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View Full Version : Shen-Hao HZX/TZ45-IIa/TZX45-IIb - what is the difference?



Ed Richards
12-Jun-2008, 05:33
Badger and the Shen-Hao site list three 4x5 cameras: Shen-Hao HZX/TZ45-IIa/TZX45-IIb

It looks like the IIa is for longer lenses, but I cannot figure out the difference between the IIb and the HZX.

vinny
12-Jun-2008, 07:16
call them and ask for Jeff

John Voss
12-Jun-2008, 07:43
If you look at the info, you'll see that the TZ45 is aluminum and black walnut, the other version is black stainless steel and black walnut. There are also "kit" versions of both that include a lens and case. If you get either one, be sure to also order the ground glass protector. It's been really helpful with mine.

Marko
12-Jun-2008, 07:57
Badger and the Shen-Hao site list three 4x5 cameras: Shen-Hao HZX/TZ45-IIa/TZX45-IIb

It looks like the IIa is for longer lenses, but I cannot figure out the difference between the IIb and the HZX.

Comparing the specs on the Badger site (HZX-IIa vs. TZ45-IIb), they seem very similar, but the HZX has a bit more movements and is a tiny bit heavier.

Zndrson
11-Feb-2015, 04:26
Posting this here in case anyone is looking to buy and comparing again (as I have recently).

The HZX and the TZ are both great cameras. I bought the HZX first and was impressed with its range of movements and how handsome the camera was as a whole, but somewhat disappointed by build quality. It didn't really feel good to shoot. Not that anything was ever wrong with it, but it did feel slightly cheap. I wasn't a huge fan of the knobs- kind of looked plastic-y. Wood was unfinished and didn't feel to be of a very high quality. Because of the copper and extra metal hinges the HZX is heavier. I moved from a Chamonix 045N-1 to the HZX and WHOA- definitely felt the difference in the bag. Not unexpected of course, but still. The rear panel moved vertically even when locked in. Didn't bother me much because it was vertical movement and nothing that would effect focus. Was able to photograph my dog (and retain critical sharpness). After that I wasn't concerned.

http://i1359.photobucket.com/albums/q786/Zac_Henderson/Screen%20Shot%202015-02-11%20at%204.15.23%20AM_zps3e596la3.png

In one word I'd describe the HZX as a whole as being clumsy. The rear movements (there are a LOT impressively) feel clunky. Once I looked from the top down just to check standard alignment and found my current settings to be WAY off. I then realized I had to be very careful when moving the rear standard forward to settle it in a certain way so that it would be parallel with the front standard. I moved from the Chamonix to the Shen Hao for a true zero position and greater precision in general, so I was somewhat distressed to find this discrepancy. The wing knobs on the HZX worked fine for me, but were never symmetrical which bothered me a bit. I suppose I could have taken the time to fix them, but over time I'm sure they'd be irregular again. Also noticed they are somewhat hard to find from behind the camera.

I ended up selling the HZX and buying the TZ45-IIB, and I'd do it again. The TZ has the solidity and refined feel I was hoping for. This is purely cosmetic, but I really hated the faux leather looking plastic faces on the knobs on the HZX. This is absent from the aluminum knobs on the TZ. The aluminum is handsome and definitely lighter. Someone described the TZ as being a more elegant solution to the HZX. This is 110% true IMO. The movements on the TZ are more shallow, but I don't think I'd ever use the extremes of the HZX in any case. This makes the camera lighter and more compact. The TZ has no rear shift. At first I lamented this fact but found that by removing the shift the rear standard is more rigid and doesn't have the same clunky feel as the HZX. Still retains Swing, Tilt, and Rise/fall, and can be moved forward for wide angle lenses.

My favorite feature are the aluminum knobs and rubber grips. They feel SO GOOD to use. The tactility of this camera is significantly better than the HZX and the knobs are 90% why. They feel more solid, and I imagine would be used more easily with glove- especially the oversized focusing knob. Also, because the rear standard does not have as many movements, the folding mechanism is less "crowded". I found the HZX to have too many knobs in a very small amount of space, which can make accessing the knobs you're looking for more difficult- especially from behind the camera under a darkcloth.

The front standard's mechanism on the TZ is controlled by a single laterally moving "switch" for the lack of a better word. This feature controls the front standard's swing, shift, as well as backwards and forwards movement. I was worried about this, as I felt it would be too easy to add unintentional swing when applying shift, but the very tactile zero position prevents this from being a problem. Much easier to find from behind the camera. The HZX has a set of wing knobs for front standard forward/back movement as well as swing. Front Rise/fall are same for both cameras.

I don't think there was technically any difference between the wood, though the wood of the TZ felt smoother and superficially seemed to be of a higher quality. The TZs are of course newer than the HZX so that probably has something to do with it. I'm sure not all of my grievances with the HZX are model-wide and probably were inherit to my copy alone.

For me what it all came down to was how the cameras felt. I didn't have the same confidence in the HZX as I had in the TZ. The HZX would have been a great camera and I would have been able to make it work for me, no doubt. However half the point of shooting large format is to enjoy the process in the field and have piece of mind. The TZ does that for me where the HZX didn't.

koh303
11-Feb-2015, 06:10
Not that anything was ever wrong with it, but it did feel slightly cheap.

Where in the world can or could you ever buy a BRAND NEW camera for less then 1000? No such thing, never was, until shen hao/chamonix came along.
You get what you pay for in this case, and its a massive bang for the buck, no matter what model you go with.
Just look at prices for new Canham, linhof, walker, lotus, deardorff etc, and you will get an idea of what it means that this is a "cheap" camera.

Zndrson
11-Feb-2015, 11:22
Where in the world can or could you ever buy a BRAND NEW camera for less then 1000? No such thing, never was, until shen hao/chamonix came along.
You get what you pay for in this case, and its a massive bang for the buck, no matter what model you go with.
Just look at prices for new Canham, linhof, walker, lotus, deardorff etc, and you will get an idea of what it means that this is a "cheap" camera.

Never said it wasn't a great deal. Both the HZX and the TZ can be had for under 1k and are amazing cameras in their own respect. Not just for the money. Between the two, the TZ felt to me like it was built at a higher quality. Price does not always dictate build quality either. I've seen low priced equipment last longer than their higher priced counterparts.