How did you first fall in love with photography?

Nature and landscapes have always played a big role in my life. I was born in the mid-1970s in a small town in Thuringia, on the edge of Hainich National Park, right in the middle of Germany, where I grew up very close to nature. Trips and vacations with my parents and grandparents often led to nature. I discovered photography very early in my childhood as I toyed around with my parent’s and grandparent’s analog EXA and Praktika cameras, which were made in GDR (German Democratic Republic). 

What started as a small hobby developed over the years into my job and my passion. While I was studying business administration, I also developed my love for travel. My fascination with landscape photography developed through various stays abroad in Canada, Mexico, and the US, all of which have very diverse landscapes.

From where do you draw your inspiration?

I draw a lot of inspiration from design or architecture, which surrounds me all day long here in Germany. I also draw from my friends who have a strong relationship with photography and/or architecture as well. Old-fashioned location scouting with long hikes in nature is another way I find inspiration. It is an essential part of my process to spend a lot of time in the nature to find new places to shoot. 

Do you have any specific influences you’d like to share?

I’m not the typical landscape photographer who draws inspiration only from other landscape photographers or artists. I tend to very often look outside the box. I admire the works of Sebastiao Salgado, Ragnar Axelsson or younger photographers like Kiliii Yuyan or Carsten Egevang. Most of their images can tell a story and have more of a photojournalistic approach. I’m also influenced by the minimalistic approach of photographers like Michael Kenna and Hengki Koentjoro.

If you were behind your camera and could choose anything you wanted to be in your viewfinder, where would you be and what would you be looking at?

I would like to go to Antarctica and shoot icebergs in that very special light you often have in the cold regions of our planet.  I’d like to get lost in a town like Valencia in Spain with all its modern architecture. And there is always Switzerland with its amazing glaciers, mountains, vast valleys, wild creeks, and picturesque villages. But I also feel that the location is not as important as being happy with where you are, and having inspirational people with you (that you like) while you shoot. 

What drew you to the Actus system and what do you like about shooting landscape photography with it?

With my classic camera setup, I was getting more and more frustrated because I felt stuck. I was not able to create the shots I wanted. Especially in landscape photography, I was frustrated with the look ultra-wide-angle lenses are creating. I constantly had to make compromises with lens distortions – mountains or waterfalls in the background started to look tiny compared to what the scenery really looked like. The game-changer for me was that, with the Actus system, I could shift the camera body – I was able to capture scenes as a panoramic shot with the right proportions. I’m very thankful that Richard Lotte from Cambo Netherlands gave me an Actus System for testing. After trying the Cambo Actus system for the first time in landscape photography, I was impressed by the ease of use, and it made it so simple to create panoramic shots, selecting the right depth of field. I’m just starting to understand the endless possibilities and how I can achieve a unique style in my photography. 

A lot of new photographers consider a view camera “Old School.” What are the advantages you see shooting with an Actus instead of a DSLR?

It looks a bit old school and intimidating at first sight but when you start using and understanding the view camera, everything feels easy and it becomes a very modern tool. In my opinion, the Cambo Actus system is superior compared to classic tilt-shift lenses because you have the additional function of the camera shift for panoramic compositions. When using longer focal lengths like the 60mm, you can use that lens, of course, for classic landscape or product photography but you can also use that lens for macro photography. With a system like the Actus, you have to be more thoughtful and you need to be more focused on the composition you have in mind. You have to set up everything in advance for the optimal shooting results – but that’s a good thing. The camera system slows you down a little bit while shooting, but in the end, it makes post-processing much smoother. I never had it so easy with stitching panoramic shots. Another advantage is that the system itself is very flexible. Not only was I able to use the Cambo Actar 24mm and 60mm, I can use the Pentax’ 45-85mm and Pentax’ 75mm medium format lens on the same system. Then when I’m not using my Sony A7RIII body, I can attach a Fuji GFX, EOS R, Nikon Z or a Hasselblad X1D Camera body. There are so many lens-camera-combinations possible with the Actus system.

What is the next path you see your creativity taking your photography?

