Wista 45DX Manual

[Ed Vatza]

Okay. I have spent the past couple of hours trying to chase down leads on a copy of the instruction manual for the Wista 45DX. Every path turned into a dead end.There has got to be a manual available somewhere online. Can someone please help and/or point me in the right direction? Thank you.

Ed

[Oren Grad]

I have the manuals for the metal-bodied Wistas, but I have never seen manuals for the wooden ones. I don't know for sure that any exist - the Wista website in Japan has no links to any. My impression is that many wooden cameras have never had manuals - it's assumed that the user can figure out the camera without help, or will get help from someone.

The current US distributor for Wista is OmegaBrandess. You could try asking them.

Do you have any specific questions about the camera? If you post them here people can help.

[Bob Salomon]

I have the manuals for the metal-bodied Wistas, but I have never seen manuals for the wooden ones. I don't know for sure that any exist - the Wista website in Japan has no links to any. My impression is that many wooden cameras have never had manuals - it's assumed that the user can figure out the camera without help, or will get help from someone.

The current US distributor for Wista is OmegaBrandess. You could try asking them.

Do you have any specific questions about the camera? If you post them here people can help.

Yes, there were manuals, at least for the ones that we distributed. We gave Omega my binder of Wista literature - including manuals for all of the 45 wood and metal folding cameras. As far as I know Jeff at Omega should have that binder.

[Oren Grad]

Thanks, Bob, that's good to hear.

[scm]

It's more of a pamphlet than a manual but here you go:

Wista 45DX Manual PDF (https://stevemidgleyphotography.com/Wista_45DX.pdf)

[Ed Vatza]

Yes, there were manuals, at least for the ones that we distributed. We gave Omega my binder of Wista literature - including manuals for all of the 45 wood and metal folding cameras. As far as I know Jeff at Omega should have that binder.

I tried contacting the distributor listed on the Wista website and my e-mails kept bouncing back. The US distributor listed there wasn't named Omega though.

Ed

[Ed Vatza]

It's more of a pamphlet than a manual but here you go:

Wista 45DX Manual PDF (https://stevemidgleyphotography.com/Wista_45DX.pdf)

It's more than I have so thank you very much. Even a little information is better than none.

Ed

[Ed Vatza]

I have the manuals for the metal-bodied Wistas, but I have never seen manuals for the wooden ones. I don't know for sure that any exist - the Wista website in Japan has no links to any. My impression is that many wooden cameras have never had manuals - it's assumed that the user can figure out the camera without help, or will get help from someone.

The current US distributor for Wista is OmegaBrandess. You could try asking them.

Do you have any specific questions about the camera? If you post them here people can help.

Just basic operation for now. I am currently using a Speed Graphic and just purchase a 45DX on Ebay. It is due to arrive on Friday. I just want to make sure I don't do anything stupid which I am often prone to do. The link provided below should help... I hope!

Ed

[Bob Salomon]

I tried contacting the distributor listed on the Wista website and my e-mails kept bouncing back. The US distributor listed there wasn't named Omega though.

Ed

Sorry about that, they apparently don’t update their site very often. That was our company that we closed 3 years ago next month. Omega took over distribution, accessories and whatever we had left in brochures and literature.

[Oren Grad]

Just basic operation for now. I am currently using a Speed Graphic and just purchase a 45DX on Ebay. It is due to arrive on Friday. I just want to make sure I don't do anything stupid which I am often prone to do. The link provided below should help... I hope!

Ed

Good luck and enjoy!

[Doremus Scudder]

The manual linked to above is all I ever got with a DX. It has everything you need. The only quirk with the DX is how the lens folds in when closing; it's different than some other folders. The camera is basic but completely able to handle almost any task.

One real advantage of the DX is that you can fold it up with a small lens mounted. I can fold mine up with most 135mm Plasmats, my 203mm Ektar and even the Fujinon A 180mm. This speeds up set-up quite a bit. Watch carefully when you try to close the camera with a lens mounted the first time to make sure that it doesn't touch anywhere. If not, you're good to go.

One thing you should be aware of: The standard bellows don't really allow a lot of movement for 90mm and wider lenses. When using extreme movements, the bellows will bind and crimp; mine have an extra "fold" in them running diagonally from using lots of rise with wider lenses. This can, if you are not careful when folding the camera back up, cause some problems. I've seen some DXs with really destroyed bellows from crimping them and then folding them up incorrectly. Mine, however, have been going great for 25 years or more on one camera. I use recessed boards for all my wider lenses (really necessary for anything much shorter than 125mm) to give me more bellows draw and less crimping and I release the stress on the bellows as soon as I can after the shot by racking out the bellows. When applying rise, I'll rack out the bellows, shift the lens and then refocus by racking the bellows in. This seems to fold the bellows better than forcing the lensboard up with the bellows in the shorter position.

If you are going to use wider lenses with any movements at all, I highly recommend you get recessed boards. (I use a 90mm f/8 Nikon SW, 90mm F/8 Schneider SA and a 75mm Fujinon f/5.6 SW on recessed boards.) I have either cable-release adapters, or short flexible cable-release extensions (or a cable release with a short fitting) on theses lenses that stay with them permanently.

