Just bought a Zone VI 54 in the UK

[Martin Shakeshaft]

I just bought a Zone VI 54 camera here in the UK along with a 90, 150, 240 and 300mm lenses. Really looking forward to getting out and using it. Can anyone give me any information. I think its an original Fred Picker its number is 1126. Can anyone give me any more details other than http://www.bwphotopro.com/Site/Picker_&_Zone_VI.html

Its in excellent condition, it has a beattie fresnel screen, which seems really bright. One catch is a bit loose but I can sort that.

A question: is the brass coated or can I safely polish it? Sad I know, but it looks so good!

It came with a Zone VI tripod, but as I already have one I have put this in the For Sale category.

http://www.martinshakeshaft.com/stuff/ZoneVI.jpg

http://www.martinshakeshaft.com/stuff/tripod/1.jpg

[Alan Curtis]

Very nice, it is certainly an original. Mine is number 752 and was part of the early Zone VI productions, so yours was made shortly after mine. Bruce Barlow and Richard Ritter both contribute to this forum and one or of both most likely assembled your camera.
Congratulations.

[MIke Sherck]

Mine is that vintage (I've forgotten the serial number, but it's in that era.) I like it quite a bit. Yours has the rotating catches, as opposed to the later sliding catches? You can tighten or loosen them to whatever tension you prefer with a screwdriver. I believe the brass bits are coated with something; I've never polished mine and they don't tarnish, or whatever you call brass when it oxidizes. It's a fine camera.

Mike

[Donald Miller]

When I owned mine I did not polish the brass. I think if you start polishing you will create a situation where you will need to continue polishing. Some of the brass polishes can also be ruinous to the wood. I believe that mine was a 8** serial number as I recall.

[davemiller]

I second Donald's comments - don't polish. The metal work is lacquered, which is why any scratches go dark as the underlying metal tarnishes.

[Louie Powell]

There was an article in View Camera Magazine by Richard Ritter several years ago that laid out the history of the camera from the earliest days of rebadging cherry Tachihara cameras to the Zone VI Lightweight under Calumet.

From 1988 through 2001, cameras were made in Vermont by Picker, Ritter, Bruce Barlow, and others on the Zone VI staff. Serial numbers for these cameras started at 1000 and progressed through 4500, so your camera was probably built fairly early in this period.