With a view camera, your own creativity is getting back more in focus and with a tool like the Actus it is easier to achieve the style of photography I’m looking for. I will do more architectural photos, create more unique product photos with a more defined plane of focus, and of course, more panoramic pictures to get the right perspective of waterfalls and mountains. 

You can see more of Matthias Conrad’s work on Instagram @matthconphoto. All photos used with permission of the artist.

Here’s a quick look at the new products Cambo introduced in 2020.

X-Shutter

The X-Shutter is an electronic leaf shutter that can replace the traditional #0 copal shutter on several Schneider and Rodenstock lenses. The X-Shutter is only controlled by Phase One’s IQ4 infinity platform. Some of your existing lens panels with a Rodenstock or Schneider lens can be remounted with tis new X-Shutter. Cambo will start delivery of Cambo WRS lens panels – with or without Tilt/Swing mechanism – featured with the X-Shutter by default.

ACTAR-19

The ACTAR-19 is an Ultra Wide Angle Lens, dedicated to the Cambo Actus system in combination with a DSLR or Mirrorless camera, mounted to the Actus.

WRS-HVSA

The WRS-HVSA lensplate allows you to mount lenses from the Hasselblad-500 series, in combination with the WRS series camera and the PhaseOne XT and adds extra functionality for the lens’ leaf shutter to be activated and released.

WRC-HVSA Kit WRC-400 with WRS-HVSA

The WRC-HVSA Kit comprises the WRC-400 camera body, the new WRS-HVSA lenspanel, the SLW-80 interface for Hasselblad-V interface, as well as a wooden handgrip. (Lens not included)

WRS-SERV

The WRS-SERV is a new service that sends your WRS-1000, 1200, 1600, 5000 series or the WRC-400 back to the Cambo Headquarters for a modification and over all service check. The modification machines a groove into the body of the camera that allows for XT lens panels to be used on your WRS or WRC bodies.

WRS-1049

The WRS-1049 Front-Adapter can replace the WRS-1048 in combination with Cambo WRS Short Barrel Lens Panels. Now you can use a Cambo WRS Short Barrel on the Phase One XT body, as the XT body doesn’t accept rear spacers.

WRS-M645

The WRS-M645 lensplate allows you to mount lenses from the Mamiya-645 series, in combination with the WRS series camera. (Lens not included.)

PCF Gearhead

Not introduced in 2020 but Cambo’s PCF tripod head has amazing flexibility. It can tilt, swing, rotate as if it were a ball head, and it has precision gears for fine-tuned tilt and swing and additional geared rotation of the top platform. All geared movements are self-locking and available in any position of the head. After leveling, the top rotation can be used for panoramic shooting.

Cambo is pleased to announce the availability of the X-Shutter system for new or existing Schneider and Rodenstock Lenses.

The X-Shutter is an electronic leaf shutter that can ONLY be controlled by Phase One’s IQ4 Infinity Platform. The S-Shutter was previously only available with lenses sold for the Phase One XT body, but now Cambo has teamed up with Phase One to expand the X-Shutter capabilities by remounting it to a number of additional lenses from Rodenstock and Schneider Kreuznach.

New Lenses with X-Shutter

New Rodenstock lenses with the X-Shutter will be available through your Authorized Cambo USA Dealer. And for the first time ever you will be able to order lenses with the X-Shutter for use with view cameras that utilize flat or recessed lensboards.

Tilt Swing Availability

Cambo will be able to mount any of the following lenses on WRS Tilt/Swing panels. This will now allow XT customers to achieve the movements and focal plane control that they have been missing since the announcement of the XT. Here is a list of the lenses that can now be ordered new or be retrofitted into Tilt/Swing panels:

Fully integrated XT lenses are only available as a new Phase One product. All lenses will be compatible with the Phase One XT system, but they will lose the transfer of metadata and would connect with the IQ4 via the cable.

Contact your Authorized Cambo Dealer for more information and pricing.

Following the official introduction of the Fujifilm GFX100 on May 23rd, 2019 Cambo is pleased to announce a dedicated interface for mounting, and supporting this new flagship camera in the GFX line of products.