Any other questions you might have we here on the forum can likely answer rather quickly.

Best,

Doremus

[Ed Vatza]

The manual linked to above is all I ever got with a DX. It has everything you need. The only quirk with the DX is how the lens folds in when closing; it's different than some other folders. The camera is basic but completely able to handle almost any task.

One real advantage of the DX is that you can fold it up with a small lens mounted. I can fold mine up with most 135mm Plasmats, my 203mm Ektar and even the Fujinon A 180mm. This speeds up set-up quite a bit. Watch carefully when you try to close the camera with a lens mounted the first time to make sure that it doesn't touch anywhere. If not, you're good to go.

One thing you should be aware of: The standard bellows don't really allow a lot of movement for 90mm and wider lenses. When using extreme movements, the bellows will bind and crimp; mine have an extra "fold" in them running diagonally from using lots of rise with wider lenses. This can, if you are not careful when folding the camera back up, cause some problems. I've seen some DXs with really destroyed bellows from crimping them and then folding them up incorrectly. Mine, however, have been going great for 25 years or more on one camera. I use recessed boards for all my wider lenses (really necessary for anything much shorter than 125mm) to give me more bellows draw and less crimping and I release the stress on the bellows as soon as I can after the shot by racking out the bellows. When applying rise, I'll rack out the bellows, shift the lens and then refocus by racking the bellows in. This seems to fold the bellows better than forcing the lensboard up with the bellows in the shorter position.

If you are going to use wider lenses with any movements at all, I highly recommend you get recessed boards. (I use a 90mm f/8 Nikon SW, 90mm F/8 Schneider SA and a 75mm Fujinon f/5.6 SW on recessed boards.) I have either cable-release adapters, or short flexible cable-release extensions (or a cable release with a short fitting) on theses lenses that stay with them permanently.

Any other questions you might have we here on the forum can likely answer rather quickly.

Best,

Doremus

I'm hopeful I will be able to fold it up with my Rodenstock 150mm f/5.6 APO Sironar S lens attached. That seems to be the lens I most often use.

The DX I purchased does have some creasing in the leather bellows as you described. The seller said "The bellows has been professionally restored to be supple and 100% light tight. There are some wrinkles in the folds as shown in the photo. But it causes no problems." And he has included a new (non-leather) bellows with the camera.

The seller is also including a recessed lens board (I am hoping Copal 0). My lenses right now include a 75mm Schneider; 90mm Fujinon; 150mm Rodenstock and 250mm Fujinon. As I indicated, the 150 Rodenstock has become my go to lens but I do use the others. I will be careful with all but especially the 75 and 90.

Thanks for everything.

Ed

[Ed Vatza]

I've seen some DXs with really destroyed bellows from crimping them and then folding them up incorrectly.


I forgot to ask... can this type of damage to bellows be repaired or would it take replacing the bellows?

Ed

[Bob Salomon]

I forgot to ask... can this type of damage to bellows be repaired or would it take replacing the bellows?

Ed

No, once the support of the bellows is damaged it can’t be repaired. But the bellows might still be functional. If not, it needs replacement.

[Ed Vatza]

No, once the support of the bellows is damaged it can’t be repaired. But the bellows might still be functional. If not, it needs replacement.

Thanks. Like I said, the seller is also sending me a new non-leather replacement bellows. He also said "that the bellows has been professionally restored to be supple and 100% light tight. There are some wrinkles in the folds as shown in the photo. But it causes no problems." So I'll probably leave well enough alone.

Ed

[Ben Calwell]

I envy you DX owners who are able to fold your lenses into the camera. I've got a DX (purchased new in about 1988), but it apparently has a bit of a different design than some other DX's in that it prevents me from keeping the lens on it when folded. I have a small Caltar 210, but even with that lens, the camera won't shut all the way.

[rdeloe]

On my Wista 45VX I can fold up the camera with some of the lenses only if I mount them backwards. You may already have tried that but if not, see if that helps.

[Doremus Scudder]

Ed,

Just check your bellows for leaks (light inside the camera in a dark room, bellows extended, check from all side) to see if it's okay. If so, you're good to go; just save your spare bellows for a rainy day. If the bellows folds up inside the camera easily, it doesn't really matter if there are some extra creases.

FWIW, I acquired a Wista SW a couple of years ago. It's basically a DX with interchangeable bellows. The wide-angle bellows (half pleats, half bag) allows lenses up to 210mm and unlimited movements with my 90mm Nikon. It's now my go-to camera for architecture. Still, the DX with the standard bellows served me well for the same purpose for years and years, just with a little creasing and some care needed.

Ben,

Newer DXs have a base plate with a tripod socket in the middle, which limits somewhat the lenses you can fold up with the camera, since it protrudes into the lens area when the camera is folded. Still, I can fold up my small 135mm Plasmats (Nikkor, Rodenstock) and even my Fujinon A 180mm. With the older DX I can fold up even larger lenses. Maybe your 210 is just too large; I could never fold up 210s in any of my Wistas.

Best,

Doremus