Want to replace Chamonix, field camera or medium format suggestions?

If you like the Horseman then look at a metal Toyo 45A/45All or a metal Wista SP. Both are quick to set up and are very sturdy.

If you decide on medium format and an RZ is too heavy/bulky then look at Hasselblad.

I use a Chamonix 045n, and trust me, I'm not a "boutique" kind of guy. I'm a duck hunter on the Northern Plains. I like the camera because it's so light and backpacks well. Anyway, no one camera is for everybody. If you aren't using movements or historical lenses, I'd suggest trying a Hassleblad with three lenses.


Kent in SD

Imagowan, the picture of the Horseman you showed looks like it has a range finder on the top of it. The center window is for composing your view, the two round windows are used to create a split image, which when aligned properly, means you've found the correct focus. You look through two different eyepieces on the back of that camera to either focus or to compose your view.

Some of your images have the background out of focus while the people are sharply focused. You are likely to find it easier to focus by aligning the split images of a range finder vs. judging when it is sharpest on the ground glass. An alternative is to get a focusing hood with built in magnifier (ex: https://fotodioxpro.com/products/4x5-view-hood). It is quicker to focus a dim image by looking through the eyepiece than putting a dark cloth over your head and looking at the ground glass.

You could look for a nice Super Graphic. All metal, has front tilt, rise, etc. And a rangefinder. Rugged and not too expensive. I have both a Crown and a Super. Both are nice. The Crown is lighter and very nice camera, but no front tilt. I moved up to a Technika which is a great camera but somewhat heavy and a bit pricey. It has a rangefinder but getting focus cams made for each lens can be expensive. The cams for the Graphic rangefinders are fairly easy to make oneself. I like the Technika because it has enough bellows draw for longish lenses and is rock solid but for what you mainly seem to want to do the Super Graphic would IMHO be a great fit. And roll film adapters are available for pretty much any 4 x 5.

Issy, I think we have met in Adorama. Have you thought about a non-folder? Ever since I got my Chamonix 45-H1, I have put F1 in the storage. It is a bit bulky though. Do you still live in NYC? If so, I can show you my non-folder.

I loved my Mamiya RB67. The only problem was the weight of the camera AND those huge lenses, etc. When I discovered that I could get a camera (and lenses) that was lighter AND gave me a negative 4 TIMES the size, the decision was made. I went with a TOKO KIKKI II -- a wooden, folding, field camera -- after comparing the size, weight, and features of the alternatives.

If you are only interested in NEW, your options are more limited.

If you would like to see a, far from complete, list of wooden, folding, field cameras, and features, check out:
http://www.subclub.org/toko/4x5table.htm

During most of the year I use my 4x5 Chamonix, but on rainy days and in the winter here in New England, switch to using a Pentax 67II with various lenses. All carried in a ThinkTank backpack. In my opinion the Pentax 67 is the hardest 120 camera I have ever owned to load film into... but even in sub-zero temperatures just takes a bit longer to do. Optics are excellent. Prices of Pentax 57 equipment, specially the lenses, are amazing bargains. I've owned and used several Hasselblads and a Rollei SL-66 and if 11x14 enlargements are the biggest you will go, side by side I dare anyone to see any differences in sharpness or contrast. Vibration at slower shutter speeds not a problem at all if you lock up the mirror.

I had a look at your website to see what kinds of things you're shooting - some very nice work too! I could imagine some of the portraits and pictures in the colorful rooms could look amazing with 4x5 film. 4x5 film workflow is significantly slower than medium format though. Maybe if you want a film camera to work in tandem with your digital it would make sense - you could do all the set ups and lights and check exposures with the digital and then shoot the the keeper on film? Personally I find the most convenient 4x5 camera to use is the polaroid 110b rangefinder conversions. You can focus and compose these with the viewfinder and they are fast and you don't have to fiddle with lens boards or other stuff and they fold up. Currently I have three of them each with a different focal length, 90mm wide, 127mm and 152mm. I also really like my Linhof technica because of the rangefinder for fast focusing, however they are heavy. They do also fold up into a box.

Medium format is totally different and can be much easier to work with considering some of them have autofocus and auto exposure. I have a personal and professional bias towards the Rolleiflex TLR and SLRs but there are a great many of MF cameras that are fantastic - but some shoot 6x7, some 6x6, and some 6x4.5 and so you might want to think about that first. There are few that will shoot 6x6 and 6x4.5 and some specialty ones that shoot up to 6x9cm.

Let's not leave out 6x8 from Fuji.

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Originally Posted by xkaes

Let's not leave out 6x8 from Fuji.

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Yeah, that what I meant by some specialty cameras can shoot up to 6x9 or in the Fuji's case 6x8. I have one and like it but almost never use it. It's seriously a monster compared to the others - weighing easily more than 4x5 cameras.