How to tell the difference between a Wisner Technical Field and an Expedition (4x5)?

[DennisMairet]

I bought a Wisner 4x5 camera recently. It was advertised to be a Technical Field. It says that on the front rail. I understand the Expedition model also has that same label. I'm curious which one I have. I think there are 5 differences.

Tech Field is Mahogany. Expedition is Cherry.
Tech Field has brass hardware. Expedition has brass color anodized aluminum hardware.
Wood panels are thinner on the Expedition.
Tech Field weighs 6.5 pounds. Expedition weighs 4.5 pounds.
Tech Field bellows draw is 22 inches. Expedition is 20.5.

I can't distinguish the wood species on my camera. I don't have a scale. I measured the bellows draw at 19 inches right before the geared tracks run out.

Anybody know how thick the wood panels are on the two models? Any other distinguishing features?

I'm guessing mine is an Expedition based on my bellows measurement.

[William Whitaker]

Try looking at the old Wisner catalog by way of the Internet Archive ( aka Wayback Machine). One such URL is:
https://web.archive.org/web/20050318021306/http://wisner.com/

The anodized aluminum hardware is the biggest clue outside of the wood species.

Before I had a scale I "borrowed" an unused checkout lane at a local grocery store. Or weigh it at the end of your grocery order. You might get a strange look, but that's OK.

[Audii-Dudii]

Before I had a scale I "borrowed" an unused checkout lane at a local grocery store. Or weigh it at the end of your grocery order. You might get a strange look, but that's OK.
Way back when, I raced cars. And since extra weight is the enemy of speed, I would regularly weigh parts on the high-res digital scale in the lobby of my local Post Office, which is conveniently open 24 hours a day.

It has a weight limit of 75 lbs and is accurate to .1 ounce, which was plenty good enough for my purposes. And Yes, I did / do get funny looks from people when I used it, which is why I usually do so late at night.

I have also weighed cameras there, too.

Although the last time I did so was in the middle of the day, as I was returning home from having lunch with friends, where I had showed them my latest round of camera modifications.

A woman in the lobby somehow confused my hybrid, digital view camera (which was mounted on a center column and being carried under one arm, because I used my other arm to open the door) for a machine gun, which made for a brief bit of excitement...

https://i.imgur.com/ihLvW5e.jpg

[William Whitaker]

.50 cal??

[Audii-Dudii]

.50 cal??

8 mm x 1.25, IIRC.

[DennisMairet]

I took some pictures. It was purchased in 1995 according to the warranty card. It looks brand new. I found the pegs and tabs that lock the front rails in place at full extention (past the front focus gear). With the rear focus gear at the end of the tracks, I now measure 20.5 inches of bellows draw which is the spec for the Expedition model.

I've decided the wood looks like Mahogany and the hardware brass. So I have what looks like the regular Tech Field but with the bellows draw of an Expedition. Maybe the 22 inch bellows draw of the regular model is marketing exaggeration.

It came with all the accessories. Bag bellows, fresnal lens, ground glass protector, dark cloth, a Technika lens board adapter, and 4 Wisner lens boards.

There are 3 issues I need to deal with. It took great effort to pry the ground glass protector out of the camera back. Wood swelling or shrinking. I don't plan on using the ground glass protector anyway. I put the fresnal lens in and will leave it there.

All 4 lens boards rattle when mounted on the camera. I'm thinking about shimming them with masking tape.

All my lenses are currently on Technika style boards. The plastic Technika adapter does not work. The latch won't close on a Technika board with the adapter in place because the board and adapter are to thick. I can't think of a fix for this.

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[rdeloe]

Here's the Wisner catalogue if you haven't found it already: https://www.largeformatphotography.info/cameras/wisner-expedition-technical/WisnerCatalog300dpiMonoChrome.pdf

According to this catalogue, the Technical Field had a bellows draw of 23", while the Expedition and Tradition had 20.5" It would be very strange for them to have shipped a Technical Field with only 20.5" of draw. If it's a Tech Field, is it possible that something is sticking and preventing the last bit of draw?

