Cambo Actus G – One Actus To Rule Them All
Introducing the Cambo Actus G
I know, I know, this is late. The Actus G was introduced in 2017. But I’ve written nothing about it, so better late than never. And some may have missed it.
So what does that mean, One Actus to Rule Them All, and what does that have to do with the Actus G? If you’ve been following along, you know that in 2014 Cambo introduced the Cambo Actus Mini View Camera, a fantastically small and well built view camera that you could mount a 35mm camera to (ideally a mirrorless camera), and mount all sorts of lenses on the front. Ridiculously great.
Shortly after, the Actus DB was announced, this view camera was about the same size, but you could mount a medium format digital back to the Actus. Following this, there was further development, the Canon EF Lens Controller, the Base Tilt Accessory … additional lensboard options…
Today, the Actus line has evolved to the true state of the art with the Actus G. Yes, you can still purchase an original Actus Mini or an Actus DB. But many of our clients use more than one camera, and that is the secret sauce of the Actus G. The original idea for the Actus G, and the reason that it is called Actus G, is because natively it was intended for the Fuji GFX to be mounted to it.
However, the larger diameter bayonet of the Fuji GFX meant that the rear bayonet holder of the original Actus Mini would have to be re-engineered, and when Cambo finished, they realized they had indeed created a secret sauce, an ace in the hole. What the Actus G brings to the table is multi-format camera mounting with an interchangeable camera mount.
Hence, one Cambo Actus G, and as many interchangeable camera bayonet holders as you like. One Ring to Rule Them All, One View Camera to Mount All Cameras. Got it? Instead of having to unscrew and rescrew bayonet camera bayonets any time you want to change the camera, this can now be done in advance, and the bayonet holders can be inserted and removed just by opening or closing the G Lever. It’s not officially called the G Lever, but now it is. Need I mention that this is absolutely killer for schools with photographic educational programs? To be clear – one single Cambo Actus G can mount all the below digital cameras/backs:
Micro 4/3 Format
- Canon M Series
- Olympus
APS-C Format
- Fujifilm X
35mm Full Frame
- Canon EOS
- Canon EOS R
- Leica M
- Leica SL (also Panasonic, Sigma sharing the same mount)
- Leica M
- Nikon F
- Nikon Z
- Pentax K
- Sony E
Medium Format C (Crop from 645)
- Fujifilm GFX 50S and 50R
- Fujifilm GFX 100-S (coming soon)
- Hasselblad X1D
Medium Format F (Full Frame 645)
- Phase One P/P+ Series (includes models in Contax/Mamiya 645/Hasselblad V/H mount)
- Phase One IQ Series includes models in Contax/Mamiya 645/Hasselblad V/H mount)
- Leaf Aptus (includes models in Contax/Mamiya 645/Hasselblad V/Hasselblad H mount)
- Leaf Credo (includes models in Contax/Mamiya 645/Hasselblad V/Hasselblad H mount)
- Hasselblad H Series
But Wait, There’s More!
What are those double geared knob things where the standard tilt gearing knob used to be? No they didn’t! Yes they did! You now have the option of multi-format gearing. The standard gearing is for fine, precise movement, but now there is an additional gear, a 5th gear if you will, that multiplies the precision of the standard gearing by a factor of 5X. You now can move with a quarter turn, only 1/5th the same distance you would normally go. Your ability to create the smallest of adjustments for fine focus and for tilt are amplified dramatically.
The AC-380 and AC-381 can be ordered now. Please contact your Capture integration representative for ordering details. AC-380 provides multi-geared precision focus for the Fine Focus gearing, and the AC-381 provides multi-geared precision focus for the Front Tilt. They can be ordered together as a package or individually.
So to summarize, Cambo has been very, very busy with the Actus line, constantly improving it and evolving it and listening to the desires of their customer base, while also creating some desire of their own.
2014: Cambo Actus Mini
2014: Cambo Actus Mini View Camera
2015: Cambo Actus DB View Camera
2016: Cambo Actus Canon EF Controller
2016: Cambo Actus XL View Camera
2017: Cambo Actar Lenses
2017: Cambo Actus G View Camera
2018: Cambo Base Tilt for Actus
2019: Cambo Fine Gear Drives for Actus
5 Short years – that’s a lot of product development. Who said view camera development takes forever? From the very beginning, I have been passionate about the Cambo Actus, and that is why I continue to write articles about the Actus product line as it evolves. Why? Because I love what a view camera can do and feel it is a needlessly lost art that disappeared years ago when digital photography became mainstream. There were reasons for this, but those reasons no longer exist, the Cambo Actus G is here.
Cambo Actus Knowledge Base:
First Look – Cambo Actus: a small miracle
Cambo Actus DB – Big Changes for a Tiny View Camera
First Look: Cambo Actus EF Aperture Controller for Canon
