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View Full Version : tachihara/wista/ikeda/anba/toko... all the same? which is the "original?"?



koh303
16-Aug-2014, 18:32
They look the same, have the same finish, same fixtures, same function and feel.

So - are they all the same design? are they all made in the same place? which was the first one?
Why all the different brands for the same camera...?

Richard Johnson
16-Aug-2014, 18:44
Not sure of the histories but I owned a Wista 45 in the early 80s that, while still lightweight, was substantially more robust than the almost feathery Tachi/Osaka/Anbas. A couple of those brands probably were crossovers/rebadged but I think there were several independent Japanese designers, workshops, and companies making wooden cameras.

Tim Meisburger
16-Aug-2014, 18:46
The Ikeda Anba is different from the Tachi. Fewer movements and a little lighter and a different design.

koh303
16-Aug-2014, 18:58
yes i see that now the anba/ikeda are very similar to the Nagaoka. I know for a fact Nagaoka is (or was) its own company and shop.
Then ad to that all the rebranded rebrands like Zone VI and calumet...

Tim Meisburger
16-Aug-2014, 23:17
People often say the Nagaoka and Ikeda are the same, but they are not. They are quite similar though in design and weight. I believe they were made in different factories. From looking at pictures, I would say the Wista cherrywood is a Tachi, made in the Tachi factory. I also think the original Zone VI camera a Tachi.

Alan Gales
16-Aug-2014, 23:58
I read that Tachihara made cameras for Wista and Zone VI but not all Wista's and Zone VI's were made by Tachihara. I don't know how much truth there is to it. You know how accurate the internet is or is not.

Paul Cunningham
22-Aug-2014, 00:13
Check Popular Mechanics (Google Books) May 1979 for a review and discussion of the Tachihara, Ikeda, and Nagaoka cameras. Page 126.