Zone VI camera history info

I'm a new subscriber to Photo.net and am looking to make my first

excursion into large format photography. I've been looking at used

Zone VI 4X5 cameras and have read a number of previous postings on

the site concerning their manufacture. What I'm trying to find out

is if there are any distinguishing features (other than the plaque

below the front standard which is often un-readable in ads) that

would help differentiate one Zone VI from another. I see some with

bright polished "brass" hardware and others that look as though they

use some kind of dark anodized fittings. Also if anyone has any

personal experience concerning which vintage to look for I'd

appreciate hearing about it. Can anyone tell me when these things

were built, etc??

As I mentioned, I'm just trying to get started in LF and am trying

to do as much homework as possible before spending my money.

Thanks,

There have been a lot of Zone VI camera versions, so your question is fairly hard to answer. One good source of info is an article by Richard Ritter (who worked for Zone VI) that appeared in Jan/Feb 2003 issue View Camera Magazine (plus a later followup piece by Wisner? on the business breakup).

 

There were basically three eras: 1) Japanese cameras sold by Fred Picker under the Zone VI name, 2) the "Classic", a made in the USA camera designed by Fred Picker, Ron Wisner, et al., and 3) other cameras sold after Zone VI was sold to Calumet.

 

The cameras from the different eras are rather different so you should probably state what your goals are.

 

Era 1 cameras were made by Tachihara, then by Wista. They were light weight, double extension and had non-interchangable bellows. The light weight is an advantage. The extension is limited to about 300 mm -- the practical limit for non-telephoto lenses is roughly 240 mm. I had a Zone VI which was actually a modified Wista DX. It was a nice camera subject within its limits.

 

The "Classic" (Era 2) camera is tripple extension and has interchangable bellows. The extension is longer so you can use longer lenses, and with a bag bellows you can use more movements with a shorter lens. But these cameras are heavier.

Probably most were made while Zone VI was owned by Picker, though they continued under Calumet ownership.

 

Probably the easiest way to distiguish between these types is to ask the seller what the maximum extension is.

 

Eventually the market became interested in lighter weight and Calumet introduced Ultra Light models (Era 3). I don't know much about these.

 

The only ones that I can think of that have dark metal fittings are late, lighter models from Calumet. The Zone VI / Wista that I once owned used brass. The Classic that I once owned also used brass. Later Classics used gold-plated brass, which Fred advertised for its durability, though I have heard that the plating has fared poorly. Guessing, the dark metal is probably anodized aluminium, as part of the effort to keep the weight down.

 

Also see "Question about Zone VI Field Camera / Wista" at http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00921a

Jim,

 

Michael sums it up very well. Not much else to add to the history of the various ZVI cameras.

 

I owned one of the middle, "Wisner" versions, as most folks tend to describe them. It is essentially the same design and construction as the current Wisner Traditional field camera. The Wisner Traditional's components (wooden bed, rails, metal fittings, etc.) seem to be a bit beefier and more substantial than the "Wisner" ZVI classic; no doubt this reflects Wisner's continuing improvement of the design.

 

The camera was a fairly competent design, it provided substantial extension and was fairly light and compact for a field camera. It is not a particularly refined camera when compared to current offerings from Arca, Canham, Linhof or other field designs. The classic ZVI was better-suited to working with lenses in the normal to long range, from around 135mm on up to 300mm and longer; lenses shorter than 90mm were difficult to work with, and required a variety of tedious set-up techniques.

 

Workmanship was quite good during the peak years of Zone VI Studios, though I've heard that some examples showed better craftsmanship than others. The fit and finish of the wooden parts was quite good, though mine did tend to swell a bit in high humidity situations, making bed movements a bit sluggish. I never really had any significant problems with my camera, it always functioned smoothly and nothing ever malfunctioned. The original brass plating was quite durable, looked good and lasted well, but I've seen later versions, with the gold plating, with pitted metal parts.

