Early Tachihara help needed

[awldune]

I won an auction for a 4x5 Tachihara, somewhat unexpectedly (I bid not expecting to win.) The camera is missing the tripod base plate and maybe part of what attaches the front standard to the focusing bed.

I've been trying to find pictures of the complete camera to figure out what is missing on mine, but almost every picture I find is of the newer model with graflok-type back and moving rear standard.

Here is a shot:


If anybody has an older one like this, it would be a great help if you could share a picture of the bottom of the front standard and of the tripod plate.

Thanks,
Sam

[Gem Singer]

Are you sure the camera is a Tachihara?

In addition to being able to slide the rear standard forward, modern Tachiharas have metal reinforcing at the top corners of the rear standard, instead of tongue and groove, and do not have Graflok sliders.

Also, the latch that holds the camera closed when it is folded is different on the Tachihara than the one shown in the picture.

The round cut-out in the base is a recess that allows the camera to be folded with a lens attached. None of the three Tachis that I have owned have this type of cut-out.

A camera builder like Richard Ritter should be able to help you put this camera back into service.

[awldune]

It could indeed be something else. I don't have the camera yet so I don't know if there are markings on it somewhere.

However, reading about Tachis on this site and elsewhere, I have seen references to an early model without a sliding rear standard and with a spring back. I haven't been able to find a picture of that model to compare with this camera.

[Michael Roberts]

Hi Sam,
Congrats on the new (vintage) camera. Can't help with the base plate, but from the pic I don't think you are missing anything w/re to the front standard. Looks like the two thumb nuts (the ones sticking up vertically, connected to the front tilt brackets) loosen and there are grooves to slide both all the way forward. Also looks like this model is meant to house the front standard in the camera back w/o needing to fold down the lens board keeper frame, so it should set up faster than more modern Tachis.

The large opening in the base reminds me of the Rajahs and some early English style folders.

[awldune]

It is a little confusing, the auction seller says the front standard is missing parts, but maybe they only think that because they're comparing it to a newer Tachi?

When the camera arrives I'll have to see if the tripod mounting threads are there. Could be this camera is entirely intact but just not what the seller was expecting.

Seller is Shutterblade, who is generally reliable but usually sells smaller format stuff.

[awldune]

After lots of searching on photo sites and Flickr, I found what I needed in a completed auction for an almost identical camera, this one sold as a "Calumet Tachihara"

http://cgi.ebay.com/Calumet-Tachihar...-/180524479968

That auction has a ton of pictures, including the metal tripod mount plate which is supposedly missing on my camera. We'll have to see about the front standard -- I don't see any difference between this one and mine.

[Gem Singer]

Calumet called their camera "The Woodfield". It was made by Tachihara.

The round cut-out opening in the base extends all the way through the metal base plate.

Can't tell from the picture that you included, but I'll bet that the metal base plate on your camera is not missing.

Also, I don't see any missing parts on the front standard.

The threaded hole for the tripod mount is located in the base plate under the rear standard.

[ic-racer]

Camera looks complete based on that e-bay comparison. Maybe he means the lensboard is missing from the front standard??

[Michael Roberts]

Calumet called their camera "The Woodfield". It was made by Tachihara.

The round cut-out opening in the base extends all the way through the metal base plate.

Can't tell from the picture that you included, but I'll bet that the metal base plate on your camera is not missing.

Also, I don't see any missing parts on the front standard.

The threaded hole for the tripod mount is located in the base plate under the rear standard.

That's pretty great news for Sam. And the cutout will allow you to keep a lens on her.

[awldune]

Thanks for all the replies.

FYI, here is the auction I won:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=160449115539

It says the front standard is "broken" but I'm not sure how. It looks fine from the photos but maybe the threads (or the wood) are stripped on one of the adjustment knobs. I'm confident I could fix that.

Feeling cautiously optimistic I got a good deal. Figure I will probably need to replace a piece of hardware or two. We'll have to see about the bellows too.

I'll try to relax and wait to inspect the camera when it arrives! I have a Speed Graphic and a Cambo, so this would be my first proper field camera.