Tachihara history?

[Alan Gales]

"What a beautiful old camera! Did you do the restoration yourself?"

Yeah, I own one. I also own an 8x10 Wehman but the Tachi gets all the attention.

[Mark Sampson]

I don't know the history of Tachihara, but here's a data point or two. I bought mine in 1982 after seeing a co-workers' camera. These had a label on the back calling it a "Hope Tachihara", although they were unrelated to the film processor manufacturer Hope. The U.S. distributor then was a guitar shop in Los Angeles. A local store had an example of the even lighter Ikeda but the Tachi seemed like a better camera.

[djcphoto]

Thanks everyone for the info. Much appreciated! I'm looking forward to putting it through it's paces this weekend!

[jmcmckinney]

I used to live in Knoxville. Picked up my current crown graphic from Thompson Photo there under the highway. For some reason there was always really great camera deals on Knoxville craigslist. I picked up a few medium format cameras that way. Good luck with your Tachihara. I'd love one but can't justify spending the money.

-Josh

[djcphoto]

Yeah, I've had a lot of luck on Craigslist here. You get the great deals, and of course you also get the other end of the spectrum, like the $500 Nikon EM currently listed! The Tachihara is probably the best bargain yet though. $150 with a Geronar 150mm lens!

[evan clarke]

I don't know the history of Tachihara, but here's a data point or two. I bought mine in 1982 after seeing a co-workers' camera. These had a label on the back calling it a "Hope Tachihara", although they were unrelated to the film processor manufacturer Hope. The U.S. distributor then was a guitar shop in Los Angeles. A local store had an example of the even lighter Ikeda but the Tachi seemed like a better camera.

I have a Rittreck which I bought on this forum a few months ago. It came with a 6x10 and a WP back and holders for both. The backs are labeled Hope Tachihara. My neighbor has a mahogany and silver two stage 8x10 Tachihara and it's wonderful.

[I Am Luna]

The "Hope" store is also open in Tokyo. I called (well, my wife called because she speaks the language) and asked if they still did minor repairs, screw replacement and etc. They still did. That was about two years ago but I assume they are still up and running doing modification and bellow replacements.

Here are some scans of the brochure and users manual.
http://www.fybix.com/2012/08/tachiha...-brochure.html
http://www.fybix.com/2012/11/4x5-tac...rs-manual.html

Mine.

[djcphoto]

Here are some scans of the brochure and users manual.

Thanks, these are great!

[Brian Ellis]

I've owned two Tachiharas and always wondered about their history too. I've always assumed that they made some incremental changes over the years because I've seen weights given for them from numerous different sources and the weights have varied from about 3.5 pounds to about 4.5 pounds. It appeared to me that either the weights were wrong or changes were made over time. The only possible change I know of is the apparent change from a nickel-looking metal like yours to the brass-looking metal on both of mine. I don't know exactly when that occurred (if indeed it does represent a change rather than making the two different cameras at the same time)but a friend of mine had one with the nickel look that he bought some time in the early 1980s while my first one was bought used around 1997.

They're very nice cameras overall if you don't care about having front or rear shift or back rise and fall (which I didn't) and don't need a bellows longer than 13 inches. I found that a 300mm lens was very usable on mine. That extra one inch makes a surprisingly big difference. A 400mm Fuji telephoto worked fine too.

Tachiharas used to be a clear "best value" in 4x5 wood field cameras but then Shen Hao and later Chamonix came along and kind of undercut them with a similar camera but more features for about the same price (though Chamonix has gone up a good bit since they were first introduced and Shen Haos weigh a couple pounds more). Still, the Tachihara is a fine general purpose camera that you'll almost certainly enjoy using - light, simple and quick to set up and take down, flexible bellows, well-built and reasonably sturdy, enough movements for most purposes.

[Heroique]

...It appeared to me that either the weights were wrong or changes were made over time.

I’ve noticed this too – I think incremental changes have increased the weight, bit by bit over time, but not too significantly.

For example, one improvement introduced plastic washers that improved tightening and therefore stability. Small stuff like that...

I seem to recall that early versions were as light as 3.3 lbs.

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BTW, Tachis also come in red bellows – I guess that option is still available. Always thought it clashed w/ the camera’s beautiful Japanese cherry wood, but that’s just my personal taste. Black bellows, I think, are a beautiful complement.