[LargeFormat] Wisner and Ebony Field Cameras

[Paul and Paula Butzi]

> Are there people on the list using or who have used these cameras? If 
> so, some feedback on your experiences of using them would be very 
> useful.

I haven't used the Ebony, and haven't even seen one first hand.

I do own a Wisner 4x5 Technical Field, so I can comment on it firsthand.

The Wisner was my only 4x5 camera for about four years.  For about a year
prior to getting the Wisner, I was using a borrowed Zone VI 4x5.  I still own
the Wisner, although it has been languishing in a cabinet for quite a while now,
and I really should sell it.  If someone is looking to buy one, contact me and
perhaps we can work out an arrangement that is mutually beneficial.

The Wisner is a very nice camera.  On the positive side:
    * It truly is a thing of beauty and a joy forever.
    * plenty of bellows, even for very long 4x5 lenses like the Fuji 450C, etc.
    * Extensive movements, especially for a field camera, including front and
      rear axis tilt.
    * It's quite robust, and although it's not particularly light by current standards
       at the time it was weight competitive with other similarly capable cameras like
       the Canham (the Canham field camera, not the DLC45).
    * The geared rear axis tilt is truly a cunning mechanism, and owning the camera
        that has it is akin to owning a Breitling watch with the circular slide rule - you
        get some delight just from it being there.

Downsides:
    * If you're looking for a camera to use with lenses shorter than perhaps 90mm,
        this really is not the camera to use.  Even with a bag bellows, using shorter
        lenses means tilting the front standard back and then getting it parallel by using
        the front axis tilt, or else using the rear axis tilt mechansim to move the rear
        standard forward.
    * It's not the most rigid thing in the world at full extension.
    * Some Wisner TF's have the back machined in such a way that it's impossible
        to fit a grafmatic properly into the camera and have it seat correctly.  Mine is
        one such camera.  I understand that Ron will correct this for some nominal sum
        and I assume that more recent cameras don't have this problem.

Those are pretty minor issues - and they're issues that are shared by many (most?)
wood field cameras.  If you're set on a wood field camera, a Wisner is a fine way to
go (but so are many other cameras).

There's a somewhat longer (but not much) review of the Wisner 4x5TF on my web page
at http://www.butzi.net/reviews/wisner.htm if folks are interested.


-Paul
www.butzi.net