The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

Cambo Wide RS or Alpa Max

Pemihan

Well-known member
Hi,

I'm contemplating getting a tech camera to use with my Mamiya DM22 back (same as Leaf Aptus II 5) and am torn between Cambo Wide RS or Alpa Max.
My main subject is landscape where I often stitch panorama and would like to be able to do multi row stitch as well.

As I understand it the Cambo Wide RS is capable to do nine shots by only moving the back and as such completely avoiding parallax problems.
Using the Alpa Max is a bit more complicated as I understand it. You have to shift both the back and the lens to get nine shots, but you can get an adapter to mount the lens on the tripod and that way avoid the parallax problem.

A 35mm lens will probably be my first choice. Then I can built from there.

I would love to hear your input regarding the two choices.... (or other for that matter)

Thanks
Peter
 

jlm

Workshop Member
my cambo WRS can shift the back +/- 15mm both ways, so that can easliy do a 3x3 stitch. typically, however I do single axis rotation panos to stay in the lens sweet spot. parallax is not a problem for a typical landscape, but if it is, you can rotate about the lens node with a RRS pano clamp rail, for example

here is an example of a 7 shot pano, portrait orientation, probably the SK 43 lens, IQ160, just using the standard tripod mount
 

danlindberg

Well-known member
It's easy/fast to do multirow stitching with the Max. A four shot stitch with the Schneider 35 XL I do 10mm both sides on the long side and 8mm both sides on the short side. This keeps the aspect ratio and the edges are absolutely acceptable with the DM22/Aptus 5.
 

dougpeterson

Workshop Member
(I also replied to you on LL)

First it should be noted that in practice the impact of moving the lens a few cm up or down will only matter when there is foreground or mid-ground subject matter. On sweeping panoramas with only background/infinity elements there will be little if any effect. The determinate of moving the lens will be most evident on extreme compositions where e.g. a fallen tree is composed to be coming towards the camera. In such a case it is a large problem bordering on impossible to fix.

Here is a 9-shot stitch I took in Moab from an Infrared-modified Phase One P21.



Front lens movement is likely not a big deal if multi-row stitching will only be occasionally used. But if you plan on making that a core part of your workflow then the Arca or Cambo solutions are significantly more elegant, as well as more compact and lighter than requiring an additional accessory and mounting the lens to the tripod.

With a Cambo Wide RS or Arca R series body the rise/fall/shift movements are all natively on the rear of the camera, such that the lens does not move at all for multi-row stitches. As a bonus tilt is available (natively) for every lens on the Arca as compared to the Cambo and Alpa both of which only offer on specific mid-wide and longer lenses (and Alpa only by means of an additional accessory and special versions of those lenses).

If you want to extensively stitch you'll want to stick with the lenses with larger image circles, and where available you'll want to use the matched Center Filter for each lens. The Schneider 43XL, 47XL, and especially the 60XL come to mind immediately (based on my own experience rather than just the stated image circles). If you email me I'd be glad to help you understand which lenses will yield what level of wideness with single shots, and 2-9 shot stitches as well as how well each lens will handle the required movements for those stitches.

We have recently opened a Remote Demo Center with high quality remote teleconferencing, screen sharing, and raw file sharing to provide customers who can't make it to our show floor the opportunity to see the nitty-gritty of working with such systems. We'd be glad to show you around a Cambo or Arca. Full disclosure: we no longer sell Alpa.
 

dougpeterson

Workshop Member
Also, I really enjoy doing vertical stitches. Once you have a tech camera and start to explore the myriad aspect ratios easily possible you may find that multi-row stitches are not the only time you use vertical stitching.

For this particular shot it would not have mattered if there was lens movement, but in others with more foreground content (e.g. a tall tree) it would be critical.