 

The original spring loaded back worked OK, but the addition of the bail lever on the back made inserting holders easier to do one-handed, and prevented the camera's set-up from shifting when opening the back. The lensboard locking clips, back attachment clips and other bits and pieces were improved over the years. Some of the clasps and clips were a bit flimsy and tended to become sloppy with use and apparently were strengthened over the years.

 

The ZVI classic camera did/does have its limitations. It's not a terribly precise design, it does not have the tight tolerances and calibrations of studio rail designs. It's not the design I would choose to work with WA lenses, I would choose something else if you want one for architectural photography or WA landscape shots. And it's not all that light by current standards. I would suggest it for someone looking for a general purpose field camera for not too much money. More recent designs offer greater refinement, less weight, more versatility, and so on. They are good, basic general purpose field cameras that look good (if you like the wood camera look) and travel well, and they can be found for less than $700-$800.

I have owned 2. Both "classic era". One Walnut, one Mahogany. I succumbed to the temptation to try a Wisner for a while. I would concur with anyone that says they are a grand value at their used prices. May as well wait for one that has both bellows, and better yet if you're beginning in the format buy an outfit with a 90mm and 210mm modern lenses included. They are pretty enough to draw a crowd just about anywhere. That can be either good or bad depending on your perspective.

I was an "early adopter" of the Wisner-era Zone VI 4x5 camera and I still own/use one. In

general, I still like the camera but do not use it for heavy-duty projects. If I am going on a

long hike, I will bring my Toyo AX. Most of the above comments about the Zone VI are fair

and accurate. In my judgment, the camera is more of a show horse than a work horse. As

noted above, it does draw a crowd because it is so attractive to look at. If you prefer

anonymity, this is not the camera for you.

 

If I had it to do over again, I would have purchased a Wista in the "woody" category. I am

still very happy with my Toyo AX and an old Cambo SCX monorail is my choice as a studio

camera.

Jim -

 

Let me add a few additional thoughts to confuse your decision process even further!

 

I chose the Zone VI lightweight (mahogany/annodized aluminum) and have had it for about four years. Frankly, I believe that I made the right decision when I chose it even though I didn't do a lot of research as part of that process. Some of the factors to consider:

 

1. Appearance - frankly, I thought the high-gloss gold-plated brass on the previous model was kinda tacky.

2. Ability to zero out while setting up the camera. Here I'm reflecting something that I was told rather than something that I experienced myself - but a friend who has had both the Lightweight and previous models told me that the Lightweight has markings and detents that make it much easier to set up the camera in the neutral shift/rise/swing state.

3. Bellows flexibility - the early Zone VI camera (rebadged Wista) had a fixed bellows. I don't have a bag bellows, and after a discussion with the Calumet rep at the LF Conference last month, I probably won't buy one, but if you do want to do extreme wide angle work and want to interchange bellows, that's a concern.

4. Bellows draw - the later models have more bellows than earlier versions, something that is important for close-up work.

5. Ruggedness - the basic design of the Zone VI lightweight is pretty rugged. That said, there are two areas where I am still nervous. The first is that my sense is that the aluminum components would have a greater tendency to bend and deform than would brass. This may be a totally irrational feeling, but it does cause me to worry. The second is that compact design of the camera is very precise, and that means that one has to be careful when folding or unfolding it to avoid binding. In particular, you need to be careful to avoid abrading the bellows. I think this is probably not a problem if you train yourself to do it right, but I can see how you could wear out the bellows if you are careless.

The late Fred Picker who was a specialist spreading questionable information used Wista View Cameras wit a a slight variation in the camera.

 

Calumet bought Zone VI some years ago. You have to decide whether or not th increased cost over other cammeras is important.

 

My dear friend, Jack Deardorf, last living member of the famed Chicago view camera company, just recently re-started the company after selling and retiring.

 

Call Jack at (219) 464 9748

 

Lynn