Shipping now, the AC-380 and AC-381 fine gear drives add yet another option for customers looking to get the most out of their existing Actus camera. 

This double gear knob kit for focus and tilt will be interchangeable with the current axle/knob/gear. The large knob controls as it does with the existing knob set, however this will add a smaller knob that reduces the movement to 1:5 gearing for more precise control and self locking. 

Because of the slight differences in tilt mechanism design, two versions of this upgrade will be offered. The AC-380 is for focus on all Actus cameras and for the tilt movements of the Actus-Mini. The AC-381 exits for those customers wishing to upgrade the tilt movements on their Actus-G or Actus-DB II. Both kits will be identically priced, and will be sold individually for users that only wish to upgrade one knob at a time.

The install process is fairly simple and straight forward, and both kits include all of the instructions and tools needed to perform the swap yourself without the need to ship anything back to Cambo.

Both the AC-380 and AC-381 are available now from any of or US Dealers.

The following blog post first appeared on the Cold Snap Photography blog and is re-posted here with permission from the author John Gregor.

Perspective Control In Camera

What is perspective control? How can you achieve perspective control in your images? 
In this article I will discuss the concept of perspective control and what it means in our photographs.

To achieve In-camera Perspective Control you must have either a view camera or a tilt shift lens. For the examples here I am using the Cambo Actus Mini B. More information about the Cambo cameras can be found at the end of this article.

Perspective control is the process of composing or editing of images to ensure that vertical parallel (or near parallel) lines remain parallel or near parallel.

Perspective Distortion

Perspective distortion doesn’t occur if the camera is kept level as shown in the camera position above. Typically however this might not result in the image we want. As shown in the image below:

Perspective distortion occurs when the sensor plane is not parallel to lines that are required to be parallel in the photo. Most commonly this happens when the camera is tilted or pointed upwards–typically to include the top of a building or more sky or as in this case more of the tree-tops. The resulting photograph is shown below:

Perspective Control

The camera and lens above are level but the lens is shifted upwards. This results in the the perspective of the trees to be maintained (vertical lines are parallel). Here is the resulting image below:

The most frequent use of perspective control lenses and cameras are for architectural photographs. Using the same concepts as the tree photographs above the images below demonstrate the use of perspective control:

Perspective control in camera is the most precise method of achieving perspective control. These methods can be replicated using the tools found in most post process programs, however, post processed perspective control can result in distortion in other areas of the image. I prefer to get it right in camera.

For more information about the Cambo Actus Mini or other Cambo perspective control cameras go to: https://www.cambo.com/en/actus-series/

ColdSnap Photography is the work of professional photographer John Gregor. In addition to fine art and commercial photography ColdSnap Photography is the Upper Mid West’s leading photography workshop provider. Hosting workshops on the shores of Lake Superior and beyond. Committed to guiding photographers to awe-inspiring places, where they can create masterful photos. For more information on his upcoming workshops you can visit
https://coldsnapphotography.com/workshops/

We are happy to announce that Cambo products are available for order and purchase at Fotocare in New York City!

Please reach out to your sales contact for more information, or to be paired with a salesperson please contact Cambo USA at info@Cambousa.com

41 W 22nd St,
New York, NY 10010
(212) 741-2991
www.fotocare.com

Recently we reached out to Bryan Minear, Fuji X-Photographer, to offer a test of the Cambo Actus-Mini for the Fuji-X platform. Here are his thoughts. 

Photos and text by Bryan Minear. Shared here with his permission.

Because the lenses are designed to resolve at such a larger size, it allows you to shift the sensor around within the frame. Not only can you tilt and shift the lens on the front, but the rear camera mount moves side to side and up and down independently as well. This allows you to capture panoramas with NO distortion whatsoever. You are essentially moving the sensor around the lens area shot by shot so you can combine them into perfectly stitched panoramas in post. I know that photoshop has come a long was with perspective correction tools, but there is no software that allows you to create panoramas like this. I have to say that ending up with super high resolution panoramas is perfect for printing.

