Options to mount lenses for Cambo

[anyone]

Hello,
I'm thinking to move more of my tech cam glass to Cambo WRS mount and I was wondering if there is experience for doing it?

Interesting would be:
a) Experiences with Cambo doing the mounting: prices, and how long it would take? Any experiences with the quality of their work: does the infiinity point match accurately? I asked at the factory and got the response: between 880 € and 1475 €.
b) Experiences with third party options: on ebay, someone offers the WRS lens mounts custom made for each lens. Did anyone purchase these? Are they fine? How are the infinity points?
c) DIY-options: any experiences with 3D printing of lens cones / entire boards? What is the Flange Focal Distance? I'm tempted to try it.

I'm thinking to mount my SK 35XL, SK 72, SK 80M, Rodi 90, SK 120 gradually, but haven't made the decision yet due to the cost involved.

Thank you!

PS: edit to clarify that I was looking for WRS lens mounts

 

[dchew]

We need a bit more information. You are using the term "lens boards." That implies you are talking about a Cambo Actus-type camera with a front standard that uses Cambo Actus lens mounts, which they call "lens plates" like this:
Actus Copal 0 Lens Plate
You can mount those yourself; all you need is the lens plate in the link above. However, based on the cost and complexity of your question you may be talking about helical mounts for the Cambo WRS cameras. That is a bit more involved and depends on whether you want the tilt-swing mount or not. That better matches the price you were quoted. I don't know of any reliable, quality alternatives to Cambo doing the work. Perhaps someone else does.
WRS Lens Mounts
I suspect 3D printing the WRS mount with tilt-swing would be extremely difficult. I have no idea what the tolerances are with 3D printing. Remember, you have to figure out how to accomplish the helical screw for focusing; it is not just a fixed mount.

Dave

 

[anyone]

Thank you! I indeed meant WRS lens mounts.

While tilt-swing mounts would be nice, I'm afraid those might be even more expensive than the initial quotes I got from Cambo. Does anyone have an indication of the price differences between "normal" WRS lens mounts and the tilt-swing version?

For the DIY version, I own a couple of original Schneider helical screws and also a Cambo body cover. My thought was to let someone remove (maybe by laser cutting) part of the body cover so that a cone can be screwed on top. On this cone, I'd mount the lens in the Schneider helical.

 

[anyone]

We had an interesting discussion in a WTB thread recently (the original thread can be found here: https://www.getdpi.com/forum/index.php?threads/found-wtb-cambo-wrs-lens-mounts.69884/#post-832790 )

I put a few quotes from this thread:

Concerning third party lens cones:

The Cambo 'lens cones' on eBay should be ok as long as they're machined correctly. But be prepared to shim your lens in order to get it bang on.

The eBay ones are $480 including a helical, so pretty competitive. But they're not mounting the lens for you and then testing it, so it's down to the user to figure all that out. Beyond the quality of the components the biggest issues are i) is the length close enough that shimming can correct for any tiny discrepancies, and ii) is the plane of the helical parallel to the film plane? Not a huge issue if you're shooting film (assuming only a small discrepancy), but shooting digital it could be a nightmare since it's not easily corrected.

I have seen a user on GetDPI who shot an Alpa with eBay sourced lens mounts, so the things can work. That said, not sure if he was using a DB or film back.

I haven't tried them out, but I did look into it. They said…

"because we do not have corresponding scales for 32mm, 50mm, 70mm, the final lens cone scale may be different from the lens scale, but it does not affect the use, but the scale number on the lens cone is different."

So it sounds like the the numbers on the helical won't be correct, but the lens mount will function correctly. As far as mounting the lenses, they said it is just like mounting on any other copal mount. A photographer that I bought a lens from on ebay a few months ago had one for sale so I asked him about it. He said that it works well at normal focusing distances, but the helical gets stiffer as you focus at closer distances.

 

[Geoff]

Had a similar idea about Alpa - tried a Chinese mount for the 35mm XL. Failed on two fronts: the plate was too thick, and the helical wouldn't get to infinity focus. Waste of time and money.
Lens is now at SK Grimes who can make it work. Might reach out to them, they are always clever and solid.

 

[anyone]

Does anyone use the ebay Cambo mounts?

