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New Cambo Actus for Digital Backs

synn

New member
Hi Torger,

Thanks very much for that detailed response. Indeed, it's nice to hear that the lenses I have in mind can be used on this camera (24 XL, 60 XL, one of the 120mm lenses). Primary use will be landscaping with tilt and of course shifting for panoramas and occasional rise/ fall.

As my back is a Credo, tethered live view should make life easier for framing and focusing.

The last piece of the puzzle is filter usage. As far as I know, the Arca has a compendium system that makes this possible. I am not sure if the Actus will allow something similar. This is a must-have for me as my landscape work involves NDs and Grads.
 

torger

Active member
Concerning filters I use myself the Lee Seven5 filter system for ND grads. It's actually designed for compact range finders, but as tech lenses typically have a small filter ring as they are small aperture lenses it works well and is small and compact and you just screw it directly on the lens filter thread. Great when hiking with the gear. I know I'm not the only one that have chosen the Seven5 as filter system for a tech camera, but the larger Lee is more common of course. The quality of the smaller is just as good though. A difference is that the sharp transitions is a bit sharper than on the larger Lee (I've been told), which to me is an advantage.

I have the Seven5 lens hood, but I don't use it nowadays, I shade with my hand or with an umbrella (which I always bring anyway in the case of rain). I think that's a good option and gives me one less thing to carry, except for that I sometimes run out of hands.

The Seven5 will work up to 72mm filter thread which means it fits all digital tech lenses except the following: the Rodenstock Digaron-W 32 (86mm, 105mm with center filter), Rodenstock Digaron-S 23 and 28 (72mm, 95mm with center filter), Schneider Digitar 28 (95 or 112mm depending on filter ring option, and the 115mm center filter if used has no threading at all). My widest lens is the SK35 and it works on that, it does vignette a little but you get as much as 88mm vertically and 80mm horizontally which is not too bad of the 90mm image circle.

You'll also notice that grads (which are always uncoated by the way, even if you get the expensive heavy Schneider glass ones) is hell on ultra-wides especially if already having a center filter. It's extremely reflection-prone. Using bracketing techniques instead of grads is sometimes better when shooting ultrawides. I know some prefer to even not use the center filters and bracket instead for better exposure in the corners, as the center-filters themselves can lower contrast and cause reflections in difficult light.

A good way to start is to figure out which wide angles lenses you are going to use. Even if you don't buy them at once it's nice to have it planned in advance. It's there the big costs and compatibility issues are found. For example you can't use the full image circle of the SK28 on your Credo 40, on the other hand it might still be a better option than the Rodenstock 28 which has a hard limit on 70mm image circle.

Concerning polarizers and regular NDs I use screw-in filters instead. It's a bit more cumbersome and slow to mount but you get a lot more products to choose from and you get it absolutely fool-proof light tight which is good if you would use a really dark ND. It also becomes cheaper. 72mm screw-in polarizer is a lot cheaper than a polarizer for a square filter system. I use the super-thin Kenko Zeto EX polarizer because it loses less light than most other filters, which is good as I have a back limited to 30 second exposure. With wide angles with center filters and shooting at f/11 the shutter speeds are long enough as is.

Concerning cast the Lee grad filters will change the temperature somewhat, it becomes a bit cooler if I remember correctly. I think there's also a little bit sample-to-sample variation. If you need the most neutral you can get I think the Schneider glass filters is the answer. They are designed for pro video use, but there is a kit to buy for still photographers when it comes with a special-made Lee filter holder.
 
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Paul2660

Well-known member
Hi Torger,

Thanks very much for that detailed response. Indeed, it's nice to hear that the lenses I have in mind can be used on this camera (24 XL, 60 XL, one of the 120mm lenses). Primary use will be landscaping with tilt and of course shifting for panoramas and occasional rise/ fall.

As my back is a Credo, tethered live view should make life easier for framing and focusing.

The last piece of the puzzle is filter usage. As far as I know, the Arca has a compendium system that makes this possible. I am not sure if the Actus will allow something similar. This is a must-have for me as my landscape work involves NDs and Grads.
I can't speak to the Cambo Aptus, but recently I use the Arca DSLR2 with the A7r extensively and it's a great solution, and the new Arca Universalis would allow the same solution, but less cost and weight. The Cambo appears to have both geared tilt and swing in the front, for some reason Arca only gave geared tilt to the Universalis, not swing. The DSLR2 has excellent gearing for both. The Unversalis will allow other non Rodenstock/Schenider lenses to be used as you can add the FS (Focal plane shutter).

I own the rm3di so I can use all my R mount lenses on either the DSLR2 or Unversalis, takes just a few seconds to remove the tubes. I am thinking long term of moving to the A7r/Universalis since I know just how good that solution is. When Sony updates the A7r to the next gen, things will get very interesting indeed.

Filters:

I would consider using the Lee hood, not the Arca compendium. Unless Arca has changed the compendium, it doesn't offer a filter slot like the Cambo one.
The Lee wide angle hood works great on all my lenses, besides the 28HR (no easy way to attach the hood with the CF on). You can use 1 filter and attach a screw in 105mm CLPL or ND in the front of the hood. With the 40mm HR-W you may catch a corner at 15mm of shift, the rest of my glass, has no problems on full shifts. You just need the Lee wide angle adapter rings for each lens. In the field I will carry the 105mm CL-PL and several solid ND's 0.3 to 6x all in the 4 x 4 size that will work with the Lee hood.

Paul
 

synn

New member
Paul and Torger, thanks so much for your advice! I need to do a lot more research on filter capability (And maybe a demo or two ) before I take the plunge. Basically, I often stack a grad and an ND together in my shots. Of course, i can bracket, but sun and clouds don't often wait for man. :)

I will keep in mind to PM both you gentlemen as and when I have questions. Hope you won't mind! :)
 

Paul2660

Well-known member
Arca now does offer a 100x100 filter holder for the Compendium Hood.
Thanks for the correction, however unless Arca is putting the filter by the lens element, I don't think a 4 x 4 (100 x 100) will work on wides. The Compendium I had was the large one and it was very hard to use with the 40, 28 and 35, but was fine on 60mm and on up.

And the price at around $650.00? or even 500, is a bit much to me, when you can use the Lee hood with so much more versatility. As it can be used on 35mm, Medium format, APC-C etc.

Don't get me wrong, as I use all Arca with my field setup, except the hood :angel:

They may have also totally changed the hood since I owned the large one back in early 2014. Mine was square, and thus not shaped well for wides, like the Lee hood is.

Paul
 

timwier

Member
This thread turned into an interesting discussion...

I recently picked up a very nice Cambo WRS system with several lenses - one of which is the SK28mm. I noticed in the thread that the SK28 has problems with certain backs.

I am in the market for a new back and am interested which backs (other than the IQ 150/250) that don't work well with this lens.
 
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