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Calumet CC-400
France Version française
Photos by JCB text by JCB. From the collection of JCB. Last update 2024-02-05 par Sylvain Halgand.

Manufactured or assembled in USA from (After) 1960 to (After) 1970.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 11837

See the complete technical specifications

Chronology of cameras Calumet 

The view camera is made up of a front standard that carries the lens and a rear standard that carries the focusing panel.  The focusing panel, which holds the ground glass, is held in place by springs (whence “spring back”) allowing the panel to be displaced for insertion of the film holder, which holds the film in the same plane as the ground glass’ front surface.  This focus and all movements as seen by the film are as had been seen on the ground glass.

The two standards can slide along the monorail, as can the tripod block.  They are connected by a bellows which allows their movement.

The front standard allows vertical and horizontal shifts.  Anglophones usually call the vertical movements rise and fall, the horizontal ones shift.  It also allows swings on two orthogonal axes, vertical and horizontal.  Anglophones usually call swings around the horizontal axis tilt (forwards and backwards) and swings around the vertical axis tilts.  Rise is geared.  The rear standard allows horizontal shifts and swings around both axes.
The back rotates, allowing shots in ‘landscape” and “portrait” orientation, as well as at intermediate angles.

The lens and shutter are mounted on a lens board which is held to the front standard by a slider.

The example shown has a convertible Linhof-badged 150/5.6 Symmar in a Linhof badged Compur shutter, speeds T, B, 1, … , 1/400 with press focus and a self-timer.  The lens’ rear cell can be used alone; it is a 265/12 and the shutter has a secondary aperture scale for it.  Francophones usually refer to convertible Symmars as “Symmar tout court;” subsequent Symmar models, e.g., Symmar-S, Super Symmar HM, Apo-Symmar, Super Symmar XL, … ,whose rear cells are not recommended for use as taking lenses, have suffixes or prefixes.

Movements, both shifts and swings, are used to correct (or exaggerate) distorted perspective, to control focus, and in some situations to increase depth of field.

Calumet made three versions of this camera, all derived from the 4x5 Kodak Master View.  CC-400, with 16” bellows; CC-401, with 22” bellows; and CC-402, a short version for use with wide angle lenses.  The CC-400 and CC-401 have minimum extensions of  3 13/16”, the CC-402 1 7/8”.

Calumet CC-400



Calumet CC-400



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