I owned a Technical Field. Mine was #1357. My Wisner lens board sat quite snugly when mounted; I did not have to shim them.

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[Louis Pacilla]

If your hardware is brass then it's the straight Wisner Technical View (I own one in 8x10 & love this beast but I also own a couple lighter 8x10 field cameras so the beast does not go to far from car)

Here's a great piece that talks of his Wisner Expedition Tech View and he explains the camera plus you'll find a PDF of the Wisner Catalog.https://www.largeformatphotography.info/cameras/wisner-expedition-technical/
It will clear it up a bit. But don't go by bellows length as your could have shrunk a bit and usually the last inch or two is accomplished by leaning standards forward.

[DennisMairet]

I found one other spec difference. Regular Tech Field is 4 3/4 inches thick when folded. Expedition is 3 3/4. Mine is 4 3/4 so I'm pretty sure it is the regular model. I just don't see how I could achieve the spec'd 23 inch bellows draw. I'm at 20.5 inches when I run out of geared track on the rear focus. Maybe if I physically pulled both standards out to where they are almost exitting the camera I could get 23 inches, but I could not lock the rails in place or focus with the gears.

I noticed one more flaw in my camera. One of the front clips for the bellows has some slop. It doesn't hold the front bellows frame against the front standard. I'm trying to work up the courage to bend that clip a little.

[Louis Pacilla]

I found one other spec difference. Regular Tech Field is 4 3/4 inches thick when folded. Expedition is 3 3/4. Mine is 4 3/4 so I'm pretty sure it is the regular model. I just don't see how I could achieve the spec'd 23 inch bellows draw. I'm at 20.5 inches when I run out of geared track on the rear focus. Maybe if I physically pulled both standards out to where they are almost exitting the camera I could get 23 inches, but I could not lock the rails in place or focus with the gears.

I noticed one more flaw in my camera. One of the front clips for the bellows has some slop. It doesn't hold the front bellows frame against the front standard. I'm trying to work up the courage to bend that clip a little.

If it's BRASS hardware (yours is) it's a Wisner Technical View Period. The Expedition has Aluminum anodized hardware & again they usually stretched the standards forward & backward for the last couple of inches of bellows extension & the bellows are very taunt at full extension so you really can't go by bellows length the way you are.

On the bellows tabs,,,,before you bend anything have you tried tightening the two screws per bellows tab? Try that first and see if it snugs up & then do a flash light test in a dark room to see if they are leaking at the frame attachment points.

[Peter Collins]

I have owned both the Tech Field and the Exp, but I now have neither. I have to disagree with Louis re "brass."

The wood in the case for sure is cherry. American cherry, I would bet. (The wood of the Tech Field that I owned was much darker and its grain was not as prominent.

The hardware looks mostly anodized aluminum. Some of it is definitely anodized--the pieces on the top side beside the leather handle. These features are consistent with Exp, as is the bellows draw. As for 4.75 vs 3.75 inches I can't comment. Yours is "mostly Expedition."

My call at home plate is Expedition. My big bet in Vegas, which I think I would win, is Expedition.

[scm]

I found one other spec difference. Regular Tech Field is 4 3/4 inches thick when folded. Expedition is 3 3/4. Mine is 4 3/4 so I'm pretty sure it is the regular model. I just don't see how I could achieve the spec'd 23 inch bellows draw. I'm at 20.5 inches when I run out of geared track on the rear focus. Maybe if I physically pulled both standards out to where they are almost exitting the camera I could get 23 inches, but I could not lock the rails in place or focus with the gears.

Have you tried extending the front standards out like this, you can get a couple more inches extension this way:

https://stevemidgleyphotography.com/_MG_7185x.jpg

[Louis Pacilla]

I found one other spec difference. Regular Tech Field is 4 3/4 inches thick when folded. Expedition is 3 3/4. Mine is 4 3/4 so I'm pretty sure it is the regular model.

