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Thread: Chamonix and Ebony's are gorgeous & Old Kodak 2D's are UGLY but they have their place

  1. #1

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    Chamonix and Ebony's are gorgeous & Old Kodak 2D's are UGLY but they have their place

    Two different mind sets. All of us want to make pictures. But there are some guys who want to exhibit a little style also. This is just my experience.

    Doctors, Lawyers and Indian Chief's have a natural affinity towards Ebony's and Chamonix and other NEW gorgeous equipment. Very understandable. I get that. Let me share just a bit how I landed where I've been for the last 15 years.

    I started out with 8X10 with a Deardorff. I couldn't afford an Ebony and Chamonix wasn't yet on the market, and a low mileage Deardorff is a lovely machine. Easy to use and a great overall experience.

    But then the fascination with Soft Focus and all the ilk of antique lenses that make that happen came and the Deardorff is pretty useless.

    My idea and it has proved itself over and over was to build a system that was a singular tool for all of the soft focus lenses. An ugly old Kodak 2D with a Packard shutter living inside the camera behind the bulkhead and in front of the first bellow fold. Ugly. Very ugly.




    Impresses no one. But I've had so much fun with that contraption I eventually let the Deardorff go. Ultimately you can achieve most of the same movements with the limits of a 2D, it just isn't handy and it takes a bit longer.

    95% of you are shrugging and saying, so what. Here's my point. Add it up laddies. That whole system of old used ugly junk cost me less than one of the big Copal shutter units alone.

    So my question is anathema to many of you who pride yourselves on having sleek limited systems with zero overlap. My question is if people want to experiment with some of the soft focus lenses, why not have one of these as a dedicated tool in your tool chest. Keep the Cham or the Ebony, but build up one of these old terds to do the other work. Total cost is well under $1K

    Soft focus is a dangerous thing. One lens and one resulting personality on film just makes you curious to see what something else will do. The darn things begin to accumulate. Having an old 2D as a dedicated tool for that kind of work makes sense to me. I'd far rather impress you with the pictures than the machine that made them.

    If I've convinced anyone, make sure you get one that is complete. Tripod block and extension table and not too beat up. It needs to minimally function. Also, over time I've tried them all. Agfa's, Greem Monster Calumet's, Korona's et al. The Kodak works the best. The Packard that fits perfect inside is a 6 1/2" with 3 1/2" opening. No. 6 Instantaneous.

  2. #2
    Foamer
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    Re: Chamonix and Ebony's are gorgeous & Old Kodak 2D's are UGLY but they have their p

    I have both a Chamonix 045n and a Kodak 2D 8x10. Both are in good shape and I really like both. Also have a 5x7 Gundlach Korona that's beaurtiful. I use them for different things of course. I wouldn't called my refurbished 2D ugly by any means. I'd love to have an Ebony, but I'm strictly an outdoor photographer and would be afraid of it eventually getting damaged.


    Kent in SD
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails _FE02062.jpg   korona.jpg  
    In contento ed allegria
    Notte e di vogliam passar!

  3. #3
    jp's Avatar
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    Re: Chamonix and Ebony's are gorgeous & Old Kodak 2D's are UGLY but they have their p

    I don't consider a 2D ugly...

    For 8x10 I have a B&J Rembrandt (fixed front standard) and a B&J field camera. Not pretty compared to a Deardorff but they work and don't have light leaks.

  4. #4
    Roger Thoms's Avatar
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    Re: Chamonix and Ebony's are gorgeous & Old Kodak 2D's are UGLY but they have their p

    Nice write-up Jim. I take it the Packard will come out pretty easily, what, 4 screws and discount the hose. Only reason I’m wondering is that one of my barrel lenses is 4” in diameter and I use it with a front mounted Packard. Just not sure how practical it would be to take the Packard out every time I want to shoot the big lens. This is on a Eastman 2D 8x10 which is my first and only 8x10. I do occasionally lust after a Chamonix, just not enough to replace the 2D.

