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View Full Version : Cambo identification and refurb question



Paul Kierstead
18-Feb-2004, 11:44
I picked up a Cambo monorail, with additional long rail + bag bellows+lensboard adapter (which seems to work great with my Wisner boards) for about CAN$200, which as far as I can tell is a pretty good deal. The seller noted the bellows (the ordinary one) has some holes. All movements work well.

Here is the cam: http://homepage.mac.com/paulkierstead/tmp/cambo_pics/CRW_3685.jpg

One thing, more for curiosity, is does anybody know what model this is? It says Super Cambo on the ground glass, but it could have been replaced easily enough.

The other thing regards refurb. The movements are a bit stiffer then they should be; it appears to be a build-up of grime over the years. I certainly don't mind a little work, but was wondering if anybody had hints, particularly in the area of gotcha's. For example, I have this suspicion that the indents (for zeroing etc) could be problematic. Am I going to have springs popping out on disassembly?

I know much has been written on bellows repair, and I really should use a special tape, but quite frankly I want to get this going as cheaply as possible. Outside of draping a darkcloth over it, what tape available at a home improvement center would do? I will only be using it indoors under strobes for the moment, so prolonged usage in sunlight with darkslide pulled is not an issue.

Ok, one more....any good suggestion for removing the red paint? Not that it has to be removed (I am using this for function, not form), but since I will have it disassembled anyway...

Thanks for the help.

Ernest Purdum
18-Feb-2004, 13:02
I'm not a Cambo expert, but I'd say that for C$200 you did very well, indeed, bum bellows, red paint and all.



You might not need to disassemble the camera to free up the movements. By tilting, shifting and swinging everything to one limit, cleaning all the exposed surfaces, then going to the opposite directions and repeating, unless there is corrosion involved I think you may find the results satisfactory.



I don't think any tape really works very well, but I suppose a black vinyl tape might stay on the edges better than the thicker varieties.



If the red paint is an enamel and the original paint is a lacquer, you can take it off with thinner, but if both paints are the same basic type taking off the red without harming the original could be a problem. Your friendly local auto painter might provide guidance.



When you do get ready to spend a little money, Camera Bellows will do a beautiful job for you, no arm and a leg involved.

tor kviljo
19-Feb-2004, 02:24
Excellent deal! More or less the same as Cambo SC - being a very close copy of the (better made) plaubel 4"x5". When dealing with aluminium rods traveling slow/sticky, I wash everything with an alcohol-wet piece of cloth. Usually, the small steel-balls making positive detents is mounted in seats and will not disappeeeeeeeear (!) when You slide the format frame of the U Standard. However - doing the process with the standard inside a clear plastic bag does the trick of collecting loose pieces. For Q&D repair of bellows, I use black gaffers-tape... Extremely strong & reasonable light proof but even better if damaged part afterwards is painted with black shoe-lacquer (flexible & fasten nice on fabric & leather + don't peel off). Don't paint the whole bellows as it will have a tendency to stick when compressed (at least with the laquer I used on an old tech-III 2"x3" once), or at least test for stickyness first (probably less important with a view camera - rarely all-compressed bellows - when I think about it). Flex. will be a bit redyced, but on such a camera, You will probably buy or make yourself a WA bellows anyway. Removing red paint: this is probably white-spirit based ordinary metal paint?. Wetting a little piece of cloth in white spirit & letting it rest on the red spot for some time - check now & then for softening of the paint. When softened, You should be able to brush of the paint without removing the tougher enamel below, but the process will probably leave some difference on apparance/surface of the treated parts.

Good luck!