Cambo Legend 5x4

[Pete Askew]

While fiddling with a 55mm lens on a Speed Graphic this afternoon (https://realphotographersforum.com/threads/anyone-know-of-a-wider-camera.9223/#post-77133) it occurred to me that I'd never done a thread on the technical camera I use here in Potsdam. So, here one is!

The Cambo Legend is a large format studio camera. As with most cameras of this type, it is a system camera with many components and accessories but is not quite as cross compatible as the Sinar system. However, the Legend is equipped with all of the usual movements, controlled by gears and with the usual locks and indents. It is a monorail camera with a rectangular cross-section as opposed to the circular cross-section of the Sinar.

This view shows the camera mounted on a short stand and Sinar tilt head. It is fitted with geared front and rear standards on a normal length rail (these can be extended by 'screwing' additional sections on) and a universal back and a Cooke 9" lens.

As usual, the standards are fitted with rise and fall and tilt,

horizontal shift and swing.

Focus is achieved by both moving the standards apart (coarse) and by rack and pinion on both.

The camera is fitted with a rotating back.

And this can be removed to attach a sliding back etc.

The camera can be fitted with a 'Compendium' lens hood or you can use other shades.

I have a reasonable range of the usual accessories including a bag-bellows for wide angle lenses, additional standard bellows to allow greater extension plus, as illustrated here, extension rails, Polaroid back, roll film backs (Cambo and Wista) and intermediate standards (to allow extra bellows units to be added).

There are several lenses mounted in Cambo panels including, from left to right; Rodenstock Apo Grandagon 55mm f1:4.5 MC, Rodenstock Grandagon N 75mm f1:4.5 MC, Schneider Super Symmar 120mm f1:5.6 MC, Schneider Apo Symmar 210mm f1:5.6 MC, Schneider Apo Symmar 360mm f1:6.8 MC and, in front mounted on a Linhof panel, a Schneider Super Symmar 110mm f1:5.6 Xl 105º Aspheric MC. The lens on the camera (mounted also on a Linhof panel via a Cambo to Linhof adapter panel) is a Cooke PS945 9" (229mm) f1:4.5 portrait lens (used for these https://realphotographersforum.com/threads/summer-heat-coffee-cyanotype.2805/ ).

At some point I'll try and do some sort of tutorial on using one of these.


All images shot using a Ricoh GR Digital III. PP in LR.

 

[David Mitchell]

If only I had a studio lol its amazing how simple large format cameras are, basically a lens at one end of a flexible box and the film at the other, all supported by 2 supports with a million different settings lol

I do like the simplicity of a monopole though looks really nice, and that 360mm lens is a beast lol

That looks the same as Ted on 'the art of photography's youtube channel, he has done a tutorial on movements for LF cameras

What roll back is that?

 

[Hamish Gill]

There really is no end to your collection is there?
A nice looking thing, I'd love to have a go with somthing like that!
Nice write up Pete!

 

[David Mitchell]

When I grow up I want to by just like Pete

 

[Pete Askew]

Thanks both. Both film backs are 6x9 which must mean that there are two 6x7 backs in the UK! The 360mm will cover 10x8 (actually 11x14).

I've never seen that Youtube channel before - it is a Cambo although he has a 10x8 with a reducing back. You can see why that can be a pain over 5x4 native (unless you want to shoot 10x8) when he adds some movements. And, t's probably the worst description of camera movements I've ever seen! He likes to talk though doesn't he?!

 

[David Mitchell]

Well he was a lecturer lol I don't think I would need to shoot anything larger than a 5x4 as I can easily create a digital negative larger by printing onto a transparency. I can see if you were using an analogue method of enlargement the larger negative would be useful.

And then there is the George Laurence's Mammoth camera lol...it shot an 8x4.....that's an 8ft x 4ft plate lol is that Cambo the largest camera you currently own at the moment?

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Does it have a shutter release button???

 

[Pete Askew]

No, I have a 10x8 Sinar. I bought the rear standard and bellows to add to some spare stuff in preparation to doing some wet plate work but haven't got round to it yet. ou can see it lurking in the rear right of this shot.

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Does it have a shutter release button???

A little lever on the lens! You'd be right at home with it Rob!

 

[Dave Moss]

That is amazing

 

[Pete Askew]

Actually, David is quite right. They look complex but are actually very simple devices.

 

[David Mitchell]

A note for people viewing this who havn't seen many LF cameras before - large format camera lenses usually have a shutter built in and much like a normal SLR you simply remove the lens and board and drop in another lens and board. Whilst this style of large format camera is very simple the drawback comes when using older barrel lenses. A barrel lens is a lens which is just that, just a lens with no shutter, you can add on a shutter to the lens but one of the reasons (perhaps the same as Pete) for buying a speed graphic field camera vs the monopole camera shown here is that the speed graphic has a shutter built in. This means that I can shoot both shuttered and barrel lens on my speed graphic.

The major advantage for that Cambo monopole is the fact there are a lot of movements - think of it like a tilt/shift lens on an SLR. Where the focus can be shifted around to get the light correctly hitting the film how you want - what is also cool on large format camera is the ground glass on the rear standard - its a 5x4 sized 'live view' whereas most digital cameras can only manage a small LCD screen on the back. The ground glass allows control of the critical focus of the image (although upside down) and means you can get an uber sharp image by subtly adjusting the focus and movements.

Then there is resolution of the 5x4 (or larger like the 10x8)....no digital sensor has the resolution and dynamic range to match which is why although you can get scanning digital backs (basically a scanner bolted to the rear) for large format cameras, its normally always shot with film.

 

[Pete Askew]

Sinar produce a separate, front standard-mounted shutter which is why all of my 'barrel' lenses are in the UK (where my Sinar is). And if you are shooting collodion or similar you can achieve an accurate enough exposure just using a lens cap - even on sheet film once the lens is stopped down.

Modern digital backs, like those from PhaseOne, exceed the resolution and dynamic range of film and get close to 10x8. The problem with these is that the movements on a 5x4 camera can be a bit 'over-scale' which is why many manufacturers have brought out technical cameras matched to the smaller backs. Scanning backs don't have this 'problem' but are limited (on the whole) to static objects and in many cases (eg artwork) movements are not employed anyway.

 

[David Mitchell]

Hmmm seems that digital is beginning to catch up with film then lol although i'm guessing the scanning back is a tad expensive!

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Hmmm seems that digital is beginning to catch up with film then lol although i'm guessing the scanning back is a tad expensive!