5 image panorama

One of the coolest things about the Actus Mini is the size. I’m a huge fan of shooting on tripods. I love to slow down and add filters and do things very methodically. The bottom of the Actus is totally Arca-Swiss compatible so it is ready to be mounted without any sort of added plate. But it’s size also allows you to hand hold the entire system. It gets a little tough if you are wanting to do a lot of tilt and shift movements, but it’s totally possible. The build quality of this thing is incredible. It just feels very solid and well engineered. The whole system breaks down very quickly. The bellows are attached the the front and back by a genius magnetic connection that locks you into place, and it folds down completely flat for storage.

I was in constant communication with Cambo the week that I was testing. They wanted to make sure to answer any questions that I had. I asked them what kinds of fields they saw this being most useful in. Knowing that in my world of landscape and architecture the perspective adjustments and panorama capabilities are a huge deal. But they also informed me that this system would be great for product and portrait photographers because it allows for such intricate depth of field plane control.

My week looked like this: I hit a few of my local hotspots after work just totally in “play” mode to get a feel for the controls and how it would fit into “my style” of work. Knowing that I had a trip planned for the weekend where I was REALLY going to put it through its paces in the field I really just wanted to get better acquainted with the functions so i knew what to do when i had a real subject to shoot. As is my luck, the weather for the weekend soured last minute and we ended up canceling our trip. Just know that I HATE reading online reviews and seeing mediocre sample images that do nothing to show off the product being reviewed. I shot what I could in the time I had, but Michigan had other plans and the entire weekend was a bust. I just have to beg you, the reader, for forgiveness because my final images aren’t as good as the could be. C’est la vie. Hopefully you get an idea of what the system can really do. I hope to get my hands back on one of these for a New York or Chicago trip to really put it to work in the architectural realm.

If you have any specific questions about the system, please feel free to comment below or shoot me a message on twitter or instagram

Or reach out to them directly at Cambousa.com | info@cambousa.com or by phone 404-859-5809.

And hopefully I can talk my wife into letting me buy one. ?

Until next time!

5-Shot Panorama

Cambo will show MBX series of stands released last year, the new lineup of Actar lenses, as well as, the entire range of Actus cameras, including the new specially designed for the needs of educators, Actus EDU.

Come by booths 43-44 to see everything for yourself.  

The ACTAR series now consists of 5 lenses!  Joining the existing ACTAR-24 and ACTAR-60 we now are pleased to announce the addition of the ACTAR-80, ACTAR-90 and ACTAR-120.

Designed exclusively for use with the ACTUS camera system, these lenses come pre-mounted to an ACTUS Lens Board and ready to use.

Actar 90/Actar 90

Cambo’s ACTAR-80 and ACTAR-90 are 80mm and 90mm standard lenses, dedicated to the Cambo Actus series. Both will focus at infinity in combination with mirrorless camera bodies as well as DSLR bodies. Both ACTAR-80/90 lenses are ideal for product photography, including fashion, food and jewelry.

An extensive image circle of 85 to 90mm, allows for horizontal shifts over more than 20mm each side when using a full frame (24×36) sensor in either landscape or portrait mode. The optical design of this lens is a 7 element, of which all lenses are multicoated to achieve the best contrast.

Actar 90
-focal length: 90mm
-aperture range: f 4. – 22
-filter thread: m40.5
-lens design: 7 elements
-image circle: 90mm
-built for: Cambo Actus (non DB)

Actar 120

Cambo’s ACTAR-120 is a macro lens with a focal length of 120mm, dedicated to the Cambo Actus series. It will focus until infinity in combination with all mirrorless and DSLR camera bodies. The ACTAR-120 is a lens which is primarily designed for an optimal performance at close-up range, between 1:1 and 1:10. Nevertheless, this lens can also be used for general purpose photography. The design of this lens is build of 6 elements, of which all lenses are multicoated to achieve the best contrast.

Actar 120
-focal length: 120mm
-aperture range: f 5.6 – 32
-filter thread: m40.5
-lens design: 6 elements
-image circle: 100mm
-built for: Cambo Actus (non DB)

All of these are available now.

A dedicated Lens hood for the ACTAR-24 is in the works and will be announced soon