erik_winterstam1 Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 Hi,<br>I am planning to switch over to digital from my current large format set-up. Myplans was to buy a Zoerk shift adapter which lets you use a medium format lenseson digital SLR's. The adapter can do shift which is an requirement for myarchitectural work. However, as I was doing research on the net I found out thatCambo has recently released a new system called X2-Pro. The camera can be usedwith SLR's and has got swings and tits, as well as shift.<br>I have a 58mm XL Super Angulon lens that I was planning to sell in order tofinance my Canon 5D and Pentax 35mm f3.5 FA AL (the lens is apparently verysharp and good for architectural photography)<br><br> Now I'm thinking to keep my 58mm Schneider lens and buy the Cambo X2-Pro.<br><br> The camera has got the capability of doing horizontal/veritcal shift of 17.5mmto either side, and tilt/shift of 20 degree.<br><br> For architectural work - do you think I should keep my 58mm XL lens or am Ibetter off selling it and acquire the Pentax 35mm? Do you think the sensor ofthe Canon 5D would be able to reach the edge of the image circle with the shiftprovided by the Cambo?<br><br> Also, I would appreciate if anyone that has got experience with the Zoerkadapter on digital SLR's could share some pictures with us.<br><br> I know how the 58mm lens looks on sheet film but I have no idea if the camboset-up with a full-frame Canon would be able to produce similar results.<br><br> It is worth mentioning that I am planning to use stitching techniques in orderto make high resolution images, which would also (hopefully) give me moreinteresting perspectives that a single full-frame image would do. <br><br> Any advice or comments on this would be highly appreciated! :) <br><br> Thanks in advance,<br>Erik<br><br> <img src="http://www.cambo.com/Html/Images/X2-Pro-schss.jpg"><br><br> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicholas_rab1 Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 I use the 5D + Zoerk with the Pentax FA 35mm for shooting interiors. It's a nice setup for the price, but has taken a bit of practice to really get adept with it. I consider the major negatives to be.. <ul> <li> Machining could be better, frames can vary a half a degree or so of horizon tilt. This causes a small amount of forced cropping occasionally. </li> <li> Visualizing the image without being able to ever see the entire capture through the viewfinder. LF experience will certainly help here.</li> <li> Substantially higher post processing time. </li> <li>Slower to work with (again, your LF experience will help here!) </li> </ul> Other than that It is a great setup. The output files are fantastic quality The 35mm lens holds up quite well to shifts. Here's some examples from the pentax 35mm yesterday, no not I great shot, I know, but good example. Almost no PP here, slight sharpening, basic align of frames. Note the cropping that will need to take place from the upper right frames aligning down.. <br/> <br/> <img src="http://www.daemonworks.com/posts/IMG_4216.jpg"/> <br/> <br/> Heres a center crop at 100%<br> <img src="http://www.daemonworks.com/posts/IMG_4216_center.jpg"/> <br> <br/> Heres what the border between frames looks like. Note the color shift. This adds more effort to PP time. <br> <img src="http://www.daemonworks.com/posts/IMG_4216_line.jpg"/> <br> <br/> Heres the edge at a full 22mm shift, overshifted past the lines on the zoerk. <br/> <img src="http://www.daemonworks.com/posts/IMG_4216_edge.jpg"/> <br> Hope that helps somewhat. No experience with the cambo, but I know it wouldn't be wide enough for my taste. Good luck! <br> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik_winterstam1 Posted January 27, 2007 Author Share Posted January 27, 2007 Thank you Nicholas! The resolution and quality of your picture looks great! I think the 58mm is very wide when I use it with my 4x5 camera. Do you think using that lens with a digital slr would give me less perspective? Of course it would if I wouldn't stitch the images together - but I'm thinking of shooting e.g. one straight shot then one (or two) shots shifted up, and one (or two) shots shifted down. Don't you think it would be possible to cover the whole image circle and get wide-angle-looking images with that kind of technique? I'm sorry if my explanation is a bit dim, hope you understand what I mean :) Also, just of curiosity - how do you stitch your images together? Photoshop? Regards, Erik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicholas_rab1 Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 Hello Eric, Regarding the angle of view of your 58mm, it certainly will not give you the width you had on your 4x5. As the cambo only gives you a horizontal shift of 17.5 (zoerk gives 22, but not vertical AND horizontal at the same time) I think you will end up with something like the coverage of a 35mm-40mm lens. I have a pentax 55mm I use occasionally with the zoerk, and it feels much like a semi-wide. Also, your Schneider may not hold up well on the 5D's sensor. I don't really know with this particular lens, but many very high quality lf lenses do not really shine with a digital sensor. I'd do some research there. I do blend frames in photoshop. Primarily with a gradient mask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellis_vener_photography Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 Nicholas , Have you tried Photomerge in PsCs3? Much improved over Photomerge in PsCs2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellis_vener_photography Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 One thing I don't like in the Cambo would be switching from Vertical to horizontal camera orientation --from looking at the attached image it looks like you have to detatch the camera bracket from the base and then reattach. Probably you'd also need to disconnect the bellows as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicholas_rab1 Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 I have not yet moved to CS3. An improved photomerge would really be a blessing though, thanks for the motivation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellis_vener_photography Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 I am finding that if I run Photomerge in PsC3 at least twice, the stitching and blending quality gets better. Not sure why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hart Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 Erik, your post is nearly a year old, and I'd be interested in hearing your ultimate solution, but I thought I'd contribute. I've used a Cambo X2 with my 5D for over a year and would highly recommend it. I've used the Schneider 28mm Digitar for most of my architectural work, but also Mamiya 35mm and 45mm lenses with it, as well as other LF lenses and even a few medium format twin-lens/leaf-shutter lenses appropriated from an old TLR system. The 28mm provides great wide-angle coverage on the X2/5D set up as a single-shot solution, but even wider shots are possible with the horizontal or vertical shifts. Large, high-rez files are produced from this "shift-pan" technique with great image results, if you're familiar with large format/view camera movements that the X2 provides. It is possible to shoot 7 shift frames of the same scene and stitch those together in Photoshop or the program I use, PhotoVista. Depending on the lens you use, you may see some vignetting on the outside frames, but that is easily cropped out. On optical quality, the 28mm is worth the $2000 price tag--it has more resolution than the 5D can reproduce, and therefore really shines--probably even better with a hasselblad or mamiya with a MF back on the X2. One note--to orient the camera horizontally or vertically you must dis-mount and re- mount the 5D on the X2, but horizontal and vertical shifts are both possible with the 5D in either orientation. Well-good luck & I'd like to hear what you ended up working out, if you're still checking this post! -Brad<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hart Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 FYI-the sample I uploaded is actually just a single-frame shot with the X2+5D+28mm Schneider.... -Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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