 

[adrianaleson]

Hi
I just bought an Alpa SWA camera from a friend with a schneider 58XL for film.
I also have the Silvestri Bicam camera with two schneider lenses: 47XL and 65mm.
I would like to know how I can adapt my 65mm to the Alpa system, since I only need the spacer cone that goes behind the focus ring.
Thanks

We need a bit more information. You are using the term "lens boards." That implies you are talking about a Cambo Actus-type camera with a front standard that uses Cambo Actus lens mounts, which they call "lens plates" like this:
Actus Copal 0 Lens Plate
You can mount those yourself; all you need is the lens plate in the link above. However, based on the cost and complexity of your question you may be talking about helical mounts for the Cambo WRS cameras. That is a bit more involved and depends on whether you want the tilt-swing mount or not. That better matches the price you were quoted. I don't know of any reliable, quality alternatives to Cambo doing the work. Perhaps someone else does.
WRS Lens Mounts
I suspect 3D printing the WRS mount with tilt-swing would be extremely difficult. I have no idea what the tolerances are with 3D printing. Remember, you have to figure out how to accomplish the helical screw for focusing; it is not just a fixed mount.

Dave

 

[guphotography]

Hello,
I'm thinking to move more of my tech cam glass to Cambo WRS mount and I was wondering if there is experience for doing it?

Interesting would be:
a) Experiences with Cambo doing the mounting: prices, and how long it would take? Any experiences with the quality of their work: does the infiinity point match accurately? I asked at the factory and got the response: between 880 € and 1475 €.

Cambo mounted my sk 90, very swift service, they also check the lens itself to make sure it is performing at optimal level. Their price is also the cheapest, every dealer I spoke to simply adds a makeup on it.

If you are going for cambo mount, I doubt you'll find a better service than cambo themselves.

 

[dchew]

Hi
I just bought an Alpa SWA camera from a friend with a schneider 58XL for film.
I also have the Silvestri Bicam camera with two schneider lenses: 47XL and 65mm.
I would like to know how I can adapt my 65mm to the Alpa system, since I only need the spacer cone that goes behind the focus ring.
Thanks

I don't think Alpa ever mounted the 65, so they probably don't have any drawings or dimensions. I've found them very helpful in the past when trying to accomplish unique things, so you might try them directly. They should at least be able to tell you the distance from the front mounting face of the camera to the sensor plane.

I would focus at infinity with the Silvestri and find a way to measure the distance from a reference point on the lens to the sensor plane. Then you can figure out how much gap you need to fill with the "square tube." As long as you err a little on the short side, you will be able to focus at or beyond infinity.

Dave

 

[adrianaleson]

I don't think Alpa ever mounted the 65, so they probably don't have any drawings or dimensions. I've found them very helpful in the past when trying to accomplish unique things, so you might try them directly. They should at least be able to tell you the distance from the front mounting face of the camera to the sensor plane.

I would focus at infinity with the Silvestri and find a way to measure the distance from a reference point on the lens to the sensor plane. Then you can figure out how much gap you need to fill with the "square tube." As long as you err a little on the short side, you will be able to focus at or beyond infinity.

Dave

Thanks Dave for your time.
We will see what Alpa and the Chinese supplier says of the lens cone. Maybe I can put a cone for another focal distance and readjust the focus with the ring. For each change of camera I have had to adjust the retro-focus with the 3 screws on the focal ring.

Seeing that you are a great expert of the Alpa system, I think I am going to continue asking you. I have doubts about the short barrel and long barrel, I don't understand the difference. Could you tell me where I can read about the system Alpa 12?

Later I want to change my GFX system for the CFV50 system to digitize the Alpa although I have doubts about which lens to buy for architectural work. I understand that for interiors my Canon TSE 24mm lens could be used without aperture control, and for outdoors as a second lens perhaps the best option is HR-40, because of the low distortion and that it does not require LCC.

Thanks again.

 

[dchew]

I moved my response here since we have gone off topic

Switching to Alpa

I wasn't saying that you could adapt the other lenses to the Alpa, just that when comparing lenses, the 40/70 or 32/90 Alpa mount lenses will be far far better than Canon or even the Hasselblad lenses. That's just the magic of pure technical camera lenses. Oops my bad, sorry for misreading...

www.getdpi.com

Dave