Which lensboard on a Tachihara 8x10? Error on Adorama website?

[Marc]

Dear all,

I have spent an hour now trying to find out exactly which lensboard I need for my 8x10'' Tachihara (Copal #3).

I have found postings saying it's a Sinar type lensboard and other's saying it's a Wista/Horseman design.

Adorama has two products: Lensboard #3 F/ Wista/ Linhof/ Tachihara VWLB3 and Adorama Lensboard #3 f/ Sinar / Horseman VWLBS3

The site http://www.waltuch.com/Tachihara.htm lists a Linhof Adapter and a regular Sinar board as accessories. This would hint to an error on the Adorama page, would't it?

Anyone who can shed some light on this?

Thanks a lot,

Marc

[J.T.]

The Tachihara takes the 140mmX140mm Sinar/Horseman board.

[Gem Singer]

Hi Marc, Take a look at the Midwest Photo Exchange website (www.mpex.com). Click on current inventory. Click on large format. Scroll down to Tachihara, and click. An entire page of pictures of all sizes of the Tachihara cameras and accessories (including the lensboards for the 8X10) will appear. Midwest is a direct importer of the Tachihara cameras, and they have lensboards in stock.

[Michael S. Briggs]

Midwest Photo has photos of some of the lensboards at http://www.mpex.com/Technical.html.
One thing confusing you is that many manufacturers have copied the lensboards of older manufacturers. The 8x10 Tachihara takes a large board originally designed by Sinar. Someone with more knowledge of many cameras could try making a table of which lensboards are the same for different manufacturers. From Jeff's answer, this is the same size as a Horseman board. (Also confusing is that several manufacturer's have two size boards, for their smaller and larger cameras, or for field vs studio cameras.)





The adapter converts the large Sinar lensboard to take smaller Linhof Technika size boards. Its called a Linhof adapter because it converts to the smaller Linhof boards, not because the camera takes Linhof boards itself. Wista and Tachihara user this size board for their smaller cameras.. The adapter is shown in the second picture from the bottom at the link I gave. This allows you to use smaller lensboards on your smaller lenses. It is particularly convenient if you have a smaller camera that uses the smaller board because then you can share lenses between the two cameras.





The "Adorama" board is probably a generic board rather than one made by the famous manufacturer. It should be cheaper. The bottom photo at the link I gave is of generic small size boards for the smaller Tachiharas, or for use with the adapter.

[Marc]

Dear all,

wow, thanks for these speedy and comprehensive responses!

And what a great link to Midwest. I think I'll go for the adaptor and then I can use the small Linhof plates that seem to have become the standard.

Thanks guys,

Marc

[Ralph Barker]

Marc - you might want to give some additional thought to your choice. The Linhof-style board is certainly one of the standards, but probably not "the" standard. Several other sizes and shapes are popular, too, including 4"x4", 110mm, etc. Depending on what else you have now, camera-wise, or might buy in the future, you might lean in a different direction.

For example, I have a couple of Toyos (45C and 45AX) in addition to my 8x10 Tachihara. So, I decided to mount most of my lenses on the 110mm boards that fit the Toyo 45AX, and then made an adapter board for the Tachihara. Combined with the Toyo adapter board (158mm to 110mm), this approach allows the lenses to be used on all my cameras.

[Gem Singer]

Hello again Marc,

After thinking about it for a while, I believe I now realize the reason for your confusion on the Adorama website. New (wooden) lensboards for the 8X10 Tachi only come as blanks from the factory. They need to be milled out to fit the size of the shutter being used. An added hassle and expense.

Purchasing the Tachi/Linhof adapter lensboard, and using Linhof tech. type lensboards, is a good idea. Generic Linhof tech. lensboards (made by Bromwell, Nikon, etc.) are available already milled out to fit a Copal 3 shutter. Midwest sells new Copal 3 Linhof style boards and, sometimes, has used ones available. K.E.H. (www.keh.com), frequently, has used ones for sale.

[Brian Ellis]

I used the Adorama knock-off of the Linhof 4x5 board on my Technika. I believe it cost $29.95 as compared with $120 or so for the genuine article. I also have four or five of the genuine articles. The film didn't seem to know the difference and the Adorama version worked just as well as the ones made by Linhof.