Dennis has measured the cameras thickness when closed up and it has the Technical Field (TF 4 3/4")numbers & not the (EF 3 3/4") Expedition Field. Dennis's must have brass hardware making it a slam dunk on the ID. Dennis has a beautiful Wisner Technical Field View 4x5.


I just don't see how I could achieve the spec'd 23 inch bellows draw. I'm at 20.5 inches when I run out of geared track on the rear focus. Maybe if I physically pulled both standards out to where they are almost exitting the camera I could get 23 inches, but I could not lock the rails in place or focus with the gears.


The Manufactures usually stretch the standards Ft forward & the Bk backward for the last couple of inches when giving the Max bellows extension & the bellows will be very taunt at full extension so you really can't go by bellows length the way you are.Just like bellow.


Have you tried extending the front standards out like this, you can get a couple more inches extension this way:

https://stevemidgleyphotography.com/_MG_7185x.jpg

Hey Steve is that a Wisner Traditional L 5x7 - 8x10 or a 4x5 Traditional S It kind of looks like the gold anodized aluminum hardware but it's so hard to tell.

[scm]

[QUOTE=

Hey Steve is that a Wisner Traditional L 5x7 - 8x10 or a 4x5 Traditional S It kind of looks like the gold anodized aluminum hardware but it's so hard to tell.[/QUOTE]

This photo was taken around 10 years ago but I believe it was the standard Traditional 4x5. I don't remember ever having anything other than the standard Traditional and the Technical in 4x5, other than a Pocket Expedition once.

[Robbie Bedell]

I have a number of lens boards for my Technical Field and I have to shim about half of them. It's not a big deal. I used black electrical tape cut very narrow so it's not noticeable. Just make sure you shim from the outside of the board. The board has to seat flat to the inside of the front standard. Yours does sound as if it's a Technical Field. If you pick it up and it feels heavy it's a Technical Field. if it feels light it's an Expedition...(!)

[DennisMairet]

Thanks to everyone. I did not realize the front standard could pivot forward like scm shows. That gets me close to the 23 inch spec. So it is 4 3/4 thick and has 23 inches of bellows. And yes, it feels heavy. It is the regular Tech Field. It is very beautiful. I'm going to move some of my lenses to the Wisner boards and do some shimming with tape.

[Fore]

Hi Dennis,

I hope you don't mind me jumping in here? ;) But I too have a Wisner Tech 4x5. I want to get a WA lens, prob. start with a 90mm, and perhaps eventually, going to 75mm. I don't have bag bellows though. Researching, it seems some are able to use a 90mm w/out the bag bellows, while I also read that some said absolutely you need the bag bellows for anything smaller than a 90mm.

What do you all think about this? And what's a good price for used bag bellows. The prices seem all over the place.

Thanks so much!
Chris

[rdeloe]

Hi Dennis,

I hope you don't mind me jumping in here? ;) But I too have a Wisner Tech 4x5. I want to get a WA lens, prob. start with a 90mm, and perhaps eventually, going to 75mm. I don't have bag bellows though. Researching, it seems some are able to use a 90mm w/out the bag bellows, while I also read that some said absolutely you need the bag bellows for anything smaller than a 90mm.

What do you all think about this? And what's a good price for used bag bellows. The prices seem all over the place.

Thanks so much!
Chris

I used my Wisner Technical Field with a 90mm Schneider Super-Angulon and the regular bellows. It's been over a decade, but I can't recall movements being overly limited with this arrangement.

[Fore]

I used my Wisner Technical Field with a 90mm Schneider Super-Angulon and the regular bellows. It's been over a decade, but I can't recall movements being overly limited with this arrangement.

That's great to hear, Thank you rdeloe for answering my question ;)