I have the opportunity to purchase a used Wisner 4x5 Technical Field camera. Still negotiating the price, but before I agree to purchase the camera, I am hoping for a little information on wisner cameras. Does anybody have experience or opinions on this camera? All comments/thoughts are appreciated.
They're nicely built wooden cameras.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
I haqve owned one from new , Excellent camera however 90mm difficult to manage , 65mm almost impossible without bag bellows (which I have ); no problem with long lenses, plenty of movements possible in fact too many for landscape use.Originally Posted by glrerun
I can recommend this camera , excellent build quality, a little on heavy side.
Cheers Barrie B., Australia.
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Agree the Wisner and similar field cameras are a pleasure to use. For me, I have switched to Chamonix views. Much lighter and the bottom focusing knob for the front standard in the rear of the camera just a pleasure to use. If I want more stability, I just switch to using a Sinar Norma. 4x5 Normas are to be had for great prices all the time.
Lovely camera, excellent build quality. I had one and sold it to get into larger format at the time. As with other cameras, now I wish I'd kept it. I sold it back to the fellow from whom I purchased it, who himself regretting having sold it
For me the most compelling attribute is the built-in long bellows draw and base extension: enough to accommodate a 450mm non-tele lens at closer than infinity, or a 210mm lens at 1:1 distance. No special attachment or procedure required.
Had one for years... they are indeed well made but can be somewhat "fiddly" in use and, as Barrie stated 90mm and shorter are difficult to use. The film-back springs are really strong and Richard Ritters' bail back is very useful to prevent displacing the back upon insertion of the film holder. If the price is right you could certainly make a worse choice. I think Richard still does repairs and modifications and is a great source of information.
This is the 2nd large format camera I bought and I still have it. There are some compromises, but, overall, it has a lot of capability. The bellows length allows for the use of longer lenses, up to 19 inch, but limits the use of shorter lenses without a bag bellows. It will accomodate a 90mm Schneider Super Angulon XL without having any interference with the rear element, but, for that and anything shorter, you will have to have a bag bellows to get full movements due to compression of the longer bellows preventing getting the full movements the lens is capable of. Also, the front standard support will have to be tilted back to focus a 90mm or shorter lens at infinity. That said, having a bag bellows and the slight inconvenience of having to tilt the front standard suppport back for the shorter lenses gives a field camera that has a maximum focusing length of 23 inches and a minimum of 0" and there are not many that can match that, never mind give the range of movements it has.
If you do get it, be sure to learn to open and ciose it properly and always tighten the rear standard adjustments when it is closed to keep it from flopping open when you picik up the closed camera by its handle. It has spring clips to keep it closed, but they may not completely secure it if the rear standard support knobs aren't tightened .
I have mine still after so many years. I've enjoyed it for 20 plus years and now I'm thinking its time for someone else to enjoy it. But I just can't quite pull the trigger to sell it. I probably should. All the pain!
You'll really enjoy the camera!
I bought the Technical from Ron fifteen years ago, and it's great. As others have said, the advantage is a long bellows, which hinders the use of the 90mm. But having the axis tilt on the rear standard is a very useful feature.
everything has already been said. I love mine and shoot with it all the time both with film and collodion.
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