Anyone using Cambo Actar wide lenses with Hasselblad X2D?

[peterm1]

After trying my Canon 17mm TS-E lens out with an adapter on my X2D, I am not satisfied with the quality for landscape and architecture, and am looking into other options, including the Cambo XCD Actar system with one of the wide Actar lenses (15mm, 19mm, 20mm, 24mm). The 19mm is way more expensive, I guess due to the modification of the Nikon 19mm PC-E, although I haven't seen any image quality comparisons with the other wide Actar lenses (except they do have different image circles to allow differing degrees of shift).

My other options include getting a full frame body and adapting it, like a Canon body like the 5DS (no adapter needed) or 5R, Leica SL2/SL2-S, Sigma FP-L or others. I'd rather use the X2D for various reasons if possible though (image quality, sensor ratio, etc.)

Anyone have any experience and recommendations on using the X2D with Cambo Actar system?

Thanks,

Peter

 

[rdeloe]

You may realize this already, but it's worth noting that Cambo doesn't design and build its own lenses, so these are all something else. They're up front about the 19mm and the 35mm, but not these other ones. I strongly suspect that the 15mm and 20mm are Laowa shift lenses, and the 24mm is the Samyang 24mm tilt-shift. I do not know this with certainty so please take this with a grain of salt, but I honestly don't know what else they could be.

Let's say I'm right though: that means you can learn something about their performance from reviews of the non-Cambo versions. I've heard good things about that 20mm Laowa. I have a hacked 24mm that I've adapted for my F-Universalis outfit. It's not great, but does get usable at f/11 if you don't push it too hard.

One thing that Cambo has done does concern me. The 24mm is not unit focusing; it's a floating element design. I'd be surprised if the 15mm and 20mm aren't also floating element designs. But when Cambo remounts them, it turns them into unit focusing lenses, which means the close focusing design is not being used. That means you should expect poor edge and corner performance at close distances. I've never heard an explanation from Cambo about this, but I have heard users of these lenses say that Cambo has more or less decided that they're for longer distances, and that's that.

One last thought on this: it's really simple to remount the 15mm, 20mm and 24mm lenses on a Cambo board. They all use the same design: a common front end that is bolted onto a back end that provides the shift (and tilt where that's part of the design) mechanism, plus the correct tube length and mount for the lens mount in question. That all comes off easily enough. I removed the tilt and shift bits from my Samyang and bolted on a new mount for my setup. SK Grimes in Rhode Island could easily do the work and attach the lens to a Cambo plate. I know someone who had Arca-Swiss bolt a Laowa 20mm onto a board for his F-Universalis. By doing this, you would set the lens to its flange distance on your Actus, and then focus using the helicoid on the lens, which means the close focusing elements are being used as designed.

 

[Alkibiades]

I use canon tse lenses as also Laowa 15-20 mm on the same sensor, but on fuji gfx100s.
Both laowa shift lenses have very less distortion, but are not as sharp as canon.
The 15 mm is also extremly hard to use with complcated light situations.
Anyway your canon 17 mm should perfome better on your hasselblad then the Laowas.
Maybe your adapter is not good, or you should deaktivate the camera stabilisation. Canon ts-e24II is even better, no visible distortion, very sharp, not too wide, nikon is also very good but the price too high

 

[Alkibiades]

A nice option is also the canon 11-24mm lensthat can be used on actus with the vanon adapter. This lens will allow you movements till 15 mm and the shapness is on the level of the 24tse

 

[peterm1]

A nice option is also the canon 11-24mm lensthat can be used on actus with the vanon adapter. This lens will allow you movements till 15 mm and the shapness is on the level of the 24tse

I used to have the 11-24 and loved it. Almost want to get a Canon body again just to use that lens....