I want to share with you a technique that can radically change the way you capture your images: the Scheimpflug principle.
Although its name might sound intimidating, the truth is that its practical application has the power to take your photography to an extraordinary level. Get ready to break it down in a clear and simple way, and discover how you can leverage this principle to create stunning and professional images.
What is the Scheimpflug Principle?
The Scheimpflug principle is a technique used in photography that explains how to align the subject plane, the lens plane, and the image plane (sensor or film) when the lens plane is not parallel to the image plane.
In simple terms, it involves adjusting these planes so that they align correctly and intersect at a single point, ensuring that the captured image is completely in focus. This principle is especially useful when working with large format cameras or tilt-shift lenses, and it applies to certain camera movements in these systems.
This principle will allow you to achieve stunning and sharp images that will make your products stand out professionally. Additionally, you can apply selective focus, concentrating on areas of interest while blurring others, adding depth and highlighting the main subject. This allows for diagonal and total focus, where every element in the scene is crisp and clear.
To better illustrate this principle, I want to share some photographs taken with my Actus XL view camera by Cambo.
This camera has allowed me to effectively apply the Scheimpflug principle, achieving incredible photos. The precision and adjustability of the Cambo make it the perfect tool to fully exploit this technique.
We can see all the cans in focus by applying the Scheimpflug principle.
We can see all the cupcakes in focus by applying the Scheimpflug principle.
Let’s take a look at this example applying the Scheimpflug principle and achieving diagonal focus.
We can see the entire razor in focus by applying the Scheimpflug principle.
Visit Marcel Boldú’s website to see more of his work.
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.
Cambo Actus & the ACTAR-24
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.
Cambo Actus & the ACTAR-24
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.
Cambo Actus & the ACTAR-24
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.
Cambo Actus & the ACTAR-24
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.
Cambo Actus & the ACTAR-24
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.
Cambo Actus & the ACTAR-24
Cambo Actus & the ACTAR-24
You can see more of Matthias Conrad’s work on Instagram @matthconphoto. All photos used with permission of the artist.
How did you discover your love for photography? I received a Brownie Kodak Camera when I was 10 years old, and loved taking walk in the streets or at a park and take pictures. From there, my Dad gave me a Retina Kodak, a real camera! It fascinated me as a child to play with the f/stops and the shutter speed so I quickly built a small darkroom at home and started to photograph the old French cobblestone streets and the countryside.
Admit One
Where do you draw your inspiration from? I live in California so inspiration is all around, the sea, the desert, the people, the streets, the Museums (I think we have 70 of them in the Greater LA), we are surrounded by cultural influences that are rich and revitalizing. As a photographer, it is a constant stream of images to the point that it can be head-spinning at times.
La Croix
Do you have any specific influences you’d like to share? I vividly remember the day I saw the book of Irving Penn “Moments Preserved” in 1960; it had everything I was dreaming of: still lifes, portraits, fashion, black & white, color. I was just mesmerized by the work.
From there of course I looked at Avedon’s photographs, Hiro and many others like Bill Silano and Neil Barr. I admire the discipline they put in their work, never allowing themselves a short cut in their mastery of photography.
La Rasoir
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 be in my studio looking at more disparate and elaborate objects and patiently reassembling them into a different concoction of emotions.
La Main
What drew you to the Actus System, and what do you like about it? When I started my still life project I quickly became very frustrated with being stuck with a camera that only knew fixed parallel planes.
I felt like I was working with a shoebox and was longing for my Sinar P2, so I called Dave Gallagher at Capture Integration wondering if there was an affordable solution to my problem. After asking a lot of questions and without up-selling he sent me the Cambo Actus View Camera.
My fingers were so happy to find those knobs allowing the shifts and swings I had been used to for over thirty years of work, again able to place the plane of focus where I want it.
I also love being able to use only one lens instead of fighting with cumbersome macro rings adapters and lenses. Just one lens, my Sony A7R4 as a sensor, all of it tethered to my little Mac with Capture One and I again enjoy creating photographs.
The Cambo Actus conforms to my needs and wants, instead of the opposite so I can build more complex photographs without constant irritating limitations.