Doug Peterson, Wedding Photography

 

RodK

Active member
I echo what Doug has posted. I have a photographer friend who just did a 6 shot vertical and 3 shot horizontal, for more sky, image using rotation with the RM3di. It was made into a 10' high by 25' print that is incredible. But usually she uses shifting back for less distortion. With longer lenses the Arca-Swiss RM3di's large throat allows more shift with less mechanical vignetting.
Rod
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
From an Alpa perspective the front shift adapter is a no-brainer accessory for the Max. You just fit it and you're done forever and never need to remove it. People seem to make a fuss about it but all it does is move the mount point of the tripod from the base of the body to the lens mount and that's it. Period. After you have that mounting option in place the entire back/body moves to provide you with a full range of shifts.

With that mounted as your standard tripod mount you will have the same movements as far as shift is concerned as the Cambo & Arca's.

Full disclosure - I don't sell any of them but I do use the Alpa (currently TC/STC but originally a MAX). :grin:

P40+, Alpa MAX & stitch adapter mount, SK47 3 image stitch:

 

Pemihan

Well-known member
Thanks guys...

At the moment I'm leaning towards the Cambo WRS. I like the small overall package compared to the Alpa Max.
One thing however, on the Alpa you can mount the back vertically or horizontal, is that possible on the Cambo?

Dough, when I decide on the camera I might take you up on it and shoot you a email..

Peter
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Peter,

Yes you can mount it either way on the Cambo. It's a very nice camera system that if I weren't an Alpa shooter already I'd be shooting myself! :thumbup:
 

Pemihan

Well-known member
Thanks Graham..

One thing I like about the Alpa system though is that you can get the smaller TC or STC to use when you don't need the big MAX...

Hmmmm decisions decisions..

Peter
 

MGrayson

Subscriber and Workshop Member
It's very easy to switch the back orientation on the Cambo. Not Leaf rotating back easy, but easy.

My rankings for functionality were #1 Arca, #2 Cambo, and #3 Alpa. But the "it won't let go of my hand" rankings were the reverse. Could I have come to love the Arca? Maybe - I really like their tripod heads. Could I have learned to do everything with an Alpa STC, SWA, or Max? Almost certainly. But I went with Cambo (AE for the nice handgrips, although they're not as nice as the Alpa SWA's, alas), and any remaining failures are, to quote the HAL 9000 computer, "attributable to human error."

Best,

Matt
 

Ztacir

Member
Last year,I was faced with the same dilemma and I decided to participate in a workshop organized by Capture Integration in Bretton Woods where Guy and Jack were instructors.In 3 days,I had a chance to test Arca and Cambo with IQ180 coupled with almost any lens that you can think of from Rodenstock and Schneider.At the end,I returned home with Cambo WRS AE,IQ180,Rodenstock 23,40 T/S and 70 T/S.I am so happy ,I mean really happy with my system.If I would have to choose one lens,I would definetely go with 40 mm.I should give special credit to everyone from Capture Integration.The service they provided was truly remarkable.
If you want to see some samples from my pictures taken with Cambo,
visit my site at Ziya Tacir and please feel free to ask any questions you might have.
Ziya
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Ziya.

:thumbs: on the workshop for trying this stuff out.

The CI session in Bretton Woods was great, as have been the sessions that Jack/Guy have arranged in the past such as Death Valley also with CI's assistance. I know that CI still run these and they are great way of finding out what you want and even if you factor in the cost of attending it'll save you a bundle compared to making the wrong decision and changing later.
 

kdphotography

Well-known member
Ziya.

:thumbs: on the workshop for trying this stuff out.

The CI session in Bretton Woods was great, as have been the sessions that Jack/Guy have arranged in the past such as Death Valley also with CI's assistance. I know that CI still run these and they are great way of finding out what you want and even if you factor in the cost of attending it'll save you a bundle compared to making the wrong decision and changing later.
CI in Carmel (PIAB) is in the works---February 2013. The emphasis is going to be on technical cameras and MFDBs. :D
 

Pemihan

Well-known member
Thanks again all, very helpful info....

I think I'm inclined to go the Cambo way, the size and all the movements on the back is what really suits me.
Going to a workshop would be wonderful, but I'm located in Denmark and the options here are quite limited in regards to getting my hands on the gear before buying..

My tripod system is Really Right Stuff, what do you Cambo users use as a quick release plate?
I have tried searching the RRS website, but cant find anything suitable..
 
Last edited:
Top