will check with Doug Peterson.
Doug you lurking?
Always.
But I don't have a clue in the world about pricing. As Head of Technical Services I just learn how to make everything work right; someone else has to pay for it! :angel:
In all seriousness I try to some practical extent to stay price-agnostic. My job is to know exactly how well everything works, how to get the best out of it, and what to do when it doesn't work. Obviously I know which lenses are in what general price categories, but the less I get involved with that the more I can focus on the technicals.
I'd suggest calling our main office or calling/emailing your preferred salesman (Steve, Chris, Dave, or Jim) if you already know / work with one. They are the ones who spend every day working out trade-in deals, bulk-purchases, upgrades, promotions, currency-flucation, purchasing kits and breaking them up, rotating demo equipment, negotiating to get refurbs and surplus inventory, buying from dealers going out of business, bundling, payment methods and terms, and all the other tricks of the trades to find the most cost effective way to get reliable high-quality equipment to our customers. They are also the ones with more a mind for quality/price "value".
I can tell technically you the 35XL is a
great lens for 6.8 and 9 micron backs and a good lens for 6 micron backs; it's pretty questionable as a main-stay lens for a 5.2 micron back. (cast/angle-of-incidence issues not sharpness issues). It's also very compact, even with the center filter, and provides very good range of movement for it's focal length.
I can tell you the WDS is a fine entry-level tech camera. It's movements require a lock (they are not self-arresting) which is somewhat slower to work with especially for vertical movements (which are fairly rare) and the lens moves for rise/fall which means stitching shots in a vertical manner (which again is fairly rare) can be problematic (as the perspective of the camera changes); a geared center column on the tripod or software solutionscan largely overcome that but it isn't ideal. It's also larger than an RS in pack size. Otherwise it's just a well-made metal plate like any other tech camera. Any of the cambo tech cameras (Compact, DS, RS, RS-AE) can do tilt-and-swing simultaneously on most lenses (the very widest lenses cannot, though there is a strong argument to be made that you don't need swing/tilt on ultra-wides), and have interchangable lens panels (meaning you could add an RS, or Compact, to your kit in the future and not have to buy new lens panels). You'll want to consider based on your budget and needs if you need the ultra-fine-focusing provided by the Arca (meaning you can focus at exactly 12.3 feet versus just "around 12 ft"). Considering the budget you seem to be on I think you'll find preset-hyperfocal distances and other focusing methods will be ok for 99% of your shots; there is also an option to retrofit an Alpa HPF onto a Cambo lens if you find you need very-fine focusing. But again I don't know much about your needs and personality/aesthetics/preferences play a big role. This is where a workshop hands-on is invaluable!
Doug Peterson
(e-mail Me)
__________________
Head of Technical Services, Capture Integration
Phase One Partner of the Year
Leaf, Leica, Cambo, Arca Swiss, Canon, Apple, Profoto, Broncolor, Eizo & More
National: 877.217.9870 *| *Cell: 740.707.2183
Newsletter | RSS Feed
Buy Capture One 6 at 10% off