Les Clous
Where do you see your body of work going next? Next will undoubtedly be the IQ4 back and more still lifes. I love sitting in front of the tabletop in my studio and freeing my imagination – I am alone, it is quiet, it feels like meditation…
The French-born photographer Benoit Malphettes, known for his large format work, followed a childhood dream and permanently moved to America in 1977, eventually becoming a US citizen. Benoit’s meticulous attention to detail and his sense of drama gained international recognition with his work published in French & American Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, W, Glamour, Essence, NY Times and others. His bold images were used for major national advertising campaigns as his signature style and unique vision with his 8×10” camera became quickly recognized. At the same time demand for his portraits grew, and the preeminent business and political elite of the West Coast were regular visitors to his Pasadena Studio.
His work from the fashion years to the more recent still-lifes and landscapes is represented in private collections and several museums. Since 2015, his work has been exhibited in two one-man shows in California museums. In 2018, his work was included in NY’s Museum of Modern Art exhibit “Is Fashion Modern” and in 2019, Benoit received the California Journalism Award for his portrait of Dr Sterling Stuckey.
You can see more of Benoit’s work at Benoit.LA, Photos used with permission of the artist.
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
If the Camera is kept level then no distortion occurs.
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:
These vertical trees are straight and roughly parallel but notice that we have much more foreground than we probably desire.Camera pointed upwards to show more of the tree tops and sky.
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:
Notice that we have included more of the tree tops. While perhaps a better composition the trees have the feeling like they are receding or falling away from the camera.
Perspective Control
Notice that both the camera base and lens are level, however, the lens has been shifted upwards.
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 roughly parallel lines of the trees have been maintained and the trees no longer feel like they are falling away from the camera.
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:
Keeping the camera level means clipping the top of the house.Tilting the camera upwards includes the top of the house but the house looks like it is falling away from us.Using the lens shift results in the top of the house being included in the image without the feeling that the house is falling over!
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.
The camera featured for these images is the Cambo Actus-Mini. It is designed as a digital view camera, giving all the features of the traditional view camera (shift, swing, and tilt). This camera has the capability to interchange digital backs (DSLR’s or Mirrorless) and offers a wide variety of lenses that are compatible.
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/
I have been married for the past 39 years to my lovely wife, Judi. For all of that time our home has been in Westchester County, NY. We have two adult sons, one daughter-in-law and one perfect grandchild. When not photographing, I am hiking locally, trying to play golf and rolling on the ground with my grandson.
“Japanese Maple” WRS-1200, Credo 80 and the Rodenstock 32HR – Columbia Gorge, Oregon.
What inspires you? How did you become a photographer?
I began my photographic journey as a teenager. Not any one subject pulled at me. Back then, I liked to photograph anything and everything. Nature, wildlife, landscapes, sports, things, etc. Like anyone else, I couldn’t wait for the next edition of NatGeo. Now, the great majority of my work is landscapes. Over the years, and through the course of my travels, I have been very lucky to have met many incredibly talented and creative photographers. Each one has had their own special way of delivering how they see our world. I have commented to others in the past that rather than duplicate what someone else has done, I have worked to understand the “why” behind what they do. Being able to distill those “whys” has helped me develop into being a better photographer and story teller. Being able to create images that are beautiful, intimate, dynamic and emotional comes from those gifted individuals past, present and future. It’s not just about taking a picture of a place it’s about being able to tell the story of the place without using words.
“Old Man of Storr” – Cambo WRS 1200, Phase One IQ280, Schneider 60XL.
Why Cambo Cameras/Products?
Prior to 2014, I was shooting 35mm full frame and 6×7 film. At gallery exhibits and other shows, much of what I had for display and for sale were large format prints. I felt that the size of the film/sensor on the 35mm camera limited what I could create and still maintain a high level of quality in the image. My 6×7 film camera, which I loved, satisfied my print size requirements but it was an extremely heavy and difficult system to trek out into the field. It also lacked wide angle and tilt shift lenses.
