I sympatize and empathize with the contributors who have narrated horror stories about camera dlivery and service. But my experience, at least with one of the firms mentioned, Wisner Classic, reveals an alternative picture. I have purchased cameras and accessories from ron wisner since 1988 and have experienced none of the problems mentioned here. When a camera was not delivered at its promised date, i received a phone call indicating it would arrive within 10 working days. It arrived, 9 working days later. Accessories, including lenses, tripods, etc. were shipped from wisner or through his company on time or within a reasonable window (1-4 days) of order. When I ordered one camera he and his representatives warned me that they had experienced back orders and would be going on summer holiday and that I was late in the line. When i inquired later about the status of my order I received a phone call or an email. The camera took a long time to get here, but teh Wisner firm kept me informed. i had the option at any point to pull the plug. Obviously others have different experiences with Wisner. Anyone can find an alternative view camera; many are celebrated on these pages as the "ideal camera de jour", and so we read about Canham, Technikardan, Ebony, Arca-Swiss, and the hits keep coming. So to some limited extent each of us who orders a specific brand and waits, drooling, for its arrival--myself obviously included!--should do a reality check. Would it make any difference if we used a different camera that we could readily purchase from a large retailer--Samy's, CPI, B&H? Are Avedon's images better because he uses a XXX, John Sexton's because he uses a YYY, or Jack Dykinga's because he uses a BBB? Those of us who insist upon this or that tool--and all a large format camera is is our craftsman or home depot hammer after all should recall Fred Picker tirading against a participant in a workshop, saying that his(the paticipant's) images would be better if he did not make them all in the desert southwest, if he did not use that T-Max 100, if he would just follow all of Picker's dogmas about exposing for Zone VIII, and especially if he would get rid of that west coast special--a Linhof. Sound familiar?? "All art is conceived two inches behind the eyeball--the rest is tool manipulation." A pretty darned good workshop leader--obviously not Fred-- made that comment while discussing art, artists and life one night at Canyon de Chelley. Not a bad view. Bob .

-- Bob moulton (bobmargaretm@insightbb.com), May 04, 2002

Answers

So, what is this, an attempt to change the subject to Fred Picker? At the very least, you could quote him correctly: "Just try it". He didn't say that was the ONLY way to do it. I don't recall Ron being in the workshop business either. Judging from the success Fred enjoyed, I'd suggest the problem was YOU, not Fred. Haven't heard of you becoming a world famous photographer yet! Awfully easy to talk about the dead, isn't it Bob? And, if you didn't like him, why did you go to his workshop in the first place? For one, I don't like your "view" a damn.

-- Alec (alecj@bellsouth.net), May 04, 2002.

Both of you would do yourselves a favor, and large format forum participants as well, if you wrote your tirades then set them aside for a few hours before posting them.

-- Phil Glass (phi_Glass@yahoo.com), May 04, 2002.

Hey Phil - buzz off. It's a free world and I can unload any time I want to! Nobody forces you to read it.

Besides, in the midst of it, I learned something new. RonW DOES do workshops. Amazing, he has the time instead of delivering the cameras he's promised to others so THEY could get out and photograph too.

-- Alec (alecj@bellsouth.net), May 04, 2002.

Alec

You certainly do have the right to say what you feel. But if you are going to dish it out, learn to take it as well.

Kevin

-- Kevin Kolosky (kjkolosky@kjkolosky.com), May 04, 2002.

Of course the moderator has the right to delete all this unpleasantness, and it would be respectful of his time and effort not to post it in the first place.

-- David Goldfarb (dgoldfarb@barnard.edu), May 04, 2002.

Alec - A fat mouth and thin skin, quite a combo. Mercifully, Tuan will likely strike this thread.

-- Wayne DeWitt (wdewitt@snip.net), May 06, 2002.