Same old Wisner

[Robert Brummitt]

Again as I've said before, send your fixes or accessory needs to Richard Ritter if you are in a hurry. I will stock Wisner lens boards etc. at less expensive prices than you will see elsewhere but if you need a custom job done, Richard Ritter is probably the answer. Emile.[/QUOTE]

But, I purchased my Wisner (My second tech field) with the understanding of lifetime warranty from the camera maker. Why would or should I go to another when Ron is still in business? Should he not honor his warranty?

[Robert Brummitt]

It's a matter of a simple carbon leaf spring and tighening nut. The spring snapped in two and the nut fell off. A simple fix. He's currently offering on his website to sell the same graflock back for $250. So, he should have parts. One would believe.
It would be far better then having someone like Ritter start from square one. Forward this message to Ron and have him mail the parts and I'll replace them myself.
Then he would be honoring his Lifetime Warranty.

[Emile de Leon]

Fact is this is not the same company as before. It is much smaller and it remains to be seen what is available in the way of parts for past cameras, lifetime warrantee or not. If the part has to be made then the wait might be long, if he has it in stock then you may get a quicker fix.
Ron has severely downsized. Like I said on another post like this one...don't fester...ask Ron and if you don't get satisfation send your needs to Richard Ritter and get on with things. He can pop a spring on your back. Life is too short to dwell on what may or may not happen w/Wisner and if he has the parts in or not. I often wondered about the Lifetime Warrantee of Zone V1 stuff and what ever happened to that. I myself have had Richard Ritter do work on my Wisners or make Wisner-compatible things that I had no time to wait for even though it cost me extra funds, and I'm a Wisner dealer! This is just the way it is. Are the Deardorf people any different? Talk to Jim at Midwest...you may find that the wait for parts and repairs for your Deardorf is even longer than your Wisner. Emile

[Robert Brummitt]

If Ron would respond to calls and emails, give a definitive answer. "Yes, I have the parts" or "no, I'm sorry I do not". Then, I would move on as would many others. I see that he sales them the final componet. They're on his website as so. But, by not answering he leaves me in a lurch and because I'm reading these threads here and on other photo sites I fear I'm not the only one with these questions.
You want to help Ron sale cameras. Get him to write to us. Get him to respond. He is his worst sale point. His cameras are great but his people skills are not.
I love my Wisner. I also have a droff. Both are wonderful machines but the one is still in the making and the other I believe is not and my Wisner is my number one large format camera. So, I use the Wisner much more. The Graflock back is important to me. I would like it back in service.
As to the Zone VI items. I believe that when Calumet bought the ownership to the gear they need not comply to past warrantees. I have a friend who has a VI 4x5 camera and when he called Calumet that the gearing of his camera was bad, thats what they told him. They were not compelled to honor past warrantees. He wasn't happy. Would you be?

[jstraw]

As an observer I will note that I've never heard a negative word about the quality of Ron's merchandise and that's not at issue. There's no reason to expect that anything he delivers will be less than stellar. I have never heard a positive comment about the quality of his service and there is no reason to expect he will deliver anything at all.

Assurances about scope of production leaves me skeptical. The communication problems suggest an issue other than Ron being over-extended. I wouldn't be sanguine about a major change in the clearing of past repair and accessory requests even if he never started construction of another new camera.

[Peter De Smidt]

As an observer I will note that I've never heard a negative word about the quality of Ron's merchandise and that's not at issue.

I once bought an 8x10 techncial from Wisner. The quality was poor.

[Daniel Grenier]

I bought a 7x17 Wisner on the used market and all I'm hoping for, after readings countless threads such as this, is that nothing breaks down. I'd hate to have to order anything from the factory. Having said that, I love the camera - regardless of how shameful the level of "service" might be.

[Emile de Leon]

Daniel,
If you ever have a problem with your 7x17 let me know and I will do my best to have Ron solve the problem for you.
Also, if you need any Wisner accessories I will be receiving this coming week Wisner 5.25" to Linhof adapter boards for $149.95, 5.25" boards for $59.95, 4" boards for $44.95. I believe these are the least expensive prices for Wisner accessories in the country. Emile/www.deleon-ulf.com.

[MarkS]

I splintered my 4x5 Zone VI when the tripod collapsed, in 1999. The camera was then seven years old, bought with the lifetime warranty after Picker sold Z-VI to Calumet. I sent the camera to Chicago for the warranty repair and they did indeed fix it for free. I see that in more recent times the warranty has been reduced to five years, and seem to recall reading in the last few months that the Z-VI cameras are no longer offered by Calumet. So I'll try to avoid destroying my camera again...

[jstraw]

I splintered my 4x5 Zone VI when the tripod collapsed, in 1999. The camera was then seven years old, bought with the lifetime warranty after Picker sold Z-VI to Calumet. I sent the camera to Chicago for the warranty repair and they did indeed fix it for free. I see that in more recent times the warranty has been reduced to five years, and seem to recall reading in the last few months that the Z-VI cameras are no longer offered by Calumet. So I'll try to avoid destroying my camera again...

I wouldn't equate no longer selling them with no longer honoring the warranty.