When I was introduced, in 2014, to the Cambo technical camera and related lenses, I felt that the combined system met and completely satisfied my needs as a landscape photographer. It’s overall light weight, precision movements, including rise/fall and shift, and tilt/swing and wide-angle lenses, would allow me to create the quality and scale of images I wanted with much less effort in the field. Since I try to keep post processing to a minimum this was a significant plus.
In moving to a technical camera, I’ve gone a bit backwards in time. Less automation, a much more deliberative process and a greater sense of patience to fully appreciate that which is front of you. That’s a very good thing!
What is your favorite Cambo camera system/lens combo?
A good deal of my landscape work involves getting low and close to a strong foreground object which then allows pulling the foreground and background together. For this, I most enjoy using the combination of the WRS-1200 and Rodenstock 32HR with the tilt/shift panel. With this combination, I can do most anything I want.
WRS-1200 with WTS-832 32HR Rodenstock Lens“New York Skyline-Ethereal” – Cambo WRS 1200, Phase One IQ 280, Rodenstock 32HR
Tell us about your creative process. What do you look for when creating an image?
Those who have been with me know that I take a very slow and deliberate approach to photographing a scene. I have long said it is not about how many images of a place or animal or thing that I take. Rather, it is about the one image that I see that I want to take. I do a lot of scouting prior to shooting a location. When I first visit a location, I generally leave my equipment in my vehicle. I will become familiar with the terrain, notice the positioning of the sun, tides, etc., and begin to walk in large and small circles exploring the area. I will then reverse back in the opposite direction to make sure that I have seen things that were behind me. I’ve also been known to do this while on my knees since that is generally the height at which I shoot most things. Several years ago, I had made small fiberglass cutouts based on image sizes, 3×4, 4×5 and various pano orientations. I use these cutouts to help visualize a photograph I may want to take. These days, I use an app on my phone to do the same thing, although I still carry the cutouts in case my phone’s battery dies.
“The view from Brooklyn Bridge Park” – Cambo WRS 1200, Phase One IQ 280, Rodenstock 32HR.“Along the Beach at Montauk Lighthouse” – Cambo WRS 1200, Phase One IQ 280, Rodenstock 32HR.
Dimension and depth is a big part of how I shoot. A good friend and mentor of mine would always remind me that when you think you are low enough, get lower, and when you think you are close enough, get closer. After many whacks on my head and rear-end I finally got it. As I mentioned earlier, I am generally pretty low to the ground for most of the landscape pictures I make, which helps in creating a third dimension in the image. Most locations have a “main” subject. Using an Academy Award reference, my preference is to make that main subject a supporting actor rather than the lead actor. So, for example, instead of shooting a picture of just a waterfall, I will get into the middle of the boulders below the waterfall and use them as a strong foreground which then leads your eye to the waterfall. To me, the foreground subject becomes the important lead to the main subject.
The reason I like photography is because it rewards observation and attention. An observant eye notices the infinite beauty in nature that’s in plain sight but goes unnoticed. Nature can be most beautiful in its simplicity and randomness – finding an interesting cloud formation or an interesting branch pattern among a chaotic arrangement of trees or the random patterns on sand dunes are example of things that excite and inspire me.
About Me…
Photography has been my hobby for a long time – it is what I am most passionate about. Like most hobbyists I mainly use family vacations for the pursuit of photographic opportunities. For a few years I even combined my vocation (software development) with my hobby and was involved in development of Photoshop plugins such as Topaz ReStyle, Clarity, B&W Effects, fotoFXlab, Lens Effects, Adjust 5 etc.
As with most things in life when you practice something consistently for a long time eventually you become better. A decent photographer for many years, I made a commitment a couple of years ago, to improve to a level where at least some of my work could perhaps hang on a wall next to a professional artist’s work and hold its ground. I also wanted to make large prints (60 inches wide or more) of my images which would stand up to close scrutiny.
It is an ongoing effort and has required hard work and a change in mindset. I am learning that attention to every little detail, being very selective with what is photographed, being meticulous with execution and being prepared are some of the things that can elevate a very good photograph to what some might consider photographic art.
