Tachihara 4x5 w/ triple extension

[friedemann_pistorius]

Hi all,

 

while searching the web for some LF accessories, I came across an

Austrian dealer who offered a Tachihara T45GF. I thought I knew the LF

camera marked pretty well, but Iﾒd never heard of this camera before.

Since this dealer was unable or unwilling to provide me with more

informations, I e-mailed Jim at Midwest Photo, a very helpful guy and a

real pleasure to talk with. A few days later I received a letter from Japan

with a flyer, containing some basic informations about this camera and a

few pictures (see jpeg below) According to Mr. Tachihara itﾒs not a wide

angle camera, but the bellows are flexible enough for a 90mm lens if

used with a sunken lens panel, bellows are not interchangeable. Jim

added that itﾒs a very strong and rigid camera which accepts Linhof size

lensboards and is equipped with two tripod receptacles. Bellows and

metal color combinations can be matched to customer's request (gold or

platinum plate, black or red bellows), price in July was some $1350.

 

It might be an interesting camera for people who use lenses longer than

300mm, also itﾒs significantly cheaper than itﾒs Ebony/Canham etc.

competitors.

 

Iﾒm a happy Ebony owner, but this doesnﾒt prevent me from being

interested in other LF cameras :-) Also I am not affiliated with Tachihara or

Midwest Photo in any way.

 

Since this camera seems to be almost unknown (at least it was unknown

to me), I just wanted to share this "discovery" with the LF community,

maybe someone out there is using or has used this camera and can add

a few comments about his or her experiences.

 

Thanks!

 

Friedemann

[vinny_walsh]

Thanks for posting this. Bellows extension is a problem for me with my shen hao and the

common tachihara most shooters have. I'd love to have a 4x5 that'd go out to 480mm.

[tito sobrinho]

Vinny, try to find a 5x7 (4x5) Deardorff. My 5x7 has a 23'(585mm) bellows extension ,and I can easily accmomodate my 480 Apo-Ronar.

 

However, when the 90mm is used, I only have front rise and limited movements on its back.

[brian_ellis16]

This would certainly be a nice addition to the Tachihara line for some people. I think the big questions are how much additional weight the triple extension creates (in the Tachihara 8x10s there's a big difference between the weight of the double and triple extensions) and whether provision is made for a bag bellows.

 

If a lens as relatively long as a 90mm requires a recessed lens board then it doesn't seem like anything much shorter would be usable at all without a bag bellows. One of the really nice things about the double extension Tachihara is the fact that a bag bellows isn't needed to use a lens as short as 65mm, maybe even 58mm. I don't know how many people would feel such a need for a triple extension that they'd be willing to give up anything shorter than 90mm. Personally the 13 inch extension of the double extension Tachihara, which allows use of a normal 300mm lens or a 400mm telephoto, was sufficient for me.

[friedemann_pistorius]

According to the specs on the flyer the weight is 2.5 kg. As for the

bellows, Mr. Tachihara wrote that the existing bellows allow full

movements with 90mm lenses in a recessed lensboard. I

agree with Brian, that apart from the bellows flexibility, lenses

wider than 90mm can not be used, due to the construction of the

camera.

 

Friedemann