Tell me about WISTA 45 N

[tweenkle]

Hi everybody.

I saw a Wista 45 N for sale, but it seems difficult to find litterature about it.

How does it compare to other Wista 45 (SP, RF,...) ?
How old could it be ?

What are the pros and cons ?

What is a fair price for a gear in good condition ?

Thanks.

[Bob Salomon]

http://chemicalcameras.wordpress.com/wista-45n/

This is an old version of the current metal Wista VX or SP cameras (all metal Wistas are no longer made as the manufacturer of the body casting has gone out of business and the tools were destroyed).

[tweenkle]

Thanks Bob.

Is it a good idea to buy the Wista N or not ?

If yes, at what price ?

Thanks.

[Bob Salomon]

Thanks Bob.

Is it a good idea to buy the Wista N or not ?

If yes, at what price ?

Thanks.

Not if you might need service and parts at a later date. So it better be real cheap.

[tweenkle]

Thanks.

Is 250$ cheap enough ?

[engl]

Keep in mind that you are taking advice from a representative of a Linhof distributor, who obviously would have a chance of selling you some parts if you went with a Linhof instead of a Wista.

But the point is still valid, you might not be able to get spare parts for a Wista. A lot of amateurs use cameras for which spare parts can not be bought from the manufacturer, or cameras which cost less than say buying a new Linhof bellows. If your income depends on your camera, get something with manufacturer support.

As for the Wista, I'm sure someone who has used the camera will chime in. Wista metal field cameras always seemed genial to me, although the 45N is older and missing front swing.

[tweenkle]

Thanks engl.

My income doesn't depend on my camera. It's just a toy for me. It would be my first LF camera. The one I saw (only pics) looks very nice. It is sold with a Apo-Symmar 150, which seems to be a good lense and with a few fidelity backs.

[engl]

If you don't buy that, let me know where you found it. 250$ for a Wista metal field with a good lens and holders is a steal :) At least if the condition is good. All movements should work without issue, bellow light tight, shutter working, lens mold-free etc.

[tweenkle]

When I said 250$ it was, in my mind, the price for the Wista alone. I was mentally adding the price for the lens and fidelity. Like 250+400+50 = 700$.

Does that sound fair ?

I also have to say that I'm in France and so is the gear...

[IanG]

$250 if it's in good condition is worth it, the rest at $700 inc the Wista is still OK.

Just look how much a new Wista is, or even a cheap Chinese camera.

Ian

[Bob Salomon]

Keep in mind that you are taking advice from a representative of a Linhof distributor, who obviously would have a chance of selling you some parts if you went with a Linhof instead of a Wista.

But the point is still valid, you might not be able to get spare parts for a Wista. A lot of amateurs use cameras for which spare parts can not be bought from the manufacturer, or cameras which cost less than say buying a new Linhof bellows. If your income depends on your camera, get something with manufacturer support.

As for the Wista, I'm sure someone who has used the camera will chime in. Wista metal field cameras always seemed genial to me, although the 45N is older and missing front swing.

We are also the Wista distributor to keep matters straight.

[engl]

Never claimed you weren't, but as you said in post #2 and #4, there might not be a lot of Wista parts to buy (and for you to sell).

[Bob Salomon]

Never claimed you weren't, but as you said in post #2 and #4, there might not be a lot of Wista parts to buy (and for you to sell).

To keep the matter straight.

We do not sell Linhof or Wista repair or replacement parts. That is done by a company that is not affliated with us in any way. Marflex Service in North Carolina, we are in New jersey.

Marflex orders the parts directly from the factories and bills them directly to his customers. The only time that we may be involved is if someone sends their camera to us for service and to expidiate matters we forward it on to Marflex at our expense rather then refuse the shipment or return it to the customer.

If someone needs accessories those do come through us and are sold to consumers through a camera store of their choice. Sometimes Marflex will buy an accessory from us to complete a customer's order rather then make it more difficult for the customer.

So, need repair parts on a Wista or a Linhof? Then we are not involved in the importation or the sale of the part. Clear?

[engl]

Alright, that was more than I knew, I assumed HP Marketing had a connection to repair parts as well.