My Photographic Philosophy…
I feel a photograph is an output of a single shutter release – a single artifact (negative or raw file). Although compositing techniques such as stitching panoramas, focus stacking images for depth of field or exposure blending of images for wider dynamic range can produce beautiful results, however I feel the resulting product is an image not a photograph. Conversely, I am very open and accepting toward post processing and consider it to be analogous to a chef adding personal flavor and presentation to a meal. In the same way post processing can be the secret ingredient or technique to add personal signature to photographs. My personal aspiration is to become an accomplished photographer as opposed to a composite image creator.
I also consider cropping to be an indication that mistakes were made at time of exposure regarding either composition, framing, alignment or choice of lens etc. So, I feel very happy when a photograph does not need to be altered via cropping. It tells me that at least desired framing was achieved successfully.
Cambo WRS System…
To get the foundations of a photograph right at the time of capture, i.e. composition, framing, leveling, depth of field, focus etc. usage of correct tools can make a huge difference. Research lead me to the so called medium format technical cameras and I decided to give Cambo WRS at try. I can honestly say I wish I owned this camera system years ago. When combined with a tilt/swing panel lens, Cambo WRS offers ability to shift, rise/fall, tilt and swing simultaneously in a very compact form factor. This means I am able to achieve the exact framing & composition and use the lenses within their diffraction free aperture range by employing Scheimpflug principle and combine that with an appropriate amount of rise/fall to capture a solid photographic artifact ready for post processing.
Cambo WRS-1600
Cambo WRS system allows me to take responsibility. There is no auto focus, auto exposure or auto anything. Camera does not make decisions for me, so if the results are bad they are because I as a photographer did not execute and I am to blame. If on the other hand the results are good then as a photographer I feel rewarded knowing I had something to do with the positive outcome and I was not merely present for the ceremonial button press (shutter release), while the camera electronics performed some wizardry.
Switching from a DSLR to a technical camera (like Cambo WRS) was not a straight forward or easy step for me. It’s a very slow and deliberate work flow and there is a learning curve which requires time, effort and persistence. For wide angle lenses, there can also be a need to capture a LCC shot, for color cast removal. These challenges may sound daunting, but I have found the results to be very rewarding. Each image is a deliberate process and a sequence of decisions – an event, and for me personally it adds to my photographic enjoyment.
With Schneider’s exit from technical camera market, Rodenstock is the only option for lenses. Luckily Rodenstock makes some of the finest lenses available. I own 23mm, 32mm, 50mm and 90mm lenses, all except 23mm, in Cambo WRS tilt/swing lens panels. Their image quality is superlative. My most used lens is 32mm as I like the (21mm equivalent) focal length but 90mm and 50mm lenses are also used frequently. In addition to these I also have a Zeiss/Hasselblad Superachromat 350mm lens that I use via an adapter. It fills my needs on the telephoto end, where native technical camera lens options are somewhat limited.
Conclusion…
In the couple of years since switching to a medium format technical camera, I personally feel that I’ve become a better photographer in many ways and have captured some of my most satisfying photographs in this time period. I don’t mean to imply that the camera system itself has made me better, just that having this system has changed my modus operandi, which has had helped me. As I am improving technically, I am finding there is much to learn and I’m just at the shore with my feet wet and a sea of information remains to be traversed. I hope to be able to continue my pursuit and capture photographs that evoke emotion, grab viewer’s attention and act as a portal to what I saw and felt.
This 2nd part of my examination of the Cambo Actus GFX system focuses (literally) on the lens tilting functionality. The tilting lens stage allows the photographer to alter the plane of focus, usually to match the plane of focus with the subject, to achieve better depth of focus with near-to-far subjects, or with macro focus situations.
The Cambo Actus technical camera system allows the front lens stage to tilt, altering the plane of focus to match the subject.
This lens tilt takes advantage of the Scheimpflug principle, a geometric rule that describes the orientation of the plane of focus of an optical system (such as a camera) when the lens plane is not parallel to the image plane.
Tilting the lens such that the desired plane of focus intersects the plane of the lens, and the image plane at one point, known as the Scheimflug intersection, is the core function of the Scheimpflug principle.
