Considering an 8x10 - Chamonix or Richard Ritter

[MaximumFu]

Hi all:

I am actively considering getting an 8x10 camera and was looking for feedback on both the Chamonix and the Richard Ritter. I have searched as extensively as I can on this site, APUG, and others, and here is what I have gleaned:

• The RR is lighter (by almost half) than the Chamonix
• The RR allows for more movements of greater degrees than the Chamonix (although query whether those additional movements are of actual practical value in most shooting scenarios
• The Chamonix is generally considered "prettier" by some, although this is hardly a universal perspective
• Given its lightness, the RR may be less "stable", although everyone agrees that this just requires more attention to detail when setting the positions of the standards (i.e tightening them down)
• Cost seems more or less even
• Customer service with RR seems a bit over the map, but the general takeaway seems to be that once you find him (preferably by phone) and he is actively engaged, his work is nothing less than top notch

What am I missing? To be clear, both of these cameras look fantastic and I suspect I would be happy with either (and I am quite positive that the capabilities of either far exceeds my ability to express myself as a photographer at the current moment). Are there other things I should be considering? Has anyone ever had anything go wrong on a Chamonix that required sending something back to China and, if so, what was that experience like?

Again, all information would be helpful as I would love information about these cameras, both of which are obviously beautiful and at the top of their class.

Thanks in advance,
Matt

[Luis-F-S]

I use a Deardorff but given the two choices I'd go with the RR. Richard is a good guy and it is made in the USA. He's also been making cameras much longer than the other.

[ghostcount]

Are there other things I should be considering?

List of 8x10 Field Cameras

Intrepid 8x10 Camera

[meditant]

The Richard Ritter work is perfect !

[bob carnie]

Richard Ritter is also quite close to the OP

[Eric Leppanen]

If you haven't researched him already, Ben Horne is a Ritter 8x10 user who has posted some of his findings on the web, such as this review posted shortly after he initially purchased the camera:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ4xoeU3O6E

In this and some of his newer videos, he shares some of his field experiences with the camera, including some of the trade-offs involving light weight vs stability: having to take additional steps to secure the camera; having to reconfigure the camera and drop the front bed slightly when using wide angle lenses; some difficulties locking down focus of the camera while pointing the camera down at subjects on the ground; etc.

The Chamonix uses a Phillips design and is very rigid and stable for its weight. Some folks object to the additional step of having to screw the front standard onto the bed of the camera, although this characteristic allows for a goodly amount of extension in a compact package.

IMHO it largely comes down to the usual trade-off between some increased fiddlyness versus reduced weight.

[Bruce Barlow]

Full disclosure: Richard is a close friend.

Yup, phone contact is best, although his internet situation has improved. Until about 8 (?) months ago, he was still on 50 kbps dial-up because high speed was not available. That said, while he is not a fan of email, he'll spend all the time you need on the phone.

I like my 8x10 a lot. I haven't had the stability problems others seem to, nor do I understand the pointing-down-to-focus problem. Fine focusing is a worm screw. If you tighten down the rails, there's no problem that I can imagine.

I don't own wide 8x10 lenses - it just ain't my style. But remember that Richard can customize the rails to suit your requirements, including, I suspect, accommodating wider lenses. He's a clever boy. Ask him.

OK, yeah, it's American-made, so we'll wave a flag. More to the point, Richard is available for service should you need it. A good friend of ours will attest that the camera often does not do well when the tripod goes over, but the modularity of it makes repairs fast and easy. Richard also made all the knobs replaceable at the local hardware store - to this I can attest, having lost one once and replaced it at True Value.

So, with my friendship in full view, I can nevertheless recommend the Ritter 8x10 highly. It replaced my beloved Sinar Norma, and I am a happy guy.

[Ben Horne]

Full disclosure: Richard is a close friend.
I like my 8x10 a lot. I haven't had the stability problems others seem to, nor do I understand the pointing-down-to-focus problem. Fine focusing is a worm screw. If you tighten down the rails, there's no problem that I can imagine.

With a normal or wide lens, the Ritter does pretty well, but with a longer lens (to take advantage of those long bellows), the slightest of a breeze will shake the camera. I found the solution for this was to tension the camera by tying some cord around the front of the camera, loop it down around the tripod, then back up to the back of the camera. This tension made the camera much more stable. This was while using it with my Fuji 600c Lens. I still made a habit of using the cord when using a normal lens just to help make it more stable. I think the design would be even more genius if there was a built in way to tension some cords on it. Set up the camera, pull the cords tight, and everything is locked down.

When it comes to angling the camera downward, the issue isn't that the focus changes, it's that the front standard will fall forward a bit. I could lock everything down, but the front end was frustrating when aiming downward at the ground. I was in a constant state of focus, adjust the front standard, focus, adjust the front standard, etc. Eventually I was able to wrestle it into place. This was with using a lightweight Fuji 300c Lens. When aiming the camera horizontal like normal, it's all fine, but the design has some play when you aim downward, and unfortunately much of my photography consists of intimate landscapes.

When using the camera with my wide angle, I had to reconfigure the front of the camera and detach the bellows. Nothing with large format is fast so that wasn't a big deal, but doing the drop bed means that the lens needs to be situated VERY high on the front standard, and when you have a Nikon 150mm SW up that high, it's much less stable. A slight breeze will shake it. My workaround was to use some cord at 45 degree angles from the base up to the locking knob on the side of the front standard, then back down the other direction at a 45 degree angle. This made an enormous improvement in stability.

The camera is very light which is great, but I'm looking forward to the new Intrepid 8x10 as my backpacking camera. It will be very slim when folded to save bulk in the pack, and the Phillips design should give it some decent strength. The price for the Intrepid should be just over $600 once they get through the backlog of the 300+ cameras they sold on kickstarter.

[peter schrager]

Ditto on the RR!!

[fuegocito]

Hey Matt,

I love the RR 810 so much I have two of them. I am not far from you so if you are interested, you are welcome to come over and take it out for a spin. Email or PM me.

Robert