Wisner Update?

[Michael Kadillak]

The Wisner web site mentions a minimum date of September 1st 2005 for a re-start of the enterprise and accepting orders.

Anyone have any updates on when things are going to be tooled back up and operational? Building finished? Staff in place? Any warranty work being completed in the last 30 + days?

Thanks for any information!

[Caroline Matthews]

Personally, I would write Wisner off. His service was never very good. Now he doesn't answer the phone or emails, much less deal with customers. Pick another camera and move on.

[Michael Kadillak]

I completely agree Caroline and made a decision to move on a long time ago. However, comments were made a while back about plans to accomplish certain things on a time line and I am interested in the accountability of the promises made.

The prospects of Deardorff and Shen Hao ULF cameras coming into the mix are a welcomed event and will clearly make up any shortcomings that a formal Wisner departure from the business would create. Camera buyers that want LF and ULF cameras are not sitting on their laurels to make a purchase and are finding alternatives that meet their needs along with excellent customer service. The more options the better.

[John Z.]

The Wisner system was certainly messed up. I waited over a year for GG protector for my 11x14, never got it. Also over 7 months for a reducing back which never came. I did eventually get a refund though. I hope he can get his act together with the reorganization-the fact of the matter is that he can make some good stuff at times, and there are not too many sources left for large format cameras.

Think about how many choices you have for buying a new 11x14 camera; Wisner, Canham, Phillips, and that is about it. Eventually they may only be made overseas--nothing wrong with that, of course, but good to have some local provenance too.
I do like my Wisner 11x14, and in fact eventually found a reducing back at Midwest Photo for a reduced price. Good things come to those who wait....

[Ted Harris]

As regulars in the group know I am not a Wisner fan but for the moment I suspect we need to take a wait-and-see attitude. I understand (all second and third hand) that the company has been sold to Ron's shop manager and she is working hard to get things going again. Nor sure what you do to solve the communications problem though.

BTW as far as domestic 11x14's check with Richard Ritter, I believe you will be able to order his new camera in that configuration sometime in the next month or two.

[Sal Santamaura]

"Think about how many choices you have for buying a new 11x14 camera; Wisner, Canham, Phillips..."

Scratch Phillips from the list. Dick's not making any more 11x14s.

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

The Wisner web site mentions a minimum date of September 1st 2005 for a re-start of the enterprise and accepting orders.

The exact quote is:

"No new orders will be accepted until at least Sept.1st, 05."

So, that means they might be ready to start taking new orders, or they might not be. Has anyone actually tried to give them a call to find out the current status of the company?

Think about how many choices you have for buying a new 11x14 camera; Wisner, Canham, Phillips, and that is about it.

They're not US companies, but Ebony, Gandolfi, Lotus and Tachihara all currently make new 11x14 cameras.

In the US, Jim Chinn is currently showing a prototype of his new 11x14 (photos on the APUG web site), and as others have mentioned Deardorff is again making new cameras in just about any size you'd care to order.

Shen Hao has 7x17 and 12x20 models on the way. They also have two 8x10s in their line-up. So, it's probably only a matter of time until they offer an 11x14.

Wisner has been a major player in the ULF for so long, it would be a shame to see the company go away. He does seem to have burned some bridges with some folks in the area of customer service and unkept promises. This re-organization was supposed to address those issues. I'm personally hopeful that it will, but if it doesn't there are more alternatives now in new ULF cameras than there were a decade ago.

Kerry

[Brian Ellis]

It seems to me that if we've learned anything about Wisner from the various messages posted here and elsewhere over the years it's that you pay no attention to anything that's said, look only at what's actually done. I took his reorganization announcement in the same way I take those signs sometimes seen on store or restaurant fronts - "closed for remodeling, will reopen soon," which almost always is a euphemistic way of saying "we're out of business."

[Frank Petronio]

I heard they were coming out with a new digital back for Wisner cameras soon. Problem was the rubber bands holding the Epson scanner on weren't strong enough.

[jantman]

Granted, I've been inactive on the 'net for quite some time.

I'm now studying at RIT, arguably the best photo school in the country. We have a single 11x14 available to check out, which most people don't know about, and certainly don't really understand why someone would want one.

I think the major issue here is that out of the maybe four manufacturers of new ULF cameras, one has died. Mismanaged, perhaps, but that surely doesn't speak well for the ULF community, especially being that he was, I believe, the only one represented at shows like PhotoPlus.

[Jorge Gasteazoro]

I think the major issue here is that out of the maybe four manufacturers of new ULF cameras, one has died

We dont know he is dead yet, but the rumors seem to be true in this case. If he did close up shop it was his fault and lack of professionalism. If he had been better organized not only do I think he would still be around, but would have been growing.

[e]

The Wisner company has not died. Maybe undergoing a reincarnation though. He is still sending newly made ULF cameras to his dealers. Emile/www.deleon-ulf.com.

[Michael Kadillak]

He is still sending newly made ULF cameras to his dealers.

Assembling cameras from inventory and shipping them off for payment potentially already made long ago not only makes good business sense, but is cheaper than storing the parts (particularly when you do not have a lot of excess space).

The business litmus test is if any dealers or private buyers have attempted to call the number on the web site to place or inquire about a new order and were either provided a price for the order to be accepted, a future date was provided when said order would be initiated or they got the run around.

Sooner or later any dealer that carries the Wisner banner on their web site needs to know if this product (in whatever form it could manifest itself) will be an integral part of their business plan moving forward. Consumers are much less fickle and have already moved on with the alternatives if and when they need a ULF or LF camera to express themselves.

Sad thing is that my Wisner ULF camera does a great job of making photographs once I got the kinks worked out of it. Just a shame the sequence of events and the lack of information shared on the subject.