Calumet Ultima Wide Angle Lens...

[chris dorsch]

I recently purchased a Calumet Ultima, which fits the Canon Digital 1DS. I am mostly pleased with it, however, it is very limited with the 28mm lens for architecture and was hoping there was a way to get wider with it. Calumet does not make anything wider, but was hoping somebody may have figured out a method to adapt a 4x5 lens to this!?

Thanks.

Chris

[John_4185]

You mean the Ultima-35, right? That's a 1"x 1.5" format camera.

Well, I think you are pulling our leg, but I'll sit quietly waiting to learn of a LF lens wider than your 28mm, but I think the answer is to go to the 35mm digital groups for help.

[robc]

do you mean a lens with a larger/wider image circle or do you mean a lens with a wider angle of view?

[Steve Bell]

Interesting, although not LF material. I'd never heard of the Ultima 35 until now. There's a picture and description here photo.box.sk/news.php3?id=6675 (http://photo.box.sk/news.php3?id=6675).

Based upon this description "When used in combination, the SLR body will function as the capture device, while the ULTIMA 35 is the optical system that offers swings, tilts, lateral and vertical shift and critical focusing in order to create perfectly aligned images with the desired sharpness plane and depth of field. Cambo recommends the Schneider Digitar series of specially designed lenses for digital photography. Hasselblad lenses will work when mounted on a special adapter plate. In addition, any regular large format lens (over 90mm) will also work. No shutter is necessary, as all metering and exposure functions are controlled by the digital SLR. Because the metering is done at the chip, there is no need to compute bellows compensation. Both front and rear standard movements provide for quick and easy set up of images, and the sensor ("film-plane") is located in the optical axis for direct control over the image without need for constant refocusing." it appears you can only use LF lenses over 90mm, so you will be limited.

[John Kasaian]

...Uhh, like... maybe it would work if you put bag bellows on it?;-)

[John_4185]

John K, the bellows is, FAPP, a bag-type. One of the concerns with using the DSLR as a view-camera back is the physical interference of the lens's projection by the camera's mirror housing when movements are used. IMHO, it's a downright silly design.