11x14 Chamonix feedback?

[evan clarke]

You are either very brave or dumb ... or married for a long time already!

Thirty years Probably can't make her mad enough to take off...EC

[MIke Sherck]

O.K. I did it. You will be able to view my corpse in Milwaukee and attend the auction of my photo gear....Evan Clarke

Way to go Evan! If you have it by then, by all means, bring it to Chesterton!

For a graffiti print or two, I might be induced to keep my mouth shut about the new camera around your wife...

Just kidding... See you there!

Mike

[Julian Pearce]

I bought a Chamonix 11x14 in December from Hugo Zhang in the US – I haven’t had time to use it in the field yet but first impressions from setting it up and some use at home are very positive:

-very well made with great craftsmanship;
-light and elegant – I got mine in maple which looks great (matches Ries tripods well) but maybe not as hard as the darker wood on offer;
-the film holders are also very well made and very light!

In terms of negatives and this is being very picky:

- -some people may not like having to screw in the front standard into the base of the camera as is the case also for the Chamonix 5x7 and presumably other formats (this doesn’t worry me as it’s a compromise for a light camera but it does mean it’s important to be good at guessing the best lens for a particular scene as a lens change to a different focal length may mean the front standard will need to be unscrewed and repositioned but this is easy to do );
-when the camera is folded down I’m wondering if the bellows take some of the movement between the rear standard and the base of the camera, unlike say an Ebony 11x14 in which the rear standard acts like a clam shell – I may place some light packing between the front and rear standard when the camera is folded and being transported a distance but not for day to day use – the camera arrived in very good condition from China to Australia via the postal service.

Overall I’m very happy with the purchase which included three film holders.

Julian

[evan clarke]

I bought a Chamonix 11x14 in December from Hugo Zhang in the US – I haven’t had time to use it in the field yet but first impressions from setting it up and some use at home are very positive:

-very well made with great craftsmanship;
-light and elegant – I got mine in maple which looks great (matches Ries tripods well) but maybe not as hard as the darker wood on offer;
-the film holders are also very well made and very light!

In terms of negatives and this is being very picky:

- -some people may not like having to screw in the front standard into the base of the camera as is the case also for the Chamonix 5x7 and presumably other formats (this doesn’t worry me as it’s a compromise for a light camera but it does mean it’s important to be good at guessing the best lens for a particular scene as a lens change to a different focal length may mean the front standard will need to be unscrewed and repositioned but this is easy to do );
-when the camera is folded down I’m wondering if the bellows take some of the movement between the rear standard and the base of the camera, unlike say an Ebony 11x14 in which the rear standard acts like a clam shell – I may place some light packing between the front and rear standard when the camera is folded and being transported a distance but not for day to day use – the camera arrived in very good condition from China to Australia via the postal service.

Overall I’m very happy with the purchase which included three film holders.

Julian

Thanks for the input, Julian. I can't wait to get mine. What is your impression of the holders??..Evan Clarke

[Julian Pearce]

The film holders are great - very well made and light for their size. I'd prefer ones like these in other formats too relative to the Fidelity ones I have. Some quick photos of the 11x14 holders are attached. Hope this helps. Julian

[evan clarke]

The film holders are great - very well made and light for their size. I'd prefer ones like these in other formats too relative to the Fidelity ones I have. Some quick photos of the 11x14 holders are attached. Hope this helps. Julian

Thanks Julian,
I hope to receive mine in the next 2 or 3 days and already have the first exposures scouted!!..Evan Clarke

[Thalmees]

I bought a Chamonix 11x14 in December from Hugo Zhang in the US – I haven’t had time to use it in the field yet but first impressions from setting it up and some use at home are very positive:

-very well made with great craftsmanship;
-light and elegant – I got mine in maple which looks great (matches Ries tripods well) but maybe not as hard as the darker wood on offer;
-the film holders are also very well made and very light!

In terms of negatives and this is being very picky:

- -some people may not like having to screw in the front standard into the base of the camera as is the case also for the Chamonix 5x7 and presumably other formats (this doesn’t worry me as it’s a compromise for a light camera but it does mean it’s important to be good at guessing the best lens for a particular scene as a lens change to a different focal length may mean the front standard will need to be unscrewed and repositioned but this is easy to do );
-when the camera is folded down I’m wondering if the bellows take some of the movement between the rear standard and the base of the camera, unlike say an Ebony 11x14 in which the rear standard acts like a clam shell – I may place some light packing between the front and rear standard when the camera is folded and being transported a distance but not for day to day use – the camera arrived in very good condition from China to Australia via the postal service.
Overall I’m very happy with the purchase which included three film holders.
Julian

Thanks so much Julian,
As far as I know, there is no more Walnut(dark brown) wood Chamonix cameras.
Sapele & maple woods, only. But which one is the darker.
I've watched Michael Gordon Chamonix 045N-2 Youtube, and wondered if its similar to the huge Chamonix 11X14.
Thanks again.

[AlexGard]

I bought a Chamonix 11x14 in December from Hugo Zhang in the US – I haven’t had time to use it in the field yet but first impressions from setting it up and some use at home are very positive:

-very well made with great craftsmanship;
-light and elegant – I got mine in maple which looks great (matches Ries tripods well) but maybe not as hard as the darker wood on offer;
-the film holders are also very well made and very light!

In terms of negatives and this is being very picky:

- -some people may not like having to screw in the front standard into the base of the camera as is the case also for the Chamonix 5x7 and presumably other formats (this doesn’t worry me as it’s a compromise for a light camera but it does mean it’s important to be good at guessing the best lens for a particular scene as a lens change to a different focal length may mean the front standard will need to be unscrewed and repositioned but this is easy to do );
-when the camera is folded down I’m wondering if the bellows take some of the movement between the rear standard and the base of the camera, unlike say an Ebony 11x14 in which the rear standard acts like a clam shell – I may place some light packing between the front and rear standard when the camera is folded and being transported a distance but not for day to day use – the camera arrived in very good condition from China to Australia via the postal service.

Overall I’m very happy with the purchase which included three film holders.

Julian

Excellent post. I followed up on this with an email o Julian a few weeks ago and he says he is still very much in love with the camera. This has made me so excited. Pulling the trigger on one in a couple of weeks when I have the funds together. Cannot wait!!

I think they only come in sapelle now.