Wista 45DX users?

[john_c.]

Has anyone used the Wista 45DX or 45DXII ? I am interested in your impressions regarding build quality, rigidity, and ease of use. Please, no comments or suggestions on other cameras. It would be used only for landscape work with 80XL, 110XL, and 210 lenses (the 210 mostly at infinity). Thanks.

[ben_calwell]

John,

I've used a Wista DX with shifting back for more than 10 years, and

while I like the camera, I'm not in love with it. The focus, on mine

at least, has always been a bit stiff and not very smooth. It does

seem to be well made and sturdy. But as one who cut his large format

teeth on a studio monorail, it's never had that "precise" feel to it

that I became used to with a monorail. But for landscape work, in my

opinion, it's great and easy to set up. And it's pretty, too.

[paul_owen]

Had a good look at one once........not that impressed!! Not very

rigid, especially when extended. I am curious as to why you don't

want any recommendations or suggestions, do you already own the

Wista?? Paul

[steve_gilb]

John, I own the Wista VX and it is a landscape work horse. I not

familiar with the DX, but in response to the earlier coment on the

focusing being a little tight, their should be a screw you can loosen

that will adjust the movement of the focusing knob.

Regards,

Steve

[richard_ross]

I use a Wista DX (w/ rear shift). It is the only camera I have used

though so I can't comment on comparisons. I use a 150 and 240 lens and

am mostly happy with it. It is well built, fairly rigid and very

pretty. With the 240, I have to be careful to lock the focus well and

let the vibrations of the front die out for a few seconds.

 

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I agree with the comment above about the focus not being silky smooth.

I almost returned mine initially as the focus was pretty course. I

fixed this by rubbing candle wax into the geared focus tracks and on

the focus rod which is tensioned from below in two places by metal

tabs. It focuses very smooth when cold, and less so when warm,

presumably due to expansion of the wood.

 

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One other problem I encountered was the ground glass position. The

ground glass sat about 0.03in closer than the film plane in my

holders. It sounds small but this made the camera focus film too close

and noticeably on more than a few shots. I fixed this by shimming the

ground glass with single strips of film and verified it by shooting a

ruler at a steep angle with shallow DOF.

 

My only main gripe with this camera is the front tilt. It uses springs

that pull the standard forward when out of the zero detents. These

make it difficult to adjust, check focus, adjust again and so forth

without locking it down after each adjustment. You have to play with

it to see what I mean. I would really prefer a center tilt front

standard.

 

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On the whole I am very happy however, as this camera is very light for

what you get, and I like to drag my gear up mountains. It is also

quite a bargain, as the other cameras in this price range, are not as

nicely built.

[andrea_milano]

All cameras have their special way of being, those made of wood will

always have more mechanical and rigidity problems. Expansion and

contraction is a fact of life.

Having said that, I have several cameras bot wood and metal, certain

carachteristics of the Wista VX, metal field make me prefer it to its

wooden equivalent (by the way somebody in one of the entries spoke of a

shifting back , I believe it is a revolving back...), however it costs

a little more and it weights a little more too. No problem working with

the described lenses but you need a wideangle bellows for any

substantial movement with 80mm and 110(you will want that otherwise why

buy XL's).

regards

[bob_salomon3]

Wista makes several wood 45 cameras = 3 metal ones.

 

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Some wood ones, SW, SW III, DX III, DX have rear shift.

 

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Some wood ones, SW, SW III have interchangeable bellows

 

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The DX II has neither.

 

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The DX is available in cherry, ebony or rosewood

 

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The DX II AND SW are available in Cherry and Rosewood.

 

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All others are in cherry only.

All Wista wood and metal cameras, including those with fixed bellows,

accept extension bellows for much longer then the basic 12" extension..

[bob_salomon3]

Oh yes,

 

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No wood Wista has a revolving back. Metal Wistas do.

 

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For wood ones the back is taken off and you rotate it 90°.

 

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While we are on this Wista makes a cherry 45 to 57 adpter back and a

quick slide back for roll film. The factory is discontinuing both of

these and there are very few left in our or the factory's inventory.

[bob_salomon3]

We will be exhibiting at the NANPA Show at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas

next weekend and at the Western States show in Pasadena the following

weekend and will be showing Wista.

 

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If you are near either you can get some hands-on feel.

 

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We will also introduce the complete Novoflex line for which we were

just appointed the distributor as well as Ansmann, Ergorest and Gepe

Pro. All are new.

[chad_jarvis1]

My wife owns and never uses her DXII, which I've found to be a handy

little, albeit not the best in show, lightweight camera. I can pack

it, 10 holders, and two mounted lenses in a tiny backpack. However,

I'd agree with everyone else that it is not a rigid camera designed

for serious field work. The bellows is made of paper, which I hate,

and is VERY easy to crinkle; I have proof. I would say that the VX

or the Toyo metal fields (not to ignore the Linhof lovers) would be

worth a longer look.

[doremus_scudder1]

I use a Wista DX (older, with rear shift) almost exclusively for my

outdoor work, especially when I have to pack it long distances. I own

a monorail and another field camera, but have chosen the Wista over

other brands which are possibly better made and have smoother

controls and longer bellows extension principly due to its small size

and light weight. I have found it to be a rugged, reliable and

uncomplicated tool in the field. Low-tech has its advantages. The

only real shortcoming (literally) is the small bellows draw which

does not allow focusing a 300mm lens closer than infinity. This I

solved by mounting my Nikkor M 300mm on an extended lensboard. One

advantage of this camera is the way it folds together. Not only is it

quick and uncomplicated, but many small lenses can be folded up

inside the camera without removing them. Even my Schneider Symmar-S

135 fits inside the camera when closed. A great help when in the

field and size and ease of set up are important. Hope this

helps, ;^D)

[bob_salomon3]

According to our factory information all current Wistas have a leather

pleated bellows. Was yours changed by someone?

 

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We can email a comparison sheet of Wista/Linhof/Toyo/Wisner/Horseman

features to anyone who wants one.

[bryant_bryant]

I own one of the older Zone VI Wistas. It is an excellent camera.

Like all of the cameras I own or have owned, I have yet to live up to

it.

[dan_zoner]

I have owned a DX rosewood w/rear shifts and have had only

slight problems. One being crinkling bellows when I fold it up but

that can be alleviated by keeping the front standard loose when

folding, removing the back and centering the standard so the

bellows don't crease. After significant use you won't need to

remove the back, you will know when the front standard is in

place. Also ALL of the original brass cap nuts that retain the all of

the knobs fell off. The Wista site is in Japaneese so I couldn't

order another set from the manufacturer, I used it for several

months afterwards without any nuts and none of the knobs fell

off but be forewarned finding brass metric buts is slightly more

difficult than could be expected. Reccomendation - remove all of

the nuts and put a tiny amount of thread locking compound to

keep them all in place.

[bob_salomon]

"he original brass cap nuts that retain the all of the knobs fell off.

The Wista site is in Japaneese so I couldn't order another set

from the manufacturer"

 

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If you are in the U.S. we have them in stock. Just call service in

NJ at 973 808-9626. They have most Wista parts in stock and we

have most Wista accessories in stock.

 

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As we sell to the camera stores and not to end users you could

also order the caps from your dealer in the U.S.