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Hi I found an old wista view camera and I can't find any markings or anything to identify what model it is. Thats really all I know about it. Here are the pictures, any information would help.
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How much do you want for it?
Almost every aspect shown of that camera is Tachihara, Calumet Wood Field, Osaka and similar Tachihara made for other branding. The back is definitely Tachi, as is the rear swing. the only thing I see that is slightly different is the front standard and mechanisms there. There was a Wista wood field camera called the Wista D???? In all the examples I have listed the other wood field folding cameras were identical everywhere to Tachi, but your front standard is not identical.
Looks like an early Wista to me, the other brands used some of the same hardware but are less well made, Wista is linked to Rittereck so goes back quite a way, Tachihara's were a poorer quality brand.
It's perhaps forgotten that right back into the 19th Centuary some manufacturers often used common parts, this can be seen in British, German, US over the years. In the UK there were companies specialising in brass fittings for cameras, I havepages from their catalogues, you see the same parts on quite a few US cameras but perhaps it's the German cameras of the 20's up until WWII that shared the most parts - I'm thinking of the Avus type cameras mainly 9x12 but other formats as well. This leads to many similar looking cameras which only have minor differences
Ian
So does anyone know what exact model it is? Or about how much it's worth?
Thanks
This is a Wista DX II. There are two similar models, the DX and the DX II. The difference is that the DX II does not have rear shift and the DX does. The DX II is supposed to be more stable due to the lack of the shift. If this one has rear shift that I can't see, then I'm wrong and it's the DX model.
I sold my Wista DXII (branded as a Zone VI) for $500 plus shipping - and that's what I paid for it. It was rosewood, that one looks like cherry. both good, but I liked rosewood's deeper color.$5-700 is about the right price point depending on condition. Look at e-bay completed auctions for a more accurate estimate.
These are very nice cameras and sell new for $12-1300 I think. Bob Solomon from HP marketing probably has a better idea on new prices for Wistas than I do.