Cambo WRE-2019

The optical part probably looks familiar enough. Cambo has taken the highly acclaimed Nikkor PC 4.0/19 and made it available for use on Cambo WRS and Phase One XT cameras. The lens has been rehoused and fitted with a controller for the electronic aperture. The image circle is large enough to cover the sensor of an IQ3/IQ4 digital back and still permit about 4mm of shift. The edge-to-edge sharpness is excellent and would make this wide angle lens the perfect addition to your workflow.

Cambo ACTAR-20

The ACTAR-20 is the latest addition to the extensive line of Cambo lenses available for use on the Actus view cameras. The distortion of this new lens is very low and the optical quality meets the requirements of the latest generation of Mirrorless Cameras. The ability to use filters was greatly missed on both the ACTAR-15 and ACTAR-19, but the new ACTAR-20 features an 82mm filter thread which allows for their use with this wide angle lens.

Pre-orders will be delivered in March 2023.

Just a touchscreen. Nothing to shout about. However, this one connects to our RPS copy stand and does add a nifty feature. It enables the operator to store height settings and when you’re in the digitizing / archival industry that may seriously enhance your workflows efficiency.

The Cambo RPS motorized copy stand has been recently upgraded and the new RPS-200 series comes in a variety of guises. The RPS-200 is a column only and in this configuration is is used with RPS-170 wall mounts. The RPS-250 set comes with a metal base and a baseboard. The baseboard has a removable insert that allows for the optional RPS-165 LED panel, which can be used to digitize translucent materials.

The RPS-200 and the RPS-250 are operated by the standard remote control. The mode button toggles between high and low speed movement. The dial enables you to adjust the speed in small increments, necessary for precise focusing.

The RPS-205 and the RPS-255 are the same repro stands as the stands mentioned above, with the addition of the new Smart Controller. This device enables you to create numerous folders in which various height settings can be stored. To keep things organized, it has the option to add notes to each setting.

A typical workflow is to create folders for several clients. Inside these folders the camera’s heights for various objects can be stored. Since you may vary lenses and other settings as well, this is where the memory comes in handy.

An article in one of the larger Dutch papers a few weeks ago: “World’s most expensive stairway in French villa built in The Netherlands.” An article like that is useless without pictures and the accompanying photographs do justice to the builder’s craftsmanship and quality standards. It’s also obvious that the commissioned photographer knows how to visualize his client’s work. Hans Morren has been working for EeStairs – builder of the prestigious staircase – for many years. Their assignments have sent him all over the world. Hans values their cooperation a lot, not in the least because every staircase he photographs is a one-of-a-kind.

We actually used one of Hans’ photographs to promote the Actus a couple of years ago. It’s this staircase inside the Akzo Nobel office, shot with the Actar-24 lens and a Sony A7.

Hans approached us shortly after the introduction of the Actus. His Mamiya-ZD was becoming a bit long in the tooth and he wanted to replace it with a modern mirrorless camera body, with the option to use it as a digital back behind a view camera. The Actus ticked all the boxes. He’s now been using his Actus/Sony combination for six years and the Sony is hardly ever used without the Actus. When shooting a staircase on location the space to maneuver around the object is often limited. Camera adjustments are crucial in those situations.

Hans’ architecture and interior assignments bring him all over the world. But he enjoys working in the studio and the kitchen just as much. In fact, the mixture is crucial to him. The studio work he does is rarely pure product photography but rather the visualization of ideas and thoughts. This brought him such diverse assignments as (classical) record covers, annual reports, book and magazine covers and cook books. An impressive series of cook books. And still Hans doesn’t consider himself a food photographer. As a well-known publisher once told him: “You create wonderful books, but I wouldn’t know how to classify them”. A series of – now eight – cook books was created in cooperation with Roelf Holtrop, a medical doctor and long-time friend with whom he shares a passion for Italian food. Roelf wrote the recipes and text. Hans did not photograph dishes, but made photographs to illustrate the process of creating fine food. He and his wife Liesbeth also took care of the graphic design.

From La Cucina Povera (Poor Man’s Kitchen). A “cook book for hard times”, as Roelf Holtrop and Hans Morren called their joint effort. It covers the cuisine of the southern part of Italy and is all about wholesome food made with simple (and inexpensive) ingredients.

The ladle serves as a pan and a soup bowl at the same time. The tea light needs to keep the dish warm

Shot on Polaroid 55 material.

