Wista M100

[Jim_5345]

I recently purchased a used Wista M100 monorail camera in excellent condition. It's the 5x7 with a 4x5 reducing back.

Can anyone tell me where I might can find information on this camera? Maybe even a manual and parts list (I have one, but unfortunately, it's written in Japanese).

I've googled Wista to death. Their site tells me nothing. Any help would be appreciated.

[Steve Hamley]

Jim,

I traded Jim Andracki a board for one that came with a lens I bought off eBay. I have the seller's e-mail address if you want it; maybe he has the camera if the lens was mounted on a Wista M100 board. Jim didn't really want the board, he said this camera was quite rare in the States, but more common in Japan.

Steve

[Jim_5345]

Thanks. I bought the camera a week or so ago. Came with two lensboards, cable release, Wista loupe, focusing cloth, and a custom made hard case. When I say it's in excellent condition...it looks brand new...possibly has new bellows. But not a mark or scratch on the thing anywhere.

I'm just looking for info on the camera. Maybe when they were made. And again, something written in English. The camera movements are pretty intuitive...I just like to see stuff in writing. And there are several internally threaded studs in various locations on the camera that I have no idea of their function. I've used it once in the studio already.

Quite rare in the United States, huh? Maybe I got a deal?

Jim

[Oren Grad]

Perhaps Bob Salomon can help? HP Marketing is now the Wista distributor in the US. One of the pages on their site mentions the Wista monorail camera, though I'm not sure whether they're actually importing any.

By the way, so far as I've been able to tell, it appears that there has never been a 5x7 Wista monorail. The M100 has always been specified as a 4x5 camera only. If I recall correctly there's a reducing back available for 6x9cm, but not a 5x7 back. The seller may have been confusing the M100 with the Rittreck 5x7 metal flatbed camera.

[Oren Grad]

PS - The M100 is the least expensive model in a family of 4x5 monorail cameras from Wista - the others are the M200 and M450. The M450 was introduced in 1978 and the M100/M200 in 1979. All three continued to be offered by Wista at least as late as 2003, and may still be.

[Jim_5345]

Oren...thanks so much.

Jim

[tor kviljo]

I had the opertunity to study the wista M450 a year or so back. In scandinavia, it were sold by PHOTAX of sweden. The 450 had geared rise, rack & pinion fine-focus front & rear, leather-bellows & very smooth movements overall. However, this model of Wista were made using brass instead of steel in the main axle of the focussing mechanism as well as in locking-bolts for sliding front & rear standars & locking bolts for swing. This makes espesially the protouding & relatively small diametre focussing-axle vulnerable for being bent or broken during transport/rough handeling, so take care in this aspect.