    Roger

  5. #5

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    Re: Chamonix and Ebony's are gorgeous & Old Kodak 2D's are UGLY but they have their p

    What would you rather wear on a daily basis??? A tux or expensive suit that looks great, or old comfortable clothes you don't mind getting a little dirty if you have to and you can get away with wearing anywhere??? Gear is also like that...

    If it "covers" your needs, it is good... (Make sure to define wants and needs carefully...) Leave "cool" to the hipsters...

    Used correctly, you can produce extremely good work with any working gear...

    Have fun!!!

    Steve K

  6. #6
    C. D. Keth's Avatar
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    Re: Chamonix and Ebony's are gorgeous & Old Kodak 2D's are UGLY but they have their p

    The reality here is that a camera really only does two things: 1. they hold a lens and a sensory material in some sort of relationship; and 2. they keep a little piece of dark space. If your camera does those two things to your satisfaction then the rest really doesn't matter.
    -Chris

  7. #7
    Drew Wiley
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    Re: Chamonix and Ebony's are gorgeous & Old Kodak 2D's are UGLY but they have their p

    I love the precise machining of the Ebony, and its superior quality titanium hardware. And I'm not a doctor, lawyer, or Indian chief. I am an outdoor photographer, and the Ebony holds up remarkably well in the elements with a bit of TLC. I didn't even pay that much for it, prior to today's cult camera prices. But if I was trying to set up a used camera shop in an abandoned Nevada mine shaft, well, something more antique looking would be appropriate. Printed five central Nevada shots just the past few days, one of a black wild mustang out past Tonopah silhouetted against a sky full of thunderheads. But that was taken with a Sinar for sake of a very long lens extension - definitely NOT a quaint ole wooden camera. Those horses can be very skittish and long lenses certainly help.

  8. #8
    Corran's Avatar
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    Re: Chamonix and Ebony's are gorgeous & Old Kodak 2D's are UGLY but they have their p

    Well my Chamonix 45n1 (bought second-hand, but was basically new when I bought it) looks like garbage now after banging around for 100s of miles in my bag, over my shoulder, and in the field.

    Most important is to use the tool(s).
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    All comments and thoughtful critique welcome

  9. #9
    Drew Wiley
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    Re: Chamonix and Ebony's are gorgeous & Old Kodak 2D's are UGLY but they have their p

    Tools work best when they're properly tuned up, or in this case, kept sealed from moisture. After each long trip, I not only clean my Ebony but retouch any scuffs on the wood. For sake of lighter weight, mine is a pattern-grade mahogany version rather than actual ebony wood, which is much harder but split-prone if not kept properly sealed. It still looks great. The machined titanium hardware holds up way better than brass or anodized aluminum, but is also one of the things which makes Ebony relatively expensive. I've used it quite a bit for long trips in the mountains, but not to the degree of my previous Sinar F cameras, which periodically needed replacement components. Now for monorail usage, I've switched to the older stronger Sinar Norma series. But I'm not out ice climbing with these anymore, or deliberately going into high-altitude blizzards. If they do come, I hunker down in a tent and wait them out. Getting old and lazy.

  10. #10
    Vaughn's Avatar
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    Re: Chamonix and Ebony's are gorgeous & Old Kodak 2D's are UGLY but they have their p

    Quote Originally Posted by Corran View Post
    Well my Chamonix 45n1 (bought second-hand, but was basically new when I bought it) looks like garbage now after banging around for 100s of miles in my bag, over my shoulder, and in the field.

    Most important is to use the tool(s).
    I bought my Zone VI 8x10 in 1995 or so...also bought used and in beautiful condition. Twenty-five years of rough-riding, such as the times the wind shifted Bridalvail Fall straight down onto me and the 8x10 (fortunately in February, so not a lot of water), baking in the 100+F sun in Death Valley, or hanging out in the cold humidity of the redwood coast. Pretty amazing equipment...deserves more attention than I give it.

    My 5x7, an Eastman View No.2 is a sweet machine. I do not have the rear extension for it, but have not missed it yet...longest lens is 210mm:
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails EV2_5x7a.jpg   EV2_5x7b.jpg  
    Last edited by Vaughn; 31-Mar-2020 at 20:27.
    "Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China

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