4x5 Tachihara

A 4x5 that folds up into a compact package.

Good for long-distance travel and hiking

The Tachihara is a ‘wood field’ camera made in Tokyo. Among large format cameras, it is unusually light and compact. The camera, one lens, a half-dozen film holders, a wooden tripod, and the rest of a 4x5 view camera kit is portable enough for a trip involving air travel and hiking along the trail.

**Using this camera in the field** (Angkor region, Cambodia, 2001) The camera is on a Ries tripod and the camera bag is under the tripod. Photo data not recorded.

**The Bayon** (Angkor region, Cambodia) Negative: 4x5 Tachihara, 150mm f/5.6 Caltar II-N, Plus-X, 2001. Platinum-palladium print from original camera negative, 2025.

**Devata** (Angkor region, Cambodia) Negative: 4x5 Tachihara, 150mm f/5.6 Caltar II-N, Plus-X, 2001. Cyanotype print on Strathmore 300 watercolor paper, from the original camera negative, 2023. Several hours of water soaking reduced the blue tint.

Other Japanese 4x5 wood field cameras

There were other Japanese wood field cameras: Anba Ikeda, Nagaoka, Hasemi, Wista, and more. They’re similar to the Tachihara but with detail design differences. None are in production today.

Maintenance and repair

I purchased this camera at the Adorama shop in New York in the late 1990s. One of the very few cameras I ever bought new. It has not required any maintenance and it looks and works like brand-new today.

**Roppongi, Tokyo** 4x5 Tachihara, 90mm f/8 Super-Angulon, Tri-X, 2004.

**Roppongi rooftop** (Tokyo) Negative: 4x5 Tachihara, 150mm f/5.6 Caltar II-N, FP4+, mid 2000s. Cyanotype print on Strathmore 300 watercolor paper, from the original camera negative, 2023.

**4x5 Tachihara** at full extension. On an older model Bogen/Manfrotto 3047 tripod head.

**Roppongi, Tokyo** 4x5 Tachihara, 150mm f/5.6 Caltar II-N, Tri-X, 2004. Cropped print.

References / further reading

Adams, Ansel. The Camera. Boston: Little, Brown, 1980. A Japanese 4x5 wood field camera is on p. 32.

Jacques, C., in collaboration with R. Dumont. 1990. Angkor. Cologne: Konemann.

Jacques, C. and M. Freeman. Angkor: Cities and Temples. Thailand (city not stated): River Books.

Jessup, H. I. 2004. Art and Architecture of Cambodia. London: Thames & Hudson, World of Art.

Petrochenko, M. 2017. Focusing on the Angkor Temples: The Guidebook, 4th ed. Bangkok: Amarin Printing and Publishing.

Rawson, P. 1967. The Art of Southeast Asia. London: Thames & Hudson, World of Art.

Rooney, D. F. 2000. Angkor: An Introduction to the Temples. Hong Kong: Odyssey.

I carried this book on my trips to Angkor, it was my essential reference. There was far less information available on the web back then, and the ‘smart phone’ had not been invented.

Stroebel, L. 1993. View Camera Technique, 6th ed. Boston: Focal Press.