4x5 Tachihara

A light 4x5 that folds up into a small 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. More Angkor photographs are in the portfolio, **Angkor, Cambodia (pt-pd prints)**

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 new at a camera shop in New York City in the mid-1990s. It’s one of the few cameras I ever bought new (used cameras are my specialty).

My Tachihara has travelled quite a lot and has worked like brand-new without any maintenance.

**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. A platinum-palladium print from this negative is in the portfolio, **More platinum-palladium prints**

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

**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. A platinum-palladium print from this negative is in the portfolio, **Angkor, Cambodia (pt-pd prints)**

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.

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. This was my main guidebook for my trips to Angkor.

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