More about Hans Morren

With 14 book publications behind his name and over three decades of experience as a chef, we may well consider Heinz von Holzen an authority on Indonesian food. During his entire professional career Heinz managed to combine his passion for authentic food with a passion for photography.

It probably all started with a strong desire to keep moving and discovering new things. As a youngster Swiss born Heinz von Holzen aspired a career as an engineer. He soon got bored sitting behind a desk and found a position as an apprentice cook. Working as a chef at various first class hotels in Europe, Australia and Asia gave him the opportunity to see the world and along the way his camera has been his travel companion. Heinz developed the good practice of visually documenting the recipes he created. Especially after he had started working in Singapore. “It was then in Singapore that I became hooked on photography, which allowed me to visually document many great dishes that we prepared.” And he didn’t settle for mediocre results, not in cooking nor in his photography.

Working as a chef in Singapore, Heinz was asked to become the executive chef of the new Grand Hyatt at the Isle of Bali. Shortly after his arrival, now 32 years ago, Heinz by chance met a publisher. He was impressed by Heinz’ food shots and encouraged him to publish his first book on Balinese cuisine. It became a success and many would follow.

After 4 ½ years at the Grand Hyatt Bali Heinz decided to resign. Together with his wife Puji, he set up a company specializing in commercial photography, advertising and food consulting. The photographing chef now had become a professional photographer. However, he wasn't happy, as he enjoyed photography a lot less now it had become his bread and butter. So he went back to his first passion, food. This resulted in the opening of Bumbu Bali, a restaurant and cooking school, which was soon followed by a second restaurant and a small hotel.

A good chef remains inquisitive throughout his career and Heinz’ photography has probably benefited greatly from his investigative nature. “During the past 32 years I was utmost fortunate to be able to travel extensively across Indonesia. Whenever I got stuck with answers about food in a specific part of Indonesia, I searched for a reliable contact in that region. Next I purchased a ticket, flew to this region and spent some time with the experts, home cooks, at markets, ceremonies, kitchens, road side food stalls and cooked, wrote recipes and took lots and lots of photos.

All this would not have been possible without the full hearted support of my family and the teams in our restaurants.”

To photograph the beautiful landscapes he travels and the venues he visits, Heinz acquired a Cambo WRS system with a Phase One digital back. His favorite tool to document the dishes he creates is the Cambo Actus-G paired with a Leica SL2 and ACTAR-90 lens. Complemented with Cambo’s adapter to enable the use of Mamiya RB/RZ lenses. “What I love most about the Actus and shooting food is the tilt and shift capabilities and with it the great DOF. Simply amazing. No need for photoshop. Yes the system is slow, but offers photography pure. Then again, when combined – as in my case – with a Leica SL2 body, it gives you total control over your picture.”

Heinz was introduced to the Cambo brand by Warren Kiong, owner of Primaimaging. A valued Cambo partner who has decades of experience in representing professional brands from his beautiful Jakarta based studio. As Heinz expresses his appreciation: “We are incredibly fortunate here in Indonesia to not only have a distributer of all Cambo products, but also an owner gentleman behind prima-imaging which does an amazing amount of extra work for the photographic community. Absolutely nothing is too much, and their fast expertise and know-how in high-end camera gear is extremely useful when questions or challenges arise.”

It seems appropriate to end with one of Heinz von Holzen’s recipes here. Thank you for sharing this with us Heinz.

Art Cafe Bumbu Bali

More on Heinz von Holzen

WRX-1003

The WRX-1003 is an ARCA compatible Tripod Mounting Block for the Phase One XT Camera. This adapter allows you to mount the Compendium from the bottom of the XT Camera. Before the introduction of this adapter you would have to remove the metal panel on the side of the camera to mount a compendium tot the XT. The WRX-1003 comes with 16.5cm support rods. Its also is available in the WRX-1002, which also includes a compendium. Below is a short instructional video that explains the easy installation.

The WRX-1001 is a dedicated adapter for the Phase One XT camera body. This adds an Accessory Shoe to the corner of the XT body. It replaces the original corner piece and mounts easily with 1 (hidden) screw. Below is a short instructional video that explains the installation.

AC-324

The AC-324 is the dedicated Actar-24 lens shade. It’s 90mm fitting makes it also suitable for use on Rodenstock Digaron-32 lenses. Cambo just recently introduced step-down rings from 90 to 75, 70 and 60mm. The AC-324 is not only a light weight compendium alternative for various Rodenstock Digaron lenses it can also be used with on the Phase One XT.

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.