Chamonix N's vs. F's: What's the difference

Someone told me to look at the website. I have. I see a "knob" vs. a "two knob" control, but the rest isn't clear and not really described... UNLESS you've already seen these beasts. There's maybe 50 grams and $200 difference otherwise. Surely I'm missing something? Hard to tell otherwise. Have meditated on this on and off, searched the net, and the serendipitous moment just hasn't struck me with the "Aha! But of course!" so I wonder whether someone could please help me out.

In the absence of data? Why wouldn't you save $200 and 50 grams and go with the N2 ?

Thanks in advance... and in view of the calendar, happy holidays!

hey skip
there are a handful of videos on yoooob tooobe that show the 2 cameras.
it seems ( sorry i haven't ever seen or used one of these cameras ) that the N cameras
are nice but not as sophisticated as the F's. the movement system differences is more than the 1 knob vs 2.
and instead of yammering on ... look specifically at the way the front and rear standards are controlled.
not sure what sort of photography you would be doing with yours but "finer" controls of front and rear standards for a view camera sometimes mean less wrestling ... other times just mean more $$



have a happy !

I can’t speak about the F2 because I’ve never used one, but I love the fact that my N2 has a single knob for controlling front tilt and rise/fall. I adjust the focus via the worm screw at the same time as I adjust the front standard, so everything becomes one fluid motion. My right hand twists the worm screw while my left is adjusting the standard. When everything is the way I want it I use my right hand to tighten the front knobs while my left hand holds the standard in place. For me, that works great. Other people prefer separate controls for rise/fall and tilt. It’s all about your preferred workflow (and perhaps your subject. I photograph travel and landscape).

I also like big knobs, which the N2 has.

I hope this helps.

Cheers, James

I’ve never used either camera, but the F2 has asymmetrical tilt on the rear standard which I don’t think the N2 has.

You guys are amazing. Of course I follow Nicholas Llasera, so I've watched one or two of his videos on these, but I still shake my head. In some ways, it seems nits, but I did notice this morning that Chamonix's website lists the F2 as their best seller. Someone here on Photrio has an , but as I have an Arca Swiss Model B, I sort of think I that what I'm after is easier mobility primarily, and solid handling. Gonna be a tough call... only because the price / weight differences between these two aren't big. THe Chamonix H seems WAY bigger and not what I'm after. Like the twin knobs of the F2. But we'll stew on this "until done". Thanks!

See 3 Chamonix currently on sale eBay used. Sad to see one fellow say, "With the advent of hi res DSLR's....". Okay... haven't they been around more or less concurrently? One fellow says he's gotten back into smaller formats. This is a possibility of course. We all like to give our shelf queens "the love" from time to time, and sometimes one or the other gets it all for a space while the others hide. Finally, one guy only used his twice. All of this makes me wonder, for there are those (myself included) who continue to work with film even though digital can do much of this today. It's a choice. I'm not always sure why, but it is tremendously.... engaging, challenging, etc. and I imagine it's kind of like hunting when let's face it, you can get almost anything you want to eat in a grocery store. Ditto for you can cook a whole lot faster in a microwave than you can in a smoker.

I’ve owned the N and now the F. Both are great! I like the rear swing control on the N and the dual front standard knobs for rise/tilt on the F. The asymmetrical rear tilt is a neat feature but not completely needed most of the time. Once you understand how to use base/axis tilts (ie focus far, tilt near for base tilts) it really comes down to preference. They are great cameras in that they’re light weight and super capable for most things. The only thing I would wish for are some engraved lines or matched scales as opposed to the dots, as a visual reference to align and square the standards. Small gripe for an amazing camera!