Rail size for a CALUMET 4X5 CC401?
It is supposed to have a 22 inch bellows, and I ordered a CALUMET 4X5 CC401 from KEH, and the camera arrived today (much delayed by fires in Oregon) and the rail is only 20 inches, like my other Calumet 4x5.
Now, if the CALUMET 4X5 CC401 has a 22 inch bellows, a 20 inch rail seems strange.
I would be loathe to send it back since I waited so long for it.
I am guessing that the only difference between the CC-400 and the CC-401 is the length of the bellows and the length of the rail.
So I guess the burning question is, did I get the wrong camera?
Now, there are other possibilities as well. I could have the 22 inch bellows and a shorter rail.
I have seen that long rails are quite expensive (e.g $75 for a 26 inch rail).
And a longer rail won't do me any good if the bellows won't expand far enough.
I suppose I might be able to buy one of the cheap Chinese bellows (but I would rather not, if I don't have to).
I did not measure the bellows yet, and I am not sure how to do it properly.
The 22 inch figure seems like it could have some play in it, depending on how far the bellows are stretched.
Re: Rail size for a CALUMET 4X5 CC401?
Dann, I'm all for solidarity among Dan's but I've had it with spoon feeding beginners. You can look it up for yourself.
Since you probably don't know where to look, here's a very strong hint. The first post in this https://www.largeformatphotography.i...mainly)-lenses discussion goes to a list of links to sites etc. of interest to LF photographers. Click on the link, download the file. Text on the top of the first page explains why you have to download it.
There's a bookmark "Older modern view cameras." Expand it. Click on the "Calumet CC ..." link. Download the file. Your answer is in it. Sort of. Specifications slip.
Re: Rail size for a CALUMET 4X5 CC401?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Dan Fromm
Dann, I'm all for solidarity among Dan's but I've had it with spoon feeding beginners. You can look it up for yourself.
Since you probably don't know where to look, here's a very strong hint. The first post in this
https://www.largeformatphotography.i...mainly)-lenses discussion goes to a list of links to sites etc. of interest to LF photographers. Click on the link, download the file. Text on the top of the first page explains why you have to download it.
There's a bookmark "Older modern view cameras." Expand it. Click on the "Calumet CC ..." link. Download the file. Your answer is in it. Sort of. Specifications slip.
I downloaded that document "https://1drv.ms/b/s!AggQfcczvHGNkGG_P2z8Qiyc8Qo-"
I don't feel stupid for not knowing that camera model information should be found in a lens document.
I did not find the link you mentioned.
Calumet is not found in the document either.
I guess that you intended to give me another link.
I already figured out using web searches that KEH sold me the wrong camera.
It should be a 26 inch rail.
Chances are very good I will ask a lot of stupid questions and not know where to look for things.
I apologize in advance for that, but I guess that a lot of the experts in this forum had similar problems when they first started poking around.
I read the FAQ but probably most of it did not sink in.
I read the lens document and found it fantastic, but I would be puzzled to find lots of camera facts in it, and indeed I did not see a lot of those.
Re: Rail size for a CALUMET 4X5 CC401?
I just clicked on the link. It opened the file. "Download" appeared in the upper left hand corner of the screen. I clicked it. The file downloaded into my download directory. I clicked on the file and Adobe Reader opened it, with a set of bookmarks on the left of the screen. I scrolled down to "Older modern view cameras." There is a + to the left of it. I clicked on the + to expand the list of bookmarks. The second one says "Calumet CC401,"
Now, what did you do, which browser do you use and which OS do you use? I use Firefox, my desktop machine runs Win 10.
About KEH. They can't tell LF gear from holes in the ground.
Re: Rail size for a CALUMET 4X5 CC401?
It can be extremely frustrating learning the ropes of large format photography or any other complicated endeavor. I often read that a careful beginner can put together a very nice camera kit for $500 -$700. A veteran can do it but not a beginner that has no idea what he is getting into. I spent practically that much on 120 roll backs before I got backs that even fit my cameras. I did several hundred hours of research and the amount of misinformation on the internet is absolutely insane. I finally adopted the mentality to buy it and if it doesn't work get rid of it. I saw information on a subject that I know very well on this forum a month ago that was total bs by a very respected member that I still respect and have learned a lot from. Starting from nothing is hard and expensive.
Re: Rail size for a CALUMET 4X5 CC401?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
RivetGun
It can be extremely frustrating learning the ropes of large format photography or any other complicated endeavor. I often read that a careful beginner can put together a very nice camera kit for $500 -$700. A veteran can do it but not a beginner that has no idea what he is getting into. I spent practically that much on 120 roll backs before I got backs that even fit my cameras. I did several hundred hours of research and the amount of misinformation on the internet is absolutely insane. I finally adopted the mentality to buy it and if it doesn't work get rid of it. I saw information on a subject that I know very well on this forum a month ago that was total bs by a very respected member that I still respect and have learned a lot from. Starting from nothing is hard and expensive.
I am very sure I will follow the same route, but sometimes the hard lessons are best remembered. And it injects a certain humor into the path so that in the future you can look back and laugh, "Remember when I bought that 75mm polaroid land camera lens for my 8x10? I could not figure out why all I could see was a little circle with a face in it in the middle of the ground glass."
It was Will Rogers who said, "Everyone is ignorant, only in different areas." which is, of course, true. I don't mind experts being cranky with me. Maybe some day, perhaps ten years from now, I can be a cranky expert too. I don't know if this forum has the equivalent of a killfile, but if it does, and you don't like loopy newbies, it might be a good idea to killfile me for a year or two. I am not going to suddenly turn on the "now I am saavy" lightbulb. Not that I want to be a whinging twit, but I have a bit of whinging twit in my soul, whether I like it or not.
Re: Rail size for a CALUMET 4X5 CC401?
It is a lot to study and everybody has opinions
Consider this thread
https://www.photo.net/discuss/thread...camera.513284/
Re: Rail size for a CALUMET 4X5 CC401?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Dann Corbit
I don't know if this forum has the equivalent of a killfile, but if it does, and you don't like loopy newbies, it might be a good idea to killfile me for a year or two. I am not going to suddenly turn on the "now I am saavy" lightbulb. Not that I want to be a whinging twit, but I have a bit of whinging twit in my soul, whether I like it or not.
Go to settings, my account, edit ignore list.
At the moment you're a whinging twit who can't follow directions but that will probably change.
Re: Rail size for a CALUMET 4X5 CC401?
https://www.cameraeccentric.com/stat.../calumet_3.pdf
The cc-401 should have 26" rail, and 22" bellows. If KEH sent a model with 22" bellows, but the rail is short, they made a mistake and should refund or replace.
Re: Rail size for a CALUMET 4X5 CC401?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rick A
Um, er, ah, why do you believe that? Calumet's Spring 1970 catalog says:
Quote:
NORMAL 16" double extension bellows Camera CC-400
EXTRA LONG 22" triple extension bellows Camera CC-401
