Calumet Cameras??

**Mike Anderson** · 30-Jun-2011, 15:25

Originally Posted by armentor1@mac.com

Brian the Calumet CC 402 is the one that I'm going to go with. I've got an older Schneider Angulon 90 that I'll pair with it.

A wise choice (I have a CC-402

).

I've heard there's a newer (well, less old) black version that has a stiffer bellows and is not so good with extreme wide lenses. (But I'm sure a 90mm would work with it.)

Can anyone confirm or deny that?

...Mike

**Mike Anderson** · 30-Jun-2011, 15:29

Originally Posted by Kirk Gittings

I almost, almost offered you my 402, but I don't think I can let it go. I have modified it a fair amount like using black standards from a later 400, tilt locks on both sides of standards, top hat boards for longer lenses etc. I may still use it so I guess I'll hang on to it.

Can you post a picture of it? I might want to try and copy some of your modifications (unless it's a trade secret).

...Mike

**Mike Anderson** · 30-Jun-2011, 16:19

Originally Posted by armentor1@mac.com

Brian the Calumet CC 402 is the one that I'm going to go with. I've got an older Schneider Angulon 90 that I'll pair with it.

Have you found one? There's one for sale right now:

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ad.php?t=77882

...Mike

**armentor1@mac.com** · 1-Jul-2011, 14:05

Kirk what is the longest lens that you are able to get on your CC-402 with the top hat?

**Kirk Gittings** · 1-Jul-2011, 14:08

The longest I made was for a 210. If I remember right it extends about 1.5 inches.

**Kirk Gittings** · 1-Jul-2011, 14:12

Originally Posted by Mike Anderson

Can you post a picture of it? I might want to try and copy some of your modifications (unless it's a trade secret).

...Mike

I'm off on my vacation today. I'll do it when I get back.

**paulr** · 1-Jul-2011, 14:20

My college photo dept. had an arsenal of calument monorails we could check out (they looked like the one to the left in your post). Some professor insisted on these instead of field cameras, even though most students worked in the proverbial field. Most of us found the cameras to be a minor nightmare. Not working with them, but transporting them. They were big and heavy, and came in monsterous, indestructible hard cases with sharp corners and protruding hardware. Carrying the things any farther than trunk to curb would result in scrapes and bruises. I was one of the few people who was interested enough to suffer through this, and I never looked forward to it.

If you do go with one of these for field use, I'd look into a more friendly case.

I mention all this because you said you'd prefer a field camera. If you're planning to walk around much at all, I'd suggest a used field camera over the calumet any day.

**Jim Noel** · 2-Jul-2011, 07:15

I would advise you to stay far away from a Cadet. I had both models soon after they came out and was so unhappy with both I all but gave them away to get rid of them quickly. Definitely the worst sheet film cameras I ever owned. Perhaps that is why they were manufactured for so short a time.