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koh303
8-Dec-2014, 18:34
I know Zone VI rebranded various makes such as wista and tachihara, and that calumet in their day sold nagaoka and wista cameras a calumet XM, but did they also sell wisner made cameras (with Zone VI black vinyl bellows)?

This begs the question as to who actually made the "real" zone VI walnut and ultralight cameras?

John Kasaian
8-Dec-2014, 18:57
IIRC Wisner made some cameras for Zone VI. I'm not sure exactly when that was though.

Louis Pacilla
8-Dec-2014, 19:05
I know Zone VI rebranded various makes such as wista and tachihara, and that calumet in their day sold nagaoka and wista cameras a calumet XM, but did they also sell wisner made cameras (with Zone VI black vinyl bellows)?

This begs the question as to who actually made the "real" zone VI walnut and ultralight cameras?

I'm fairly sure that the first "made for/designed by" Zone VI camera was a collaboration between Ron & Fred. So the first few 100-1000 (or whatever that # was) were manufactured by Ron for Fred & the camera plaque would say this.

The Ultralights came LONG after Ron was gone & doing Wisner Camera Manufacturing Co. The Ultralights came in Zone VI's later years when Calumet bought Zone VI from Fred.

HMG
8-Dec-2014, 19:23
I also remember hearing of some being made by Wisner.

Mine was made by Wista. There may have been more than 1version of Wista branded zone vi.

scm
8-Dec-2014, 20:17
Wisner made cameras for Zone VI from 1986-1988, there were about 150, tops, produced.


http://www.shaneturpin.com/IMG_1974.jpg

http://www.shaneturpin.com/Wisner_Z6-1.jpg

MIke Sherck
8-Dec-2014, 20:18
There was an article in View Camera magazine a number of years ago, written by someone who was there at the time. The first Zone VI cameras were re-badged Japanese cameras; Wista and perhaps another, I don't recall the details. Picker and Wisner sort of co-designed a double-extension camera and it was labeled as a Zone VI; then there was a falling-out between Picker and Wisner and Picker got someone else to make his cameras while Wisner went into the view camera business for himself. I believe that my Zone VI may be one of the Wisner made ones. http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/archive/index.php/t-16433.html is a link to an earlier discussion of this issue.

Mike

scm
8-Dec-2014, 20:23
Zone VI Studios Wooden 4x5 Field Camera Guide (http://www.ebay.com/gds/Zone-VI-Studios-Wooden-4x5-Field-Camera-/10000000018080898/g.html)

Oren Grad
8-Dec-2014, 20:37
...and that calumet in their day sold nagaoka and wista cameras a calumet XM...

The XM was a Tachihara.

Drew Bedo
9-Dec-2014, 08:53
There was an article by Richard ritter on the history of the Zone VI cameras and Brand published by Steve simmons in View Camera magazine back in the early 2000s (maybe 2003). There was a rebuttle article by ron Wisner in the same magazine an issue or two later.
Here are some notes I nade from Ritter's article.

Zone VI Camera History


Late 1970s
Tachihara: Japan ,
“Zone VI” name plate
Cherry wood, chrome plated metal.
Single focusing rail, 12” bellows extension

1980
Wista 4x5 camera
“Specially Made for Zone VI” name plate
Single focusing rail, 12” bellows
Made by Wista, modified by changing to a beefier base plate.

1986 (not in catalog till ’87)
<150 units produced by 1988
S/N Range :100-250
Name plate :
“The Zone VI Classic, Made for Zone VI Studios, Newfane VT

"Made by Wisner Classic Mfg. Co., Marion Mass”".
Mahogany and polished brass.
Double focusing rail, Interchangeable bellows

1988 Wisner out of the picture

1988
“Zone VI
Made By Zone VI Studios, Newfane Vermont USA”
They jobbed-out parts and assembled them at the Studio.
+3000 units built
Mahogany wood S/N Range: 1,000 - 4,500 (with gaps)

1989
Larger knobs, GG Loading Bail
Walnut and Cherry models (limited runs) S/N in 9,00 range

1991
Gold Plated Fittings
1,800 units S/N range :3,000-4,000 (? I can’t make this fit . . .sorry)

1991
Calumet bought out Picker and marketed the same camera. Then changed to black anodized aluminum fittings.Called it the “Lightweight”


My Camera
Wista Model
Single focusing rail with 12” bellows
Wista branded Ground Glass
Mahogany with Brass fittings
Name Plate: “Zone VI Studios Inc. Newfane VT”
S/N 05345

Drew Bedo
9-Dec-2014, 09:37
Both articles were posted on the view Camera website as PDF files for subscribers a few years ago. I don't know how to share them .

The subject of the Zone ZI models comes up on this forum every 6-18 months or so. Does anyone know how to put together an article for Wikapedia?

john borrelli
9-Dec-2014, 18:46
Kodak and Zone VI had to have been the two most interesting American companies that catered to LF.

Jmarmck
9-Dec-2014, 19:31
Both articles were posted on the view Camera website as PDF files for subscribers a few years ago. I don't know how to share them .

The subject of the Zone ZI models comes up on this forum every 6-18 months or so. Does anyone know how to put together an article for Wikapedia?

