Cambo Wide lens questions

[bRokEnVIEW]

I am very new no LF/MF photography. Since I mainly focus on architectural photography, I'd like to buy a MF or LF system (in the best case: a system which can use both) which allows me to use shift movements. It has to be reasonably compact, a full view camera is to heavy and big for my endeavors. I investigated a bit, and I found a used Cambo Wide Set with 5.6 / 58mm XL. While the camera looks nice, I wonder about the lens system: Is it possible to use the system with other lenses? If so, what do I need for doing so?

[Oren Grad]

Here's a nice user report on the Cambo Wide system - talks about the lenses as well as the other aspects of the camera:

http://www.paul-armitage.com/CamboWide.html

As you'll see, Cambo offered a nice selection of focal lengths. In principle you could have lenses other than those offered by Cambo put into helical mounts for the system, but between the helical and the need to fabricate the camera mount piece the cost would likely be prohibitive.

[bRokEnVIEW]

Ah, thank you for the link and the answer. It's what I feared.. while the system might be easy to use, you have to use special lens mounts. Which seem to be hard to find, at least on eBay I haven't seen any

[John Schneider]

See also these:
http://www.stevewaltonsblog.com/sear...20Wide%20470XL
http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ambo-wide.html

The original (non-DS or -RS) Wides are long out of production and hard to find, so be prepared for a patient search for other lens panels. Even five years ago, parts were much easier to find. Having said that, it is a great system and well worth the search.

[Reinhold Schable]

Interesting timing...

I have a Cambo Wide 750 (75mm Super Angulon f:5.6) and a couple of Horseman 6x12 holders that I'm thinking of selling...

For 20 years I've travelled Europe carrying this camera, one holder with Ilford FP4, one holder with Konika 750 infrared.
I figured out how to use 220 film in the holders so I could get 12 negatives before re-loading (on FP4 film).
I've even cloned the main frame using Acetal resin for a more compact, portable set-up.
Now that I'm not a mobile as I used to be, it sits on a shelf reminding me of days of adventures past.
I should sell it, but you know how hard it is to part with an old freind...

If anyone is interested, PM me.

Reinhold
www.ClassicBWphoto.com

[Beltane]

Unfortunately, the link to my blog that John Schneider posted in his post #4 is out of date. If anyone is interested in reading my description of the Cambo Wide 470 and Widepan 6x12 roll film back, PLEASE CLICK HERE

[EdSawyer]

I have a Cambo Wide setup, much of which came from John Schneider. It's a great system, but as mentioned lens panels on their own are not the easiest things to find. One could DIY them, but it would be a fairly involved project. I refit a 90mm lens panel to use the Nikon 90/8 instead of the schneider, it worked out well (involved milling about 2mm out of the length of the "cone". Overall the Cambo wide, esp. with a horseman 6x12 back, is a very portable and versatile system. I don't shoot a lot of architecture but it would be a fairly good setup for that, depending on what you need for movements. I mostly use mine handheld. I have the 47mmXL and 90mm lenses/cones for it. I'd like to get a 65mm cone and adapt it to the Nikon 65/4 someday, but just haven't gotten to it yet. The lens panels/cones/helicals do show up on ebay from time to time, but it can be a long wait sometimes. Note, the normal 47mm panel can be made to work with the 47mm XL lens.

Finding viewfinders for these can be challenging. There were some made by cambo which are mostly repurposed Linhof and Mamiya viewfinders. I use a Koni Omega viewfinder designed for their 58mm for the 90 (which works out very well!) and a Mamiya 7 43mm finder for the 47xl (which doesn't fully cover but is pretty close). Cambo never made a viewfinder that covered the field of view of the 47XL or 58XL versions.

[pierre506]

Ed, there are too many viewfinders we can find, such as Mamiya, Leica, Voigtlander, Contax, Sigma..., from 16mm, 18mm, 21mm, 28mm...
I use Hasselblad SWC viewfinder on my Cambo WIDE 65.

[Darryl Baird]

I have a Cambo Wide setup, ..... Note, the normal 47mm panel can be made to work with the 47mm XL lens.

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I purchased a 47mm XL after finding a 470 Cambowide panel to fit onto a Cambowide frame. I can barely get it mounted, but the lens' rear element is too close to the panel to allow me to focus closer than infinity with the helical barrel focusing. It would appear that if I milled out a couple of round notches that I could use this lens. BUT, I'm a little confused as to why this won't work as I've read of other photographers using this lens on the older Cambowide cameras.

ANY pointers or techniques would be greatly appreciated. It took me nearly 3 years to collect all the parts. and boy was I excited and then.... DAMN! So close!

-

[Dan Fromm]

Darryl, as you focus closer than infinity the lens moves away from, not towards, the film place. Given that, I can't understand your problem at all. Would you please fiddle with it a little more to see whether the helical can move the lens away from the film plane.