My First 4x5 Camera Search Continues...

[IanBarber]

Maybe it's because I am getting older or maybe it's because LF is so new to me, but I seem to taking much longer in deciding which 4x5 camera to buy than I ever did when buying a DSLR.

Having exchanged various emails with Hugo, the Chamonix 045N-2 is at the the top of my current list and i am just waiting for dave_whatever to arrange a date and time when I can go and see his Chamonix face to face but from all the posts I have read, this camera does seem to be high up there.

Last night someone threw a spanner in the works by offering me his Ebony RSW45 for £850 (is this a good price?).
I have seen this camera and it has really looked after it, hardly a mark on it.

Dilema

Unlike the owner of the Ebony RSW45 who mainly photographs landscapes, I like to photograph a wider variety of subjects including...

• Architecture (External and Internal)
• Landscapes
• Seascapes
• Still Life

I am just not quite sure whether not having any Rear movements or front swing would limit me in what I like to photograph.

Thoughts...

[Mark Darragh]

Both are no doubt excellent cameras. The Ebony is designed primarily for working with shorter focal length lenses. If you see yourself using lenses longer than 200mm or doing close-up work the Chamonix will give you more versatility without resorting to extension backs or lens boards. I'm sure there are users of both camera who can offer comments to their relative merits.

[vinny]

chances are, the first one you buy won't be one you keep forever. Lots of folks also try LF and decide it's not for them so spending only a couple hundred bucks on an old beater to try out often makes the most sense.

[IanBarber]

chances are, the first one you buy won't be one you keep forever. Lots of folks also try LF and decide it's not for them so spending only a couple hundred bucks on an old beater to try out often makes the most sense.

Thats an interesting point and is something that has crossed my mind. From your experience, what are the reasons for people trying LF and then deciding its not for them, possibly weight and speed I am guessing

[Michael W]

chances are, the first one you buy won't be one you keep forever. Lots of folks also try LF and decide it's not for them so spending only a couple hundred bucks on an old beater to try out often makes the most sense.

I agree. When I was looking to get into LF I was considering a Linhof Technika kit for about $3k, and then a guy I respect said to me - get a Crown Graphic for a few hundred. It will take just as good photos as the Linhof (really, it's mostly down to the photographer's choices) and after using it for a while you will know if LF suits your photography & also will be able to make a more informed decision about what camera to get next, if at all. So I used a Crown for a few years, very good camera, but I got frustrated with a few aspects & when I researched Chamonix I knew that would let me do the things that were problematic with the Crown. So I got the Chamonix, sold the Crown for around what I had paid for it & happily moved on.

[jnantz]

Thats an interesting point and is something that has crossed my mind. From your experience, what are the reasons for people trying LF and then deciding its not for them, possibly weight and speed I am guessing

not only weight and speed, but there is a list of things you need to do or try to remember to do every time you use the camera, and stuff you need to remember to bring too.
did i remember my meter? ( if not would i trust sunny 16? )
did i remember my dark cloth ( is my jacket big enough to go over my head and camera, or should i take off my T-shirt ?)
did i remember to load the film holders, and are they loaded emulsion side up ?
(im not going to go into the tripod .. )
did i remember to stop the lens back down or close the lens?
is the darkslide in the right way afterwards / i cant' remember if i exposed this one or not ?
shoot, the camera shook.
shoot, i kicked the tripod by accident.
shoot, i have all this film to process, should i get a mod54, attempt to tray process, leaky drum roller, hangers, how do i mail my film to a lab if I only have
the one box the film came in?

i agree with vinny, get a beater and see if "the dance" works for you its much easier to sell or write off a beater than something
that costs a small fortune.

good luck ian !

[Drew Bedo]

There are a lot og good and great 4x5 cameras out there, both new and used.

I fyou are new to LF, I would not agonize over your first camera . . .it will not be your last. the important thing is to start doing LF photography. You will develop skills and a way of shooting. As you grow in LF photography, you will better understand what equipment, gear and impedimenta suit your way of doing things.

I am undecided on wether or not I will continue to use/keep Grafmatic film magazines or double darkslide film holders. I really like using a changing tent, but weight and bulk are major issues for me and so I usually pack an ageing changing bag. I bought a 380mm Tele Optar and don't use it but love to look at it (OK-that bothers my wife). The point is: There is no one BEST camera, lens or anything else. Your kit will evolve and change as you do.

So don't sweat getting your first camera. I have an 8x10 Eastman 2D and wish I had something with front standard movements. I have a TravelWide but haven't decided to keep it or sell it. The Zone VI 4x5 is a keeper. I toyed with the idea of getting a Polaroid conversion and didn't. Get your first camera . . . and then get another. Same goes for lenses, tripods, camera bags and all the rest of it.

Cheers

[Alan Gales]

The Chamonix should cover everything on your list except for maybe some architectural shots. Architecture used to be shot using monorails for their generous movements.

You may not but if you do later feel that you need a monorail, they are almost giving away some of the Toyo's and Cambo/Calumet models on Ebay. The Chamonix takes Technika style boards. You could buy a reduction board to use Technika style boards on the monorail so it would be easy to swap lenses back and forth.

I used to do this between a Tachihara and a Sinar P monorail. With only 13" of bellows draw, the Tachi was a little short for portraits with a 300mm lens.

[MickAitch]

How long have you been looking, Ian?

I've only been looking for around a month so might be in the same boat as you. Each time I think I've decided, or get close to plumping for something, I get cool (not quite cold) feet. Should I spend a decent amount of money and get something I plan to keep for years or should I buy a 'beater' to make dead sure it's a format I'll stick with? Both ideas make sense at different times of the day!

I'll give myself a few more weeks yet and see what happens when I eventually get to see the Classified Ads section.

I wish you good luck.

[Alan Gales]

How long have you been looking, Ian?

I've only been looking for around a month so might be in the same boat as you. Each time I think I've decided, or get close to plumping for something, I get cool (not quite cold) feet. Should I spend a decent amount of money and get something I plan to keep for years or should I buy a 'beater' to make dead sure it's a format I'll stick with? Both ideas make sense at different times of the day!

I'll give myself a few more weeks yet and see what happens when I eventually get to see the Classified Ads section.

I wish you good luck.

If you just want to see if you like it then buy a Toyo or Cambo/Calumet monorail for $200 or less U.S. dollars. I've seen old ones go for as low as $50. Just make sure the bellows isn't full of pin holes. Many times you can pick up someone's kit with a 210mm lens and some film holders, dark cloth, storage box, etcetera. I got a steal once on a Calumet with 3 Caltar lenses. I sold the 65mm lens for close to what I paid for everything.

If you need a meter you can use the one in your 35mm or digital camera. Some use an iPhone app. An oversized black T-shirt or sweatshirt works for a dark cloth. Cheap readers from a drugstore can work as a loupe. Used 4x5 film holders are dirt cheap.

From what I have gathered on this forum and APUG, some do but most do not keep their first 4x5 camera. I didn't. I started with a 4x5 Cambo monorail. After several 4x5's, I now own a Wehman 8x10 field camera.