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lfb
30-Oct-2014, 21:36
if i search wista in ebay there are some '45' model.

it is not written vx or sp in the title and description.

but the appearance is very similar with sp.

what is this model?

what is difference between vx,sp and 45?

Alan Gales
30-Oct-2014, 22:38
On the latest models with all black front standards the Wista 45SP is the same as the 45VX except the SP has a microfocus geared rear swing in addition to regular rear swing. The SP cost more than the VX new and was slightly heavier due to this feature. If you look at the side of the camera between the bellows and ground glass there are two chrome knobs on the SP and one on the VX. The top knob is for the microfocus swing. The earliest Wista 45SP which had a silver front standard did not have front swing but I heard that later models with silver front standards and of course the black front standards have front swing. All SP's have the microfocus rear swing.

There is also a Wista 45D model. It is an earlier model. I don't know much about it except it goes for less money. The Wista 45's that you see on Ebay that just say Wista 45 are most likely the 45D model.

lfb
31-Oct-2014, 08:26
45 and 45d have two knobs in the side of the camera.
is this means these models have micro swing?
and are they have front swing?

how can i distinguish between sp and 45d?
it looks really same to me.

Alan Gales
31-Oct-2014, 10:11
You got me real curious so I did some research. I think I may be wrong on one point that I told you.

It looks like the early Wista D's are trimmed with faux wood instead of black material on the sides. They are colored gold on some parts and they do not have front swing or microfocus rear swing. The later D's have the faux wood with no front swing but have the added microfocus rear swing.

I read where someone said they had an even later D with the black instead of faux wood without front swings. I thought the D's all had the faux wood trim and I didn't know that some D's had the microfocus rear swing. I have handled one of these black trimmed cameras and was told it was an SP. I guess the one I handled was either a D with black trim or an SP with no front swing. I would put my money on it being a D with black trim and the person was mistaken in what he told me.

Clear as mud right? :rolleyes:

Nissin
1-Nov-2014, 06:28
I think that you have the same model camera as mine. I have a black Wista with no front swing and no microfocus rear swing. This model, I believe, is the VX. Take a look at http://www.wista.co.jp/e_wista/e_show/e_camera/e_cpho2.htm

Bob Salomon
1-Nov-2014, 06:34
if i search wista in ebay there are some '45' model.

it is not written vx or sp in the title and description.

but the appearance is very similar with sp.

what is this model?

what is difference between vx,sp and 45?

Wista makes both metal and wood 45 cameras. In metal, recently, there were/are the VX, SP, and RF and several variations in Rosewood, Cherry, Quince and Ebony. So Wista 45 is far to general a search term. And, as mentioned, there was also the D plus a Wista 45 monorail.

Alan Gales
1-Nov-2014, 10:18
I think that you have the same model camera as mine. I have a black Wista with no front swing and no microfocus rear swing. This model, I believe, is the VX. Take a look at http://www.wista.co.jp/e_wista/e_show/e_camera/e_cpho2.htm

A VX without front swing, huh? Maybe the fellow was right and it was an SP without front swing that I handled. He claimed to be the original owner.

It's really hard to find information on the early metal Wistas.

Bob Salomon
1-Nov-2014, 10:35
A VX without front swing, huh? Maybe the fellow was right and it was an SP without front swing that I handled. He claimed to be the original owner.

It's really hard to find information on the early metal Wistas.
SP has front swings the same as the RF and VX

Alan Gales
1-Nov-2014, 21:31
SP has front swings the same as the RF and VX

Thanks Bob. I guess it was a late model D that I handled.

What model do you think Nissin has?

scm
1-Nov-2014, 22:05
The earlier metal Wista without front swing or rear micro-swing is the N. This page (http://chemicalcameras.wordpress.com/wista-45n/) has some good photos of an N.

The N was to the VX as the D is to the SP, earlier cameras that are pretty similar but without the front swing the later models have. They all, as far as I know, just have "Wista 45" on the name plate with no sub-model designation.

Bob Salomon
2-Nov-2014, 06:52
Thanks Bob. I guess it was a late model D that I handled.

What model do you think Nissin has?

No idea. We never were involved with any of the older models. Only with the current models.

Alan Gales
2-Nov-2014, 09:59
No idea. We never were involved with any of the older models. Only with the current models.

Thanks again, Bob.

I understand the differences in the current models but there is so little information on the early models out there. If buying an early model off Ebay an interested buyer might want to ask the Seller some questions first. I'd rather put my money towards a lightly used current model.

Nissin
3-Nov-2014, 01:40
The earlier metal Wista without front swing or rear micro-swing is the N. This page (http://chemicalcameras.wordpress.com/wista-45n/) has some good photos of an N.

The N was to the VX as the D is to the SP, earlier cameras that are pretty similar but without the front swing the later models have. They all, as far as I know, just have "Wista 45" on the name plate with no sub-model designation.

