Is there a way to make the tabs on the front standard of a Chamonix 45 N-2 a little more accommodating? They barely grip the (non-Chamonix) lens boards I have. As thin as they are, they're not thin enough, evidently.
Is there a way to make the tabs on the front standard of a Chamonix 45 N-2 a little more accommodating? They barely grip the (non-Chamonix) lens boards I have. As thin as they are, they're not thin enough, evidently.
I have to assume the answer to the question is no. And, of course, a week ago a lens and lens board did fall off the camera because the tabs weren't fully closed.
The remedy seems to be twofold: shop wisely and file down the edge of the board that doesn't fit.
A complete thread on the subject (which I only discovered now) is here:
https://www.largeformatphotography.i...d-locking-tabs
So I'm ending mine.
Lensboard thicknesses vary. I've got one that's thicker than all my others, and it's a real tight fit -- oddly enough -- on ONE of my cameras. I would get rid of it, but it's a recessed board and they are pretty expensive. I'm able to fit it with some elbow grease, but someday I'll find the time to file down the edge -- just a bit.
Email hugo zhang <hugoz_2000@yahoo.com> at Chamonix with your problem.
Flickr Home Page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alanklein2000/albums
It was Hugo who brought attention to the problem back in 2008 (see thread referenced above).
My camera was manufactured in 2021. So there's been no change in tolerances.
And it's true lensboard thicknesses vary enough to hinder the tabs sometimes. Back then, one could rely on certain vendors for boards that fit. Those options don't seem to be available any more.
So one has to rely on luck (as many did then) or filing the edge down (as I plan to). Or buying a Chamonix board. (Which might well be the best solution for some, in the end.)
That's what I did when I bought my Chamonix 45H-1. I spent my money on new Chamonix boards. I didn't want to deal with someone else's problem of light leaks, mechanical intolerances, proper fit, etc. of used boards from other manufacturers. Plus the Chamonix boards are made from the same wood, aluminum and carbon fiber as the camera and look great together. They're very light, an added benefit.
Flickr Home Page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alanklein2000/albums
That brings up something mentioned in the original thread. Tolerances may vary between cameras.
My Luland boards don't allow the tabs to fully descend (not even under force). This is why my lens fell off.
The tabs had a little bit of a grip and had always held on when the camera was even, but when I tipped it, the weight was too much. Those tabs have to come down all the way to be really secure.
SOME cameras, like mine, have screws (mine has two) that hold the lensboard holder/tab in place. If yours is like mine, if you loosen the screws SLIGHTLY, you get a little more flexibility for the lensboard to fit. You obviously don't want to loosen the screws too much -- they might loosen all the way, and fall off!!!
I did wonder about that, in the beginning. (The 45-N2 I have is as you describe.) I just didn't want to introduce a problem in the other, outward direction, as the screws can't be that long. Maybe a quarter turn ... ?
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