Chamonix 45N-22008

History

Hugo Zhang founded Chamonix Camera in Hangzhou around 2005 to produce modern wood field cameras inspired by Wista and Ebony. The 45N-1 (2006) was the original; the 45N-2 (2008) refined the design with improvements to the bellows mount and rear standard locks. Production has continued through multiple minor revisions. Chamonix also makes 45F-2 (more rigid focusing version), 5×7, 8×10, 11×14, and 4×10 / 7×17 panoramic models. They are one of the very few LF camera makers still designing new 4×5 bodies in 2026.

Why It Matters

The Chamonix 45N-2 is the field camera that made high-end LF accessible. A new 45N-2 ships at $1,500 with case and lensboard — half the price of an Ebony field camera and a third the price of a Linhof Master Technika. Build quality is excellent (the teak/carbon/titanium combination is genuinely premium), the movements are precise, and the camera is light enough to backpack with.

For 2026 LF photographers who want a new field camera (not a 50-year-old Linhof or Wista), the Chamonix is the de facto choice. Trade-off: the wood body is less rigid than the all-metal Master Technika; for studio repeatability, metal beats wood marginally.

Lenses & Accessories

Linhof Technika lensboards (small format). Lenses: any 4×5 LF lens with a Copal 0 or Copal 1 leaf shutter — Schneider, Rodenstock, Fujinon, Nikkor — mounted on a Technika board. Common: Schneider Symmar-S 150/5.6, Schneider Super-Angulon 90/5.6, Fujinon-W 180/5.6, Nikkor SW 75/4.5, Rodenstock Sironar-N 150/5.6. Roll-film backs (Linhof Super Rollex, Sinar Zoom) for 6×7 / 6×9 / 6×12 on 4×5 body.

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• Ben Horne — landscape photographer, Chamonix 4×5 user.
• Charles Cramer — Yosemite landscape work on Chamonix 8×10.
• Standard new-buyer recommendation in r/largeformat and View Camera Magazine.

References

• Chamonix 45N-2 product page
• Camera-Wiki: Chamonix
• View Camera Magazine reviews 2008+.