Witch camera I must buy?

[Michel Berard]

Hello I am new in large format, I work now with a Hasselbald I want to buy a 4x5 field camera, and I will probabely buy it at Badger Graphic, because here in Quebec Canada It's difficult to find a field camera.
But my hart balance between two 4x5 field cameras, the Shen-hao and the Tachihara, these camera will be perfect to my budget and my photographic type, landscape and some portrait all in black and white.
I am in possesion of 2 lens a 90mm Scheinder-Kreuznack Angulon 6.8 and a 210mm Rodenstock Gironar 6.8. and a old Orbit studio camera of approx ten pounds.
Can I have some advice between these two camera.
Thanks

[Walter Calahan]

Get the Shen-hao.

The Tachihara will put a 'spell' on you. Grin

[MIke Sherck]

The Tachihara is lighter than the Shen Hao by a considerable amount; the Shen may be a little more rugged. The Tachihara has a little less bellows extension than the Shen Hao (about 25mm less, I believe.) The Shen Hao may have a little more in the way of movements with the 210mm lens; the Tachihara may give you a little more movement with the 90mm.

I have friends with each of these cameras but have never owned one myself. My use of 4x5 cameras lends itself to needing more bellows extension than either of these cameras provides but if I were having to choose between them it would probably come down to least price/fastest availability.

Don't worry: choosing the camera is the most difficult part of large format photography. If you are like most of us, you'll go through the exercise several times! Good luck!

Mike

[Bill_1856]

If you already have a Hasselblad (which uses some of the world's best optics), why in the world would you want to throw money at a low-end 4x5 field camera just so you could use the not-particularly good lenses already in your possession? It seems like a step backwards to me.

[Brian Ellis]

"The Tachihara has a little less bellows extension than the Shen Hao (about 25mm less, I believe.)"

The Tachihara actually has a 13 inch extension, the Shen has 12 inches. The 14 inches mentioned in some Shen literature is achieved by combining base and axis tilts to get the bellows out in front of the camera bed. A considerable pain (at least I thought it was with the Shen I tried) and somewhat risky with a heavy lens out in front.

[Jack Flesher]

Either of those cameras makes a great starter 4x5 field camera. The Tachi is lighter (and may be a tad less rugged), but also has no rear shift or rise. The Shen has rear shift and rise, but is heavier and perhaps a bit more rugged. Personally, I dislike the look of red and gold view cameras, so I would opt for the Shen on color alone

PS: IMO there is nothing wrong with the two lenses you already own, and they will be more than adequately sharp especially if you stop them down to at least f16 or 22. Wider open, the Germinar 210 might be slightly softer, but IMO this can be an *ADVANTAGE* for portraiture. Also, for their focals they are quite compact and make nice choices for backpacking. You might find they are a bit more prone to flare than more modern multicoated plasmats, so just take care to shade the front element if shooting toward the sun. Add a 150 and you will have an almost ideal trio of 4x5 focal lengths.

Cheers,

[Brian Ellis]

Either of these "low end" cameras would be a good choice for the two types of photography you do. If you do much hiking for your landscape work then the Tachihara might be better because you likely won't need the extra back movements of the Shen for that type work (and certainly not for portraits) and the Tachihara is two pounds lighter. For either camera you can get a "top hat" lens board to extend the bellows by another 2 inches or so if you need to. Both Wista and Ebony make these kinds of boards and they'll fit both the Tachihara and the Shen Hao. The Shen takes a bag bellows and the Tachihara doesn't but the Tachihara bellows is very flexible and you can use lenses as short as 65mm with it and not have to fool around with a bag bellows. I've owned two Tachiharas and tested a Shen before buying the second Tachihara. I don't think you'll go wrong with either one.