A wide angle lens for Calumet CC400

**mindscrapper** · 12-Dec-2017, 15:27

Hello everyone!
I've received my first LF baby Calumet CC400, so it's got "normal" bellows 16 inches long and a Shneider 150mm.
So I am looking for a wide angle lens and I,ve got my eye for a Fujinon SWD 75 mm f5.6 for its good condition,price and brighness because of 5.6
But I am not sure if it'll fit my camera.Would it save enough of movements especially in terms os tilt/shift? Would it cover my 4x5 film enough when folded to get infinite distanse focusing? Would my camera design even allow me to get infinity? No idea . I appreciate any help and advice on subject.Thanks in advance!

**EdWorkman** · 12-Dec-2017, 17:41

Let's see
Flange-focal distance is available on an oft-cited site- Dan Fromm has provided a sticky with tons of places with good information, including for Fuji lenses.
So , armed with that distance and a ruler [ 25.4 mm =an inch] see if the lens board will squish down to get that- your infinity point-
The lens data will also give you the distance to the back of the rear element. If the bellows has not been squished into an essentially solid mass,
you can manipulate the board to see if/how much movement is possible.
Now then why do you need infinity in a wide angle? Or most any Pictorial lens?
Hyperfocal distances and investigation of depth of focus [ the near and far points of acceptable focus] at various f stops will show you that infinity can be recorded without focussing the lens TO infinity.
So let's say the 75 WON'T work. in the practical way. Pick a longer wide angle and try all of the above using the data- you should soon find one that works.

**Dan Fromm** · 12-Dec-2017, 18:03

Ed, thanks for the kind word.

OP, since you're a newbie I'll sort of answer your question. The links Ed referred to are all in http://www.largeformatphotography.in...mainly)-lenses You'd do well to look at it, better to study it.

The Calumet 40x link in it goes to a page that reports the cameras' minimum extension (CC402 possibly excepted, I haven't followed that link) is 3 3/8 inches. That's 87.725 mm.

One of the Fuji lenses links goes to a page that says that the various 75/4.5 SWDs' flange-focal-distance ranges from 84.6 - 85.1 mm. I part company with Ed, find that out-of-focus is out-of-focus. In other words, if you have my preferences you're cooked. Wrong lens for the camera. I'm not sure that there's an LF 75 that will do for you.

All may not be lost. I sold my CC-401 years ago, don't recall whether the tripod mounting block limits how close the standards can get to each other. If it does, unscrew an end cap off, run a standard off that end of the rail, slide the tripod mounting block off and reassemble with the tripod mounting block behind the standard. This works on some cameras. I'm sorry that I don't remember whether it will work on a Calumet. Its been years ...

**Steve Goldstein** · 12-Dec-2017, 19:56

The Komura 75mm f/6.3 has a flange focal length of about 100mm IIRC so would be able to focus at infinity per Dan's numbers. I'll double-check my info tomorrow.

**Mark Sampson** · 12-Dec-2017, 21:49

I used a Calumet CC-400 on the job for some years. The wide-angle lens we used was a Schneider 90/8 Super-Angulon on a recessed board (IIRC about 3/4" deep recess). It was a usable setup. Based on much experience since then with a 75mm lens (on different cameras) I don't think that a 75 will be a good fit here. You might get it to focus at infinity, but the compressed bellows will make movements almost impossible. Not to mention the possibility of photographing the front of the rail unintentionally (ask me how I know).
Calumet made a lens board with a deeper recess- maybe 1-1/2". We had one in the box o' stuff but never needed to use it. The problem with that board is that reaching the shutter and aperture controls would be nearly impossible.
Calumet also made a dedicated wide-angle camera- I think it was called the CC-402. That would be a much better choice if you want to use a 75mm lens. I believe our moderator, Kirk Gittings, used that wide-angle Calumet professionally with great success.
If the OP wants to use a wide-angle lens, I'll suggest that the 90mm lens on the shallow recessed board is his best option.

**Merg Ross** · 12-Dec-2017, 22:59

As Mark noted, Kirk Gittings (and I)used the CC-402 for our architectural work. Kirk modified his, but basically it would be the Calumet of choice for wide-angle work. I also used the model you have, with a 90/8 Super-Angulon on a recessed board. This will work, but it is near-impossible to adjust shutter and aperture, plus the long rail is always in your face. I do not believe that you would be happy with a 75mm on this model. The CC-402 has the standards reversed, and bellows designed for wide-angle photography. Your model is perfect for the 150mm, and perhaps a 210mm. Great cameras!

**mindscrapper** · 13-Dec-2017, 00:50

Thank you so much! Got it.I am to search a 90mm and a reccesed board.

**Steve Goldstein** · 13-Dec-2017, 06:00

Just a followup for the archives. The flange focal length for the 75mm f/6.3 Super-W-Komura is indeed around 100mm. This is based on a measurement I made myself as information on Komura lenses generally is pretty sparse. Besides meaning that a recessed lensboard may not be needed on many cameras, it can even be focused at infinity on the Travelwide (FFL ~90mm) though the internal helical mechanically vignettes the corners.