I didnt know my wista can do this.....

[Paul Ron]

Ive owned LF 4x5s before, but I have never seen a camera that does this......
My recently aquired Wista 45 can swing the front rails left n right. There is a latch tab on the side I can push as I move the front rail bed to the sides.

WHO KNEW?

174224

[Wayne]

Weird.

[Doremus Scudder]

Uh... back swing... not really so unusual on a view camera is it?

[jose angel]

Right, looks like back swing. Quite common.

[Paul Ron]

the camera back has knobs on the sides for back swings at the film holder. this is in addition another feature, rail bed swing.

[Willie]

Ever read the manual?

[Ari]

the camera back has knobs on the sides for back swings at the film holder. this is in addition another feature, rail bed swing.

Pretty cool. Can you show where the controls are for this feature?
I've owned the RF and SP and never saw this on those cameras.

[Bob Salomon]

Ive owned LF 4x5s before, but I have never seen a camera that does this......
My recently aquired Wista 45 can swing the front rails left n right. There is a latch tab on the side I can push as I move the front rail bed to the sides.

WHO KNEW?
How do you do a front shift with your camera? I mean shift the front standard only. Is it a different control?
174224

[ic-racer]

Folding press-style field cameras with back swing pivot like that are common? That is the first I have seen. Horseman and Linhof use a totally different scheme to accomplish that.
http://www.rogerandfrances.com/images/equipment/camera%20movement%20pics/9%20baby%20linhof%20back%20swing.jpg

[jose angel]

I think all my view cameras have rear swing pivots. If I`m not wrong, the only one who does not is my Technika.
I don`t remember Wistas, but my Rittreck (is it a Wista`s grandfather?) has it, too. BTW, it also has some kind of asymmetrical micro swing adjustment! :D
Maybe not so common on "true" press cameras, as you say. (Mmm... I wonder if Wistas -and Rittrecks- can be considered press cameras).

[Paul Ron]

i read the generic manual, its written half in Chinese with some english Im sure is only half the story.. there is a very small few lines showing the front rail swing which is what got me to try it.

There is a knob on each side to do a small swing at the film.


174271

[Bob Salomon]

I think all my view cameras have rear swing pivots. If I`m not wrong, the only one who does not is my Technika.
I don`t remember Wistas, but my Rittreck (is it a Wista`s grandfather?) has it, too. BTW, it also has some kind of asymmetrical micro swing adjustment! :D
Maybe not so common on "true" press cameras, as you say. (Mmm... I wonder if Wistas -and Rittrecks- can be considered press cameras).

All Technika cameras have rear swing. You do it via the rods in each corner of the back.

[Bob Salomon]

i read the generic manual, its written half in Chinese with some english Im sure is only half the story.. there is a very small few lines showing the front rail swing which is what got me to try it.

There is a knob on each side to do a small swing at the film.

Japanese camera’s use Japanese, not Chinese, in the manuals.

Again, how does your camera do a front standard shift?
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[Paul Ron]

it doesnt have a front standard shift. the front rail bed shifts.

see the pic in my first post. weird?

[Bob Salomon]

it doesnt have a front standard shift. the front rail bed shifts.

see the pic in my first post. weird?

No, I think that the mechanism is broken. You have a very old Wista, from your picture, and I don’t know the availability of parts. But before something falls off you should check with the service center. In the USA that is Precision in Skokie, IL. Bob Watkins is the owner. Contact him!

[Havoc]

No, nothing is broken! I took my Wista 45N (more recent than Paul's) and it has the same feature. When you open the camera, then at the left, below the knob that locks the bed in position there is a small latch. If you press it you can swing the whole bottom of the bed. It isn't something broken, there are dovetail guides for this movement.

The Wista has a front shift, for that you need to loosen the knob at the bottom of the front standard, then it shifts left/right parallel to the bed rails. Sadly it doesn't have a central position "feel".

Thanks Paul, I had seen that latch and played with it but never found what it was for. As you say the manual is in a very particular lingo...

[Paul Ron]

Now that we know what we have.... how do we use it? Shall I start a new thread?

Its not exactly front standard swings at the lens board anymore. the pivot is more in line with the film plane and extends all the way out the end of the rails.

[Ari]

Yeah, let's see some photos!

[B.S.Kumar]

Features of the different Wista metal field cameras:

45N: Manual front rise, shift, tilt. Rear swing. Fixed Bellows
45D: Geared front rise, manual shift, tilt. Rear swing, micro-swing. Interchangeable standard, wide and long bellows.
45SP: Geared front rise, manual shift, swing, tilt. Rear swing, micro-swing. Interchangeable standard, wide and long bellows.
45VX: Geared front rise, manual shift, swing, tilt. Rear swing. Interchangeable standard, wide and long bellows.
45RF: Geared front rise, manual shift, swing, tilt. Rear swing. Interchangeable standard, wide and long bellows. Rangefinder.

The VX and RF share one style of back. The D and SP have the back shown above, with the latches.

[jose angel]

Now that we know what we have.... how do we use it? Shall I start a new thread?
Paul, back swing controls "horizontal" converging lines (in the same way tilt controls the vertical ones).
I you don`t have it yet, I`d advice you to get a good book or "bible" about view cameras like Stroebel`s one.

[Willie]

i read the generic manual, its written half in Chinese with some english Im sure is only half the story.. there is a very small few lines showing the front rail swing which is what got me to try it.

There is a knob on each side to do a small swing at the film.


174271

Forgot that so many come with lousy manuals. Got used to Linhof and Sinar and Hasselblad stuff.

[mitrajoon]

@Paul Ron: "Now that we know what we have.... how do we use it? Shall I start a new thread?"

YES!