Carl Zeiss 40mm Distagon T* on the Phase One XT Technical Camera

From Request to Reality

If there’s one thing Cambo is known for, it’s the modularity of their camera systems. This is thanks to a variety of interchangeable components like camera mounts, lens & interface plates, monorails, and more. Cambo’s view cameras can accept Phase One IQ, Hasselblad X, Contax & Mamiya 645, Canon R, Leica SL, Fujifilm X and GFX, Sony E, and Nikon Z cameras and lenses. And Cambo technical cameras have numerous adapters to accept lenses like Mamiya 645, Mamiya RZ, Canon EF, Pentax 645, Copal 0, M39, and Hasselblad-V. However, we recently received a request from a good client that sparked a unique product upgrade to the Cambo adapter for Hasselblad V lenses. Adding tilt.

This client was exploring which tech cameras had tilt available with V-series lenses. This is achievable on tech camera solutions from Arca-Swiss and ALPA. However, it would be ideal to have this function on their current system, the Phase One XT, and Cambo already offers an existing Hasselblad V lens adapter without tilt. So Cambo has delivered simply by updating their existing adapter with a +/- 5º tilt (and swing!). Uniquely, the method with which Cambo implements their tilt and swing produces the only solution available for a tech camera that allows you to tilt and swing in the same capture on the same lens axis. This capability is now possible with the Phase One XT and also, since they share the same lens bayonet mounting, for the Cambo WRS technical cameras.

The Advantages of Tilt

You’ve probably heard of the various movements available on technical cameras that help photographers control things like focus, perspective, and composition. Tilt is especially popular in landscape photography for achieving a greater depth of field without needing to change your aperture. Smaller apertures can make more of your image appear to be in focus, but also introduce greater levels of diffraction, which can cause a noticeable loss of sharpness and contrast. Tilt increases the depth of field by “tilting” the lens plane, which subsequently tilts the plane of focus. See the image below for a visual of how the lens and focal plane tilt.

The camera on the left is photographing a “waterfall.” Without tilt and assuming the aperture is relatively wide, sharp focus will only be achieved where the line labeled “focus plane” runs along the scene.

The camera on the right is photographing the same waterfall, but with lens tilt. You can see how the focal plane now intersects with pieces of the foreground and background of the waterfall scene. These intersecting areas will be in sharp focus without any change to the aperture.

P.S. Apologies for the mediocre drawing. I didn’t want to steal a graphic, so I drew this in Photoshop.

In the images below, I used the Fujifilm GF30 Tilt Shift Lens and the Fujifilm GFX100 II camera to demonstrate how I could increase my depth of field using tilt. The goal was to get the entire staircase in sharp focus with a wide open aperture, which for the GF30 T/S was f/5.6. In the first image without tilt, you’ll notice a difference in focus sharpness from the bottom to the top of the staircase.

In the next image, I added a very small amount of tilt to the lens. You’ll see that both the bottom and the top of the staircase are in sharp focus while all of the camera settings have been kept the same.

I’ve added a snapshot to the left showing how little I needed to tilt the lens to achieve the image below. I’ve barely moved it to the first measurement marker.

My tilted focus plane (red line) is now running at an angle up the stairs. It no longer intersects with the area above the stairs as the original focal plane (purple line) did. This means that areas that were once in focus in the original image may no longer be in focus as we add tilt. In our example, we can see the difference in the bricks sitting above the base of the stairs.

The Benefits of the Hasselblad V-Series Lenses

Now that we’ve convinced you that tilt is amazing, let’s talk about why you might want to combine its power with the V-series lenses.

#1: Classic Hasselblad Optics

The better Hasselblad V Series lenses, even today, still produce excellently resolved images, with the renowned Carl Zeiss look. And the image circles are large enough (typically around 70mm) to allow for the full tilt/swing movement for all compatible cameras/digital backs.

#2: You Already Own These Lenses.

In the days gone by, when film backs were current, the V lenses were among the most superior optics of the time. Many photographers already own these lenses and are now able to use them with more modern systems through adapters like these.

#3: These Lenses Can Still Be Purchased If You Don’t Own Them.

Hasselblad V lenses are widely available and used at very reasonable prices (though they’ve gone up in recent years!)

How to get the Hasselblad V-series Lens Adapter with tilt.

Special Order

The Hasselblad V-Series Lens Adapter is a special-order item. It can be purchased through Capture Integration by calling your CI salesman!

CONTACT YOUR CI SALESMAN!

Steve Hendrix – 404.543.8475 – Steve@captureintegration.com

Chris Snipes – 813.335.2473 – Chris@captureintegration.com

Dave Gallagher – 770.846.5223 – Dave@captureintegration.com

Murray Elliott – 631.935.3389 – Murray@captureintegration.com

Greg King – 303-728-4517 – Greg@captureintegration.com

Office – 404.522.7662 – Info@captureintegration.com