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My Wista cherry wood field camera (DXII possibly) has arrived and I must say it looks ten times better in the flesh than in the pictures! A real beauty. I've got a lens on order (135mm Symmar S and decided to go with Ffordes and have the benefit of a warranty) and just need to get some DDS holders.

Just a bit of advice needed from fellow Wista owners: the focusing on my camera is ok but is perhaps a little stiff (I have made sure the locking nut is undone enough). I was wondering whether you'd recommend putting some sort of lubricant on the runners and brass gears? I have some good quality beeswax furniture polish which I thought I could rub on the runners and I thought about a little PTFE bicycle lube for the gears on the basis that it won't leave a wet or sticky residue to attract dirt.

Any thoughts/recommendations gratefully received.

Thanks,

Gavin

Hi Gavin, apologies but I've replied on the LF Forum! In Jack Dykinga's book on Landscape Photography he discusses how he cleaned the original lubricating wax from the gears on his Wista 45DX and re-lubricated with a silicon-based lubricant (spray).

Paul,

Thanks for your reply here and on LF. Yes, maybe just a bit of silicon based furniture polish will do it. I don't think it needs much and I suspect the stiffness is actually in the wooden runners rather than the brass gears which is why I wondered about using beeswax polish.

Gavin