I can certainly start an article if others would contribute with the verbiage.

koh303
9-Dec-2014, 19:45
the main reason for this thread is that i recently got a Zone VI camera, which has the regular "Zone VI made in VT" plaque, but is clearly a wisner camera, with very unusual twist/lock latches. It has the awful shellac metal finish and a super gloss wood finish (walnut i think).

Will post photos tomorrow.

I have already expanded the wisner article in camerpedia, but have not touched the zone VI/fred picker points at all.

scm
9-Dec-2014, 20:05
The camera with the twist type clasps is an early Picker/Ritter Zone VI. As of a few years ago, Richard still had some of those clasps in stock.

http://shaneturpin.com/_MG_0464.jpg

All of the Wisner Zone VI cameras had the emblem stating such, unless it fell off.




the main reason for this thread is that i recently got a Zone VI camera, which has the regular "Zone VI made in VT" plaque, but is clearly a wisner camera, with very unusual twist/lock latches. It has the awful shellac metal finish and a super gloss wood finish (walnut i think).

Will post photos tomorrow.

I have already expanded the wisner article in camerpedia, but have not touched the zone VI/fred picker points at all.

koh303
9-Dec-2014, 20:40
I see. It is indeed the exact camera in question. where in the timeline does this one fit?
The clasps seem to have a hard time staying closed... at lease one of them on this camera (closed bed latch) is broken off along with a small section of the frame. I guess thats why that design did not stay around for long...

scm
9-Dec-2014, 21:07
I believe that these were the first generation of cameras built in-house by Zone VI after the Wisner model, which would explain the similarity in finish to the Wisner.

As you've seen, one weak point for the twist clasp is that the brass inserts for the screws that hold them on the camera are close to the edge of the frame and, from what I've seen, have a tendency to crack the wood. Another is that the brass screws tend to seize in the inserts and any attempt to tighten them can either spin the insert in the wood, or worse, break the screw off.

Ron McElroy
9-Dec-2014, 22:04
I believe that these were the first generation of cameras built in-house by Zone VI after the Wisner model, which would explain the similarity in finish to the Wisner.

As you've seen, one weak point for the twist clasp is that the brass inserts for the screws that hold them on the camera are close to the edge of the frame and, from what I've seen, have a tendency to crack the wood. Another is that the brass screws tend to seize in the inserts and any attempt to tighten them can either spin the insert in the wood, or worse, break the screw off.

On my Zone VI of this vintage I had to do several repairs with glue and brass plates to reinforce these connections. The build number on this one is 531.

Bruce Barlow
10-Dec-2014, 04:14
I see. It is indeed the exact camera in question. where in the timeline does this one fit?
The clasps seem to have a hard time staying closed... at lease one of them on this camera (closed bed latch) is broken off along with a small section of the frame. I guess thats why that design did not stay around for long...

It was built late in 1988. I helped build it. It was among the first batches built in-house at Zone VI after the split with Mr. Wisner. Yup, the clasps were awful - another of Fred's "great ideas" that we had to do. Fortunately, Richard eventually won out, and we changed to slide-locks that would work better and last longer.

koh303
10-Dec-2014, 05:59
It was built late in 1988. I helped build it. It was among the first batches built in-house at Zone VI after the split with Mr. Wisner. Yup, the clasps were awful - another of Fred's "great ideas" that we had to do. Fortunately, Richard eventually won out, and we changed to slide-locks that would work better and last longer.

You meant to say - the slide locks work. period. :)

Bruce Barlow
10-Dec-2014, 08:40
You meant to say - the slide locks work. period. :)

Fair enuff.

cowanw
10-Dec-2014, 10:41
I have 1371 (assuming the stamped numbers on the inside of the bottom are the serial number) and thank you for your work.

dtheld
10-Dec-2014, 14:41
I have two - an early Tachihara ZVI and a Zone VI assembled #1381.

Quick question, does anyone know where I can pick up a bag bellows for #1381? Thanks in advance.

Dave

koh303
10-Dec-2014, 17:51
a better question is are Zone VI and wisner bellows interchangable. I can check tomorrow and let myself (and the thread) know.

William Whitaker
10-Dec-2014, 19:36
a better question is are Zone VI and wisner bellows interchangable. I can check tomorrow and let myself (and the thread) know.

Some Wisner bellows are not interchangeable with other Wisner cameras, if it means anything.

RichardRitter
11-Dec-2014, 05:46
No the bellows are not interchangeable.
Bag bellows are available for both the Wisner and the Zone VI.

koh303
17-Apr-2015, 13:56
I believe that these were the first generation of cameras built in-house by Zone VI after the Wisner model, which would explain the similarity in finish to the Wisner.

As you've seen, one weak point for the twist clasp is that the brass inserts for the screws that hold them on the camera are close to the edge of the frame and, from what I've seen, have a tendency to crack the wood. Another is that the brass screws tend to seize in the inserts and any attempt to tighten them can either spin the insert in the wood, or worse, break the screw off.

I am revisiting this thread after:
1. I had two Zone VI twist clasp cameras on which all three of the above faults happened. :(. Some wood plastacine epoxy helped a few of them, but oh man.. what a shame.

2. I read that Zone VI hardware was gold plated - is that actually true? And if so, why does it tarnish and pit so badly so fast?

RichardRitter
18-Apr-2015, 03:52
The twist lock was Fred's I have a better idea. They were on one run of cameras. The cameras with the twist lock were brass.