larger cameras I feel they should have enough bellows to adequately handle the new Fine Art XL lenses, so over 1000 mm +.:)

[RichardRitter]

Holders? What are the specs of the holder? Is it an 8 x 10 cut down , 5 x 7 made bigger?
Where are they coming from?

[Dave Wooten]

Richard I think Chamonix has them as they make the 5 x 8 camera with optional 5 x 7 back...check the Chamonix store on Ebay

btw the Wisner-Toyo field adaptor lens board you made for me is totally fine..thanks:)

[Michael Kadillak]

And .... for 20% more(400 more plus or minus) you can get the proven, US made and serviced Canham T57. The Chamonix may be a fine camera but until we have some experience with one I'd get a Canham. BTW, my Canham has now been going stron nearly 12 years.

Adding to this statement is the fact that customer service with Keith Canham is both world class fabulous and domestic. I currently own three of his progeny.

Cheers!

[Dave Wooten]

Adding to this statement is the fact that customer service with Keith Canham is both world class fabulous and domestic. I currently own three of his progeny.

Cheers!

Here! Here!!!
:)

[Scott Squires]

Here! Here!!!
:)

I agree completely!

Scott Squires
Canham 4x10 & 8x10

www.scottsquires.com