Arranging the lens tilt so that the desired plane of focus intersects with the image plane, and the lens plane, at the same point, allows for enhanced focus along that focus plane without resorting to extra small ƒ-stops, and in most cases achieves sharper focus in the desired area. The following image illustrates how this works in practice. The first image has the lens plane parallel to the camera back, and the result is a limited depth of field that is particularly troublesome for near-to-far subjects…
Here the back of the camera and the lens plane are parallel in a normal orientation—the focus is on the guitar pick which is very close to the lens—the focus falls off into the distance.
The second image has the lens tilted forward so that the lens plane intersects the plane of the face of the guitar, and the back of the camera—the result is an illusion of infinite focus or extended depth of field, even at a wide open ƒ-stop…
Here the lens has been tilted forward enough that the plane of focus matches the face of the guitar, and we have perfect focus along the whole length of the guitar, near-to-far.
The beauty of the medium format, mirrorless FUJIFILM GFX is that focus peaking in the electronic viewfinder makes the chore of determining the best angle for the lens easy—just tilt the lens until the red highlights show up along the edges in the image!
Besides the obvious application here in the still life above, subtle lens tilts can work wonders in ultra-close-up macro photography. This is something the Cambo Actus system excels at…
The Cambo Actus GFX with the 90mm Actar lens is ideal for extreme macro work. Small lens tilts can greatly enhance the apparent depth of focus at closer than 1:1 magnification distances.
Here the lens has been tilted to place the focus across the plane of the flower center. Closing down the ƒ-stop just a bit extends the depth enough that all of the petals are also tack sharp!
There is nothing quite so luxurious as a view camera for macro photography, and the Cambo Actus GFX is a joy to use with extremely precise geared focus movements along the extended rail—the focus peaking of the FUJIFILM GFX is fantastic for nailing the focus.
The Scheimpflug principle also has application in landscape photography…
Here I’m setting up a shot with foreground rocks leading up to the lighthouse—an extreme near-to-far composition.
The foreground rocks are only 24 inches from the front of the lens with the light house over one hundred feet away.
There is no way to achieve this level of depth of focus in a single capture without the use of a tilting lens stage.
While it is possible to capture several shots with differing focus depths, and merge them using focus stacking, the look of the Scheimpflug capture achieves a subtle “standing in the scene” kind of feel that just works better for this type of image!
Here is a short video showing another shot from the same day of shooting…
The Cambo Actus with the FUJIFILM GFX is truly the ultimate technical camera for demanding photography in architecture, still life, and landscape applications. While the system is not cheap… roughly $2,795.00 for the Cambo Actus, another $1000 – 1700 or so for a large coverage view camera prime lens, and you’d still need to purchase the FUJIFILM GFX body ($6499.95 from B&H) , if you are looking for the ultimate technical system, this is it!
I was able to borrow the system for a only a week, and had limited time to work with it, but I really enjoyed working with the system. This camera inspired many ideas for photographs that I would like to pursue at some point in the near future. In the meantime, here is a gallery of images from my testing—click on the thumbnails below to see larger images! You can find out more about the Cambo Actus system of cameras, available with adapters for Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Fuji-X, from their website here: https://www.cambo.com/en/actus-mini/cambo-actus-mini-view-camera/
Once again a huge thank you to Lee for his very in depth review. To purchase a Cambo Actus GFX or any of the many other Cambo products, please visit Cambousa.com/dealers to find the Cambo dealer nearest you.!
I recently had the opportunity to test the Cambo Actus technical camera with the FUJIFILM GFX—this was very exciting for me because I could renew my experience with view cameras in a new digital configuration! The Cambo Actus is essentially a view camera front end to just about any digital camera that gives the serious photographer the ability to use full lens tilt & shift with back shift.
The Cambo Actus consists of a front lens board with tilt/shift on a rail system with a bag bellows that connects the front lens to the back board using a clever magnetic attachment.
The Cambo Actus system uses large image circle view camera or enlarger lenses connected to a digital camera body through a bag bellows and a body adapter back standard. Basically replacing a view camera film holder with a digital camera body. I had the system set up for the amazing FUJIFILM GFX, a medium format 50 megapixel camera, and had an Actor 24mm & 90mm lens to test the full tilt/shift capabilities of the system.
