Rangefinder 4x5

[EdSawyer]

Crown would be the best choice in many ways. That said, the Chamonix Saber is a fantastic camera, and would be ideal (and better than the crown) for the use you descirbe, though it's best with a 120mm (or maybe 135mm) lens.

[cuypers1807]

For completeness: the lightest weight 4x5's you're going to find with coupled rangefinder will be Polaroid conversions (I'm counting the Chamonix Saber as a flavor of Polaroid conversion). These have their own handling quirks and limitations, need a single lens to be dedicated (can't adjust the RF on the fly), and I'm not sure a 180 is practical - generally you'll find these with semi-wide lenses, and I can't recall seeing one with longer than a 150. But if light weight is an important criterion, they're worth considering.

I think the late Dean Jones told me he somehow got a 180mm in a Polaroid 900 conversion (Razzle). My Razzle has a 150mm. It is a wonderful camera for the size and weight. I think the 110As and Bs were better suited for wide angle lenses.

[MAubrey]

I think the late Dean Jones told me he somehow got a 180mm in a Polaroid 900 conversion (Razzle). My Razzle has a 150mm. It is a wonderful camera for the size and weight. I think the 110As and Bs were better suited for wide angle lenses.

Yep. I love these and have admired them online many times, but yes, wider than I'm interested it.

[Corran]

IMO, if you don't want to mess with the side RF, why not send it to someone to calibrate it for you?

I have calibrated them for Aero Ektar lenses (178mm) and it is in fact a pain. But doable. I found from doing many Speed/Aero builds that sometimes the RF just would not calibrate with the lens, and switching out to a new RF fixed the problem. Something in the manufacturing/tolerance just didn't work. I bought a few extra RF assemblies on eBay and here in the classifieds back then.

I'm not advertising to do it BTW, I have no interest, but I'm sure there are repair shops out there doing this service.

[Tin Can]

Maybe that was my problem.

I gave up trying to calibrate my very nice 4x5 Speed.

I have a spare RF and the battle will begin anew, someday...

I have a 2X3 Speed and a Pressman that were barely used. THEY WORK!

IMO, if you don't want to mess with the side RF, why not send it to someone to calibrate it for you?

I have calibrated them for Aero Ektar lenses (178mm) and it is in fact a pain. But doable. I found from doing many Speed/Aero builds that sometimes the RF just would not calibrate with the lens, and switching out to a new RF fixed the problem. Something in the manufacturing/tolerance just didn't work. I bought a few extra RF assemblies on eBay and here in the classifieds back then.

I'm not advertising to do it BTW, I have no interest, but I'm sure there are repair shops out there doing this service.

[EdSawyer]

Agreed, calibrating the Kalart for an AE is a painful amount of work, but doable. I've done it a few times, it's always a challenge, but super nice and useful when done right.