Exploring the Cambo Wide Compact Cameras

For photographers looking for a compact technical camera with genuinely thoughtful design, Cambo delivered an early holiday surprise last month: the new Cambo Wide Compact technical cameras, purpose-built for Phase One and Hasselblad V-mount digital backs.

The new lineup consists of two models:

• Cambo Wide Compact for Phase One XF Mount
• Cambo Wide Compact for Hasselblad CFV Mount

A legacy of mechanical innovation

Over the many years I’ve spent working with companies such as Sinar Bron Imaging, Hasselblad, and Phase One, I’ve had the opportunity to experience some truly outstanding mechanical engineering firsthand. Sinar’s view cameras were exceptional in both precision and durability, while Foba set the long-standing benchmark for professional camera stand design. For those interested, I previously wrote about the unfortunate demise of Foba several years ago, which you can read here:

That said, in more recent history, few companies have impressed me as consistently as Cambo. Their ability to design and bring innovative technical cameras to market has been remarkable, and the Wide Compact cameras are the latest example of that philosophy in action.

These cameras are clearly aimed at photographers who want:

• A system designed around real-world workflow efficiency
• A smaller, lighter form factor
• Essential technical movements

Lessons learned from the WRS-1600

The Cambo WRS-1600 has long been a favorite among architectural and landscape photographers, and for good reason. Its generous rise/fall and shift movements, combined with the ability to rotate between landscape and portrait orientation without removing the digital back, make it an exceptionally practical tool

(Anyone who has worked with digital backs knows that removing one in the field always introduces unnecessary risk.)

Cambo WRS-1600 Technical Camera

A key advantage of the WRS-1600 is that when you change orientation by sliding the camera frame along the tripod mount, the entrance pupil (often called the nodal point) remains in the exact same position. This prevents foreground and background elements from shifting relative to one another—a critical benefit for stitched images and precision work.

Shrinking the footprint without sacrificing function

Creating a camera smaller than the WRS-1600, without losing its practical advantages, required some clever engineering. The WRS-1600 uses two separate control knobs for rise/fall and shift, ensuring consistent movements regardless of orientation.  The Wide Compact cameras use one control knob for all movements.

This single-knob design allowed Cambo to significantly reduce the overall size of the camera while still preserving full movement capability. While both of the New Wide Compact bodies support X and Y axis movements, they cannot be applied simultaneously as they can on the WRS-1600. However, when used with the tilt adapter, the WRC-490 and WRC-491 can apply tilt in either orientation, just by rotating the back, something the WRS-1600 cannot do without removing the digital back. By comparison, on the Phase One XT (which is manufactured by Cambo), a tilt can only be used with the sensor in the horizontal orientation, since the digital back itself cannot be rotated independently from the camera at all.  In the vertical orientation, your tilt would become a swing on the XT.

Cambo Wide Compact for Phase One XF Mount / Cambo Wide Compact for Hasselblad CFV Mount

Two ways to change orientation

With the Wide Compact cameras, photographers now have two orientation options:

1. Rotate the entire camera, lens, body, and back, just like the WRS-1600
2. Rotate only the digital back, without having to remove the back

System compatibility and lens option

The Cambo Wide Compact shares its lens mount with other Cambo technical systems, including the WDS/WRS platforms and the Phase One XT.

Cambo has also introduced new rear spacers that allow the use of short-barrel lens panels, further expanding lens compatibility and keeping the overall package compact.

Key Features

• Compatible with Cambo’s WRS system
• Integrated portrait-to-landscape rotation of the camera
• Integrated portrait-to-landscape rotation of the digital back mount
• Shift / Rise / Fall: 40mm total (-20mm / +20mm)
• Lightweight: 2.1 lbs (excluding lens)
• Precision millimeter scales for movements
• Integrated Arca-compatible tripod mount
• 1/4”–3/8” tripod interface
• Two integrated spirit levels
• Two-point fixation accessory mount

Exterior & Build

• High-grade aluminum body with black anodized finish
• Single ergonomic handgrip
• Stainless steel drive knob for movements
• Dimensions: 15.6 × 13.4 cm (W × H) including grips, tripod mount, and interface plate

Accessories & Options

• WRC-481: 48mm short-barrel rear spacer (WRC-491)
• WRC-480: 48mm short-barrel rear spacer (WRC-490)
• Optional WTS tilt/swing lens panels
• Broad range of optics, including Phase One X-Shutter lenses
• Retrofitting of legacy lenses available

 Final thoughts

If you already have one of these cameras in your kit, I’d love to hear how you’re using it in the field. I’m also happy to help compare the Wide Compact cameras to other Cambo technical platforms, including the WRS-1600, to determine which system best fits your workflow.

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