The shifting function of this type of camera system is primarily used in architectural photography to control perspective convergence. This was how we had to work before the days of Photoshop and Lightroom lens corrections. The idea is to keep the camera back perfectly vertical and use the shifting back to get the top of a building in the shot. A carpenter’s bubble level is very useful to square up the camera…
Here is a short video where I show the process with the Cambo Actus and FUJIFILM GFX…
I was using the Actar 24mm with is fairly wide angle for the GFX medium format camera.
Here you can see the perspective convergence in the building behind me. It was actually much more severe in the un shifted GFX shot—it makes the building look like its leaning backward!
Sometimes when the image is perfectly corrected with all the lines parallel, it can look a little off, like its over corrected. You might have to deliberately under-correct (allow for slight convergence) to make it look right…
The shape of this building still looks a little strange, even though it is technically correct.
The shifting back of the Cambo Actus is also extremely helpful when stitching multiple shots together to get undistorted wide angle shots! I took advantage of the horizontal shift to capture a shot of the Ames Free Library in Easton Massachusetts when the best vantage point for the building was too close to show enough of the scene.
Instead of panning the camera, I shifted the back left to right to get 3 shots of the scene.
Shifting the back of the Cambo Actus allows for perfect alignment with the building, so all the lines are parallel, and multiple shots blend together seamlessly with no effort. The image below shows the individual shots shifted to the extremes of the extra large image circle…
This sequence shows the extreme shift inside the image circle of the lens!
The result after merging in Lightroom/Photoshop…
I added a better sky into the merged scene in Photoshop, but the panorama merge was done in Lightroom.
The Cambo Actus system is definitely the big boy way to shoot architecture, but the camera has many other applications that take advantage of a tilting lens! Stay tuned for part two of my exploration of the Cambo Actus GFX where I look at achieving infinite depth of field effects with a tilting lens!
Please take the time to visit Lee’s website varis.com for more great reviews, tutorials, and stellar images.
Thank you Lee for taking the time to test and share the Actus GFX. For more information or to purchase one of your own please visit Cambousa.com/dealers to find the dealer nearest you.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of Lee’s review coming soon!
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.
I don’t write as often as I’d like to. So when Cambo USA reached out to tell me about the Actus Mini with Fujifilm X compatibility, I instantly knew that if I could get it in my hands, I would want to write about it. This isn’t really going to be a “review” because I really hate writing a typical review. This will be more or less my thoughts on a really cool photography tool that I feel more people should know about.
After some back and forth with Cambo, we nailed down a week that I could try out the system. I planned a cool weekend trip to take it on that unfortunately ended up getting cancelled due to weather, but more on that later.
For those that aren’t familiar with a traditional “view” camera. Think old school 8×10 photographer under the sheet with a huge camera that looks like an accordion. The bellows are light sealed and allow the lens to move back and forth from the film plane which acts as your focus wheel. The lens can also move side to side and up and down as well allowing for “tilt” and “shift” to correct for perspective or to give that artsy blur effect.
Well the Actus Mini basically functions in the same way. The back of the Actus has a mount for your camera system body and the front has a lens mount. They offer a few different camera mounts but Fujifilm is the only one that I care about for the sake of this writing.
Cambo themselves make a few lenses, but they also have adaptors for other lens manufacturers which is really cool. An APSC system like Fujifilm X allows for the use of Nikon, Leica, Mamiya 645 and RZ/RB,Pentax 645, and Hasselblad lenses. And large format lenses 55mm and longer. For my testing they sent me the Actar 24mm f/3.5 which ended up being the perfect all around focal length, especially with how much i was shooting panoramas. All sample images below were shot with an X-Pro2 attached to the Actus Mini. If the shot is a panorama, I made a note of it, otherwise its just a single exposure.
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. ?
Bryan Minear is an Official Fujifilm X-Photographer & Vanguard Professional based in the Midwest.
Follow his photographic journey on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
