Does anyone else's Chamonix do this?

[mitch.goddard]

Just picked up an 045N-2 from eBay. Among other small issues, one thing I noticed is that with the base and rear standard level, the front standard metal frame doesn't seem to be parallel with the rear standard and actually tilts forward slightly. I can get the front standard level by applying a few degrees of backwards tilt, but left centered and "zeroed" it's not actually level. Has anyone else noticed something similar with this camera?

[David R Munson]

Mine looks a tiny bit off, but measures out square. There do appear to be little screws on each side for adjusting this, but I can't figure out what fits them.

[RawheaD]

Yeah, I've noticed the same. I'm not sure how bad the issue is (which I guess depends on the precision of the bubble level) and/or whether it's an issue with the standards not being parallel, or the bubble levels not being mounted properly. I plan to do a thorough testing soon (once I get my Manfrotto 405 geared three way head)

[RawheaD]

So I took a closer look right now; it looks like the bubble levels (on the rear standard) are mounted fine, in that I put a couple of levels on the top of the rear standard and they all more or less line up. Furthermore, the bubble level on top of the front standard matches well with bubble levels I put on the base plate, so I think it's the rear standard that is slightly tilted.

Now, you know there are those two stoppers for the rear standard (which you can slide to the on and off positions, in case you want to do rear tilt); they each have a tine grub-nut like thing protruding out that hits the metal frame. It appears these two nuts are used for the fine tuning of the rear "zero" position. Unfortunately, a normal screwdriver doesn't seem to work in getting the nut to go anywhere. I don't know if it actually can be adjusted, though it would be weird if not.

BUT, so what I did was to get the base plate and the front standard to be nice and level, then, tilted the rear standard forward a little till the bubble levels on the rear standard were also nice and level, and I looked at the gap between the adjustment screws and the metal frame which they hit in the "stop" position. I couldn't even fit a thick-ish sheet of paper (a paycheck) in the gap, and the check is 0.1 mm thick.

So the error there is around 0.1 mm. Let's just say it is. The center of rotation for the rear standard is the center of those two dials at the bottom of the rear standard. Measuring from there, the "stop" position for those 2 screws is about 20mm away. So we're talking a 0.1 mm error along a circle with a circumference of 2 * pi * 20 [mm] = c. 125.7 mm. In degrees, this translates to (360 * 0.1 ) / 125.7 = c. 0.28, so that's roughly 0.3 degrees of error.

Personally I think that error is small enough not to worry about it, so until I find a way to adjust those screws, I'm just going to use the bubble level on the front standard as my guide.

It also means that those bubble levels are really precise

[evan clarke]

I have an 8x10 and an 11x14. I always level the camera relative to the front standard and then adjust the back into place.

[vinny]

Contact hugo thru chamonix's site. The ONLY level i use on mine (45n-2) regularly is a bubble level I installed on top of the rear standard. The factory levels are slow and not reliable (levels on my 45n-1 didn't match up til i ordered replacements and adjusted those). Measure your camera with a square after removing the bellows (to male room for the square) and report back.

[timparkin]

Now, you know there are those two stoppers for the rear standard (which you can slide to the on and off positions, in case you want to do rear tilt); they each have a tine grub-nut like thing protruding out that hits the metal frame. It appears these two nuts are used for the fine tuning of the rear "zero" position. Unfortunately, a normal screwdriver doesn't seem to work in getting the nut to go anywhere. I don't know if it actually can be adjusted, though it would be weird if not.

You need a tiny allen key...

Tim

[RawheaD]

You need a tiny allen key...

Tim

That's what occurred to me late last night; tried it with the tiniest one I have, which is a 0.05in allen key. Didn't fit LOL. I wonder what the actual size is....

[Steve Goldstein]

Probably metric. Try 1mm (if your 0.050" was too big) or 1.5mm (if too small). 1mm is about 0.040". I'm not sure if 1.5mm is a standard size, that's just a guess. But it's a pretty good bet it's something metric.

[RawheaD]

Probably metric. Try 1mm (if your 0.050" was too big) or 1.5mm (if too small). 1mm is about 0.040". I'm not sure if 1.5mm is a standard size, that's just a guess. But it's a pretty good bet it's something metric.

Well after reading this, I went to Amazon and bought me a 30 piece hex set, which just arrived today, and I just tried the 0.7mm 0.9mm 1.3mm as well as the 0.028" and 0.035". None of them worked