I have received my Chamonix 8x10 and thought I would make some quick comments for the benefit of anyone contemplating such a purchase.
Firstly dealing with Hugo Chang was a pleasure. Efficient and helpful, the process was made easy and dispatch from China was exceedingly rapid. The camera was packed very well and arrived in perfect shape.
Now for the camera:
It is beautiful. I was unsure about the teak before ordering, but it is a very attractive camera and I will post some photos in due course. It is nice to see that the makers have selected pieces of wood with the best grain for the most visible areas of the camera. You need have no fears here – it’s a great combination of function and form.
Fit ‘n finish is superb. Not just good, but really fantastic. It is a very different camera to an Ebony (of which I have owned two and still have one) and does not have the same luscious oiled depth to the wood and glowing titanium, but that is a different topic. Everything on the Chamonix is finished and fitted as well as with an Ebony. Some might balk at this, but it is my distinct impression after inspecting the camera extensively. The materials are very different to an Ebony, but very much lighter as a result and under the hand nothing feels insubstantial about the Chamonix. Lighweight it may be, but it also feels solid and very well put together with remarkable accuracy to the machining of the components.
Function. Oddly I won’t comment too much about that as it has been commented on plenty. I will, however, say that the larger 8x10 feels easier to handle than smaller Chamonix models. Everything is beefier than on the 5x7 or 5x4 and somehow this feels more ‘right.’ The bail is very smooth, the Velcro tabs for sorting out bellows sag are great and the focus action silky smooth. In short, it works intuitively and smoothly and everything locks down with the right amount of pressure.
I also bought a Sinar to Linhof reduction board and initially thought the price a bit steep, until I picket it up. Yes, it is very expensive at $170 but it is feather light and beautifully made. Its easy to forget how much a reduction panel like this can weight when made from the usual metals, which combined with lots of lenses on Sinar panels can add up very quickly. I would strongly recommend anyone considering this camera to get this reduction panel.
Now for rigidity: this is exceptional. I once owned a 8x10 Zone VI Ultralight and I honestly think it put me off 8x10. Rigidity was poor, build felt ‘cynical’ and the Chamonix is everything the Zone VI was not. This new 8x10 is rock solid. I do not mean solid enough, but without question every bit as rigid as the most rigid non-metal field camera I have ever used : The Walker XL. Racked out past 500mm I was expecting it to lose some of its rigidity, but it was rock solid. Amazing, really. It is more rigid than my MPP 5x4 metal technical camera, which I sold when I moved to lighter cameras years back.
The bellows are nice enough but could be better. I suspect I will end up buying a bag bellows for use with lenses under 210, where much movement is required as the regular ones are a little thick and once compressed cannot be ‘moved around’ like those on an Ebony with universal bellows. They are nicely made and look very durable, but for really short lenses they are likely to be a bit restrictive. The bag bellows are a good price though (unlike some brands) so a not too painful investment.
Overall, this is a spectacular field camera and, within the limitations of the design, I struggle to see how things could be done much better (aside from improvements to the bellows). It weighs the same as the Zone VI Ultralight, but is in a completely different league in every respect. While moving the standard from hole to hole might seem an unpleasant design solution (I was sceptical before I had used a Chamonix) in use it is both quicker and easier than expected. The rigidity dividend (in combination with great tolerances and the rigid carbon fibre bed) is huge however and well worth the minor inconvenience.
Pics will follow in a day or two.
Bookmarks