Still, you and your company have economic interests in the camera choices people make, as well as what is written about cameras and buying old/used gear. I just thought this is something the OP should know when you caution against a Wista 45N unless its "real cheap". Apologies for claiming that you'd be selling repair parts.

[Bob Salomon]

Alright, that was more than I knew, I assumed HP Marketing had a connection to repair parts as well.

Still, you and your company have economic interests in the camera choices people make, as well as what is written about cameras and buying old/used gear. I just thought this is something the OP should know when you caution against a Wista 45N unless its "real cheap". Apologies for claiming that you'd be selling repair parts.

Someone always has an interest in any manufactured product that you buy that is currently in production or that uses currently manufactured parts. But many people do not know what is actually manufactured or available. Even with an internet search.
And if there are pitfalls in buying long discontinued products some buyers might like to be aware of them before they spend money rather then after they have a problem.

[Frank Petronio]

$250 to $500 for a working Wista 45N sounds quite reasonable to me, but I would especially check that the bellows is in good shape as the glue joints and corners sometimes will fail with age.

Also the back and ground glass would bear more scrutiny than normal since some people may have attempted a repair and the Wista's use a ground glass/fresnel screen combination that requires precise positioning, so I would be cautious of any replacement work that isn't factory-stock.

The rest would be common sense, do the joints and knobs work, does everything line up and move smoothly?

I noticed on eBay that people may ask for up to $1800 for a Wista VX or SP but the ones that actually sell go for $600 to $800.

Marflex service in the USA is excellent, although nobody will say it is cheap.

[Ari]

Wistas are tough solid cameras; as you've read some parts may be hard to find, but a lot of it is after-market stuff (esp Chinese) like fresnels and such, the rest is DIY.
If it's just for fun, I would go for it, especially if the camera is in France, and you would save on obscene VAT charges.
I just bought an RF, and I think it's a terrific camera.
Bonne chance!

[Noah A]

I've been using a Wista VX, which is a newer version that's similar but it has front swing.

The Wistas are nice solid cameras and I think they're a very good value. The bellows are on the short side, but my camera worked great with lenses from 80mm (though the movement was a bit limited) up to 210mm.

I decided to switch since I needed a bit more movement for architecture and urban landscapes. But the Wista is a really good first camera and does offer good movements for a compact field camera.

It's pretty solid. It appears to share some parts with the newer VX/SP/RF, and I know at least some of those parts are still available since I've recently ordered some from Marflex in the US. I don't know if the supplies will get short now that the cameras are discontinued, and I don't know for sure if any parts are the same as the older N camera.

However, as Ari said, bellows are available from china or can always be custom ordered. The camera is very easy to maintain and it seems simple enough to service yourself.

[B.S.Kumar]

The Wistas can use bed extensions and longer bellows as well, so there really are no practical restrictions. There are two types of WA bellows for short lenses, so that is also well taken care of.

Kumar

[revdocjim]

Thanks to Bob for the link to my website! I bought my Wista at a very good price. It was just under $300 and came with the standard back, a 6x7 back that slides up and down so you can focus and shoot without changing backs, and a Fuji polaroid back. It's all in great condition except there are some penciled lines on the ground glass.

I've found a few lenses for it and enjoy it a lot. It is very solidly built and feels very similar to the Linhoff versions that I've played with in the stores. I contacted Wista here in Tokyo where I live and was able to get a user's manual. They were very helpful but I didn't ask them about replacements parts so I can't confirm or refute Bob's info about lack of parts.

[Bob Salomon]

Thanks to Bob for the link to my website! I bought my Wista at a very good price. It was just under $300 and came with the standard back, a 6x7 back that slides up and down so you can focus and shoot without changing backs, and a Fuji polaroid back. It's all in great condition except there are some penciled lines on the ground glass.

I've found a few lenses for it and enjoy it a lot. It is very solidly built and feels very similar to the Linhoff versions that I've played with in the stores. I contacted Wista here in Tokyo where I live and was able to get a user's manual. They were very helpful but I didn't ask them about replacements parts so I can't confirm or refute Bob's info about lack of parts.

I didn't say that there are no parts. I said that the metal cameras are no longer made so parts can be a future problem. So can some accessories specific to the metal Technika cameras.