Thanks for the link and the info. I live in Japan and bought it on an on-line auction as a used VX. I've always been puzzled by the fact that the specs didn't match Wista's description. You live and learn!

Vaughan
13-Jan-2023, 22:31
Hello, I have just climbed out of the Wista 45 metal camera rabbit hole after purchasing a very scruffy (and really cheap) Wista 45N, ordering a new bellows for it and also picking up a used wide angle bellows, only to discover after receiving the camera that the bellows is glued-in (the 45D has interchangeable bellows and I assumed the 45N was the same) so the bag bellows won't work with it. I was really wanting to have a metal field camera with bag bellows, so I may pick up a VX some time in the near future and move this one along once I have to working well and looking better.

All the cameras are labelled "WISTA 45" regardless of whether they are a Wista 45N, 45D, 45VX, 45SP or 45RF. So you can avoid my mistake of not knowing what camera I was looking at, here is my WISTA 45 Metal Technical Camera Identification Cheat Sheet:

If the camera has a SILVER front standard (with rise, tilt and shift but no swing) then it is either a 45N or a 45D: the 45D has rear micro-swing, the 45N does not. (There are a couple of other differences: for example the 45D has interchangeable bellows, the 45N does not.) These models can can be found in either gold/woodgrain or black.

If the front standard is BLACK (the camera body will also be black) it will have front swing and the camera is either a 45VX, 45SP or 45RF. The 45RF has a rangefinder on the top. If it has rear micro-swing it’s a 45SP, otherwise it’s a 45VX. (Note that the 45RF is based on a VX and has no rear micro-swing.) All these models are finished in black and all have interchangeable bellows.

TL;DR - If you want a 45VX or 45SP with front swing, the camera body needs to be BLACK and – most importantly – the front standard must be BLACK. If the front standard is SILVER it's a Wista 45N or 45D (the 45D has micro-swing on the back) without front swing even if the body is black.

B.S.Kumar
14-Jan-2023, 03:02
Vaughan, silver and black is not relevant. The Wista 45N and 45D models were made in three different styles:
1. silver front standard, brown chassis and faux wood leatherette,
2. silver front standard, black chassis and black leatherette, and
3. black front standard, black chassis and black leatherette.

The 45SP, 45VX and 45RF are all black, and may have silver or black front standards.

The latest SP, VX and RF have round serrated knobs, while older models have knobs with indented "finger" grips.

The front standard can be interchanged among all models, so you might see a 45N camera with glued-in bellows and a standard with front swing.

More information here: https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?150243-Wista-45N

Kumar

Havoc
14-Jan-2023, 03:35
Also there are 2 ways the (rotating) back can be attached and those are not compatible. It can be with 4 sliders that open and let the back be changed. Or you have to remove 2 screws in each corner. Not very important until you want to mount a 6x9 sliding back.

I have no idea how the division between models is for that feature.

My faux wood one has the 4 sliders, no microswing back, no front swing and a rise is not geared. The black one has screw for the back, microswing back, no front swing and geared rise. Both have non-glued bellows.

B.S.Kumar
14-Jan-2023, 05:14
I explain the features of all the models in the post I linked to above.
The 45N, 45VX and 45RF use sliders to remove the back. The 45D and the 45SP have latches.

Your faux wood finish camera should be a 45N, but I've not seen one with a removable bellows... The black one is a 45D.

Kumar

Havoc
14-Jan-2023, 06:01
I explain the features of all the models in the post I linked to above.
The 45N, 45VX and 45RF use sliders to remove the back. The 45D and the 45SP have latches.

Your faux wood finish camera should be a 45N, but I've not seen one with a removable bellows... The black one is a 45D.

Kumar

Ok, I took a better look and the faux wood one has only a removable bellows at the front standard. Sorry for the confusion.

Vaughan
16-Jan-2023, 02:59
Thanks for your reply Kumar. My post was more concerned with identifying a camera with front swing. I've been looking at listings on eBay and only cameras with black standards have front swing, while those with silver standards do not have front swing. I was under the impression that the main difference between the old 45N and 45D and the newer 45VX, 45RF and 45SP models is that the later VX and SP have swing on the front standard where the older models do not.

Rod Klukas
20-Jan-2023, 16:28
The instructions for the Wista SP and the VX show the differences. I really liked my SP. I used it to photograph forest fires for my MFA Thesis. But like all LF cameras with a box at the back, Wista, Linhof Tech, Horseman, etc. they are not good for wide angle lenses.

M Butkus camera manuals. seems to have the manual available. It is mixed Japanese and English.

Hope this helps,

Rod

IslandPilot
25-Jan-2023, 19:17
I recently made the mistake of purchasing what was listed as a 45 SP. It turned out to be an N model. I returned it and bought the correct SP.

The M Butkus manual was the clincher to convince the seller they sold me an N. It was also helpful to brush up on the operation, which is intuitive but good to have a reference.

Looking forward to making images soon.