Cambo ID

[Wayne]

How do you ID different Cambo 4x5 monorails? Is it stamped in some hidden place, or can you tell by what they feature or lack?

[akfreak]

Post a Picture and you will find out.

[Wayne]

thank you but if you can tell from a picture, can't you describe the differences?

[Steven Tribe]

There are square types and a type for the Master/Legend which is best described as a flat bar form with an integral flat X profile enclosed!

[David Karp]

The Calumet 45NX, 45N, and Cambo SC series are often hard to tell apart. Usually, there is no special marking on the camera itself. The older SC cameras came in silver.

[BrianShaw]

thank you but if you can tell from a picture, can't you describe the differences?

It would be easier to address your question if you could clarify what it is you want to know -- the model number of a camera you have or are thinking about buying, or a catalogue of the history of Cambo/Calumet cameras. The former is much easier than the latter. Or, maybe you are seeking knowledge to determine parts/accessory compatability. There were many models over the years and some models share similarities with minor diffferences, like a rotating back. Knowing more specifically what you are interested in will make it easier for folks to respond. If you are looking for an excyclopeida of hte entire Cambo/Calumet line over the years, I have never seen such a thing but would find it quite interesting!

[Wayne]

Brian,I want to ID a camera I own. I have no way of posting pictures now.

Mine says Cambo on the larger knurled knobs and the rear of the rail. It has 2 bubble levels on the front standard. It is black with a square rail and round black uprights. It has scales on front and back shift, swing and tilt. Swing is +/- 50, tilt is +/- 30. It has a rotating back with locking lever at the upper right. Serial number is 50xxx.

I think its a pretty basic model. Very functional but not fancy.

[Wayne]

It might be this, an SC

http://www.cambo.com/Html/Images/SCBasic.jpg

[Mablo]

Looks like my SC but it's younger than mine. You have black knobs where I have chrome metal knobs and levers.

[BrianShaw]

That looks exactly like my Cambo SCIIR (that's a Roman numeral '2') but is newer. Mine (circa 1982) does not have the measurement scales on the rail. The "R" part of the designation was for the revolving back.

[David Karp]

That also looks like the photo that used to be in the Calumet catalog for the Calumet 45NX. Calumet sold the old SC series in the USA under their label after Cambo introduced newer models.

The 45NX had the knurled rubber on the knobs like those shown in the photo, a longer rail, and a revolving back. The 45N had different all plastic knobs, a shorter rail, and a repositionable, but not revolving, back. Calumet later introduced a 45NX-II that combined the features of the two cameras and came up with something closer to the 45N. Definitely not an improvement. I believe that these same options were available outside the USA under various SC designations.


It might help to check this review I wrote about my old 45NX: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/calumet/calumet-45nx.html. It includes the table from an old Calumet catalog comparing the 45NX and 45N.

[Wayne]

That's not my camera, but it looks like it in every way that I can see. I can even see the lock lever for the back in the upper left of the pic, upper right of the back. My knobs are rubber knurled.

My rail is about 21.25", and it has a revolving vack. So this make it likely an SCII-R, since it clearly says Cambo on it, but its essentially the same thing as an early Calumet 45NX?

[BrianShaw]

So this make it likely an SCII-R, since it clearly says Cambo on it, but its essentially the same thing as an early Calumet 45NX?

My understanding is that the difference is just the name on the knobs. When Calumet started re-branding the Cambo is when I started getting confused about what to call them.

[akfreak]

It might be this, an SC

http://www.cambo.com/Html/Images/SCBasic.jpg
Also this one you say is a SC, is identical as a Cambo 540. Few differences like a scale on the mono rail.

It is going to be hard to ID WO some sort of refrence other than ID all known Cambos and specfic features. Why ask for people to write a complete document defining all cameras Cambo, or google cambo find an image of one that looks like yours and post a link.

[David Karp]

It is really hard to know which is which, but it sounds like yours is at least in the ballpark of a 45NX. I don't know for sure that the cameras labeled Calumet did not have Cambo knobs on them.

I think you are close enough. Perfect knowledge on this question might not be possible.

The best feature on that camera was the revolving back. I miss it.

[Wayne]

Maybe I wont get rid of it after all, or I might miss it too.

[David Karp]

I kept my 45NX for a while when I was using a Cambo 45SF. I kept trying to figure out how to use that revolving back on the 45SF. The design of the SF made it impossible to use, so eventually I sold the 45NX. I like the cameras I am using now, but that revolving back was really nice, especially in the wintertime.

[akfreak]

Maybe I wont get rid of it after all, or I might miss it too.
Ok here is what the names of the Cambos that are similar to yours are, 45NX, 45N, 540, and the SC SERIES. They were made in Holland then they were picked up by Calumet then the line gets kind of mixed up, they sold tons of SC's.

With the way the square back is with notches on both sides, it is simple to go from portrait to landscape. One click and the board is loose, turn it 90 deg and click again. The rotating back is nice but not really necessary on these.

Also these cameras are more studio type of cameras, compared to field camera's these are heavy.

I drag mine out and about bit I am a glutton for punishment. My Cambo 540 along with my Bogen 3060 tripod and 3057 head it is a brute!

The only problem with these cameras is they dont have much value, but they have lots of movements and make nice pictures. I wish I had a Chamonix for a field camera after a long day of hauling my 540 around.

[David Karp]

Nobody ever said the rotating back is necessary. It is clearly not. It is, however, a nice feature.

Do you have the short monorail for your camera? You could use it for lenses from wide angle to 210mm for most shots, and even up to 300mm at infinity if you rotate the front standard around, and attach the bellows to what was formerly the front, and the lensboard to what was formerly the rear.

It is much easier to carry in a backpack with the short rail. If you don't have a short rail, you could find a piece of 1" square aluminum extrusion and have it cut at 12" or so. Just make sure you don't roll the standard off of the extrusion while focusing!