As a result of the different body design compared to the Fujifilm GFX50 series, the bayonet holder for the GFX100 will have a different shape than the existing holder AC-792, and includes an extra riser block for the front standard.

Cambo’s new AC-795, designed as an interchangeable bayonet holder kit, will be compatible with the current Actus-G series.

However, due to the design changes of the Fujifilm GFX100 body, this needs to be positioned on a higher distance to allow enough clearance. This  results in an additional 30mm riser block to be needed for the front standard. As well as an additional spacer that needs to be added on the rear bayonet mount.

Because of this additional flange spacing the Actar-60, and some other wider angle lens options will not be able reach infinity setting with this kit.

NOTE: Alternatively the Fujifilm GFX100 will fit the Actus-GFX unchanged, in portrait orientation only without the need for the additional spacer, but because of the new design the AC-795 is required for landscape orientation.

Cambo ACB-795 Specifications:

The interface kit AC-795 will be available shortly and can be pre-ordered as of today from your dealer of choice.

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to visit the Cambo HQ and Factory in The Netherlands to take a look at how the Cambo products we all know and love are designed, machined, and hand assembled to perfection.

Cambo started producing cameras in 1947 and has the distinction of being the first company to produce an all metal medium format camera. Since then they have always built a reputation for high quality, precision engineered cameras, stands and other studio equipment (and accessories too!).

In 1965 the factory was re-located to its current location in Kampen, where it remains to this day.

The Cambo machine shop now contains five computer powered machine tools capable of producing individual parts out of solid aluminum at a steady and fast pace. As well as many other tools from de-burring tanks and even a tool for making their own ground glass inserts.

This portion of the process is all computer controlled. Aluminum blanks are loaded into cradles, which are then bulk loaded into the CNC machines.

Every product is designed with the aid of a computer to very precise tolerances, some even down to the one hundredth of a millimeter range. These designs are translated and loaded into the CNC mills alongside the blanks.

The CNC machines are designed to run with or without human interaction, allowing work to be completed around the clock. Depending on the component, each individual part can go from raw blank to machined part in as little as 30 seconds, to around 30 minutes for larger parts.

Because all of this work is done in house, products can be revised and updated features can be added if needed. This also means that prototype parts can be machined and tested very quickly, making the final product ready for market much faster.

Each of these individual components were once solid aluminum, and now are archived as masters for test fitting and to compare each batch of products that come off the production line.

This shows the complexity and tight tolerances of each Cambo product. For example the WRS-1200 shift mechanism is made up of 5 different parts, each one having to fit perfectly within it’s mate. If even one piece is out of spec, the entire camera cannot be used properly.

After machining and powder coating, the parts are moved into the assembly shop.

This organized chaos is where a team of trained professionals assemble each Cambo product by hand, pulling parts as needed to complete batches of items.

Each assembly technician is an expert in specific product lines, and performs both assembly and repair for products as needed. This allows for multiple products to be assembled simultaneously, and keep production wait times as low as possible.

During and after assembly each product is also checked to verify that each of the careful tolerances are within range.

Special die cut blocks are used to emulate the location of the film plane or digital back to ensure correct measurements are maintained.

WRS Lens Panels too are tested and calibrated to fine tune each individual lens to its machined home.

Once each part has been carefully assembled it is packaged and placed into storage, where it waits for an order to be placed.

Not only does Cambo keep well in stock of new products, but spare parts from products past are also stored within the assembly facility. Each part being carefully cataloged so that individual pieces can be grabbed in the event of a repair or replacement.

During my visit, a long time customer brought in an older model studio stand that aside from needing a new set of brake pads installed in its central column, looked and functioned fantastically. Even more impressive is that this stand was over 30 years old, and after a little refreshing still worked as well as the day it was purchased.

It’s easy to see that the upmost care is given to every part of the design, machining, assembly, and longevity of each Cambo product. So when you purchase Cambo equipment, you aren’t just buying into a brand. You truly are investing in a system that was built with you in mind.