ArtWorks 4x5 Camera

Hi All,
ArtWorks 4x5 Camera from www.fineartphotosupply.com looks very preety. Very light however some limitations. Any thoghts about it.
Ed

Re-badged Tachihara?

edward kolakowski said:

Hi All,
ArtWorks 4x5 Camera from www.fineartphotosupply.com looks very preety. Very light however some limitations. Any thoghts about it.
Ed

Click to expand...

I figure it looks a LOT like a re-badged Tachihara... take a look at this thread for a bit more info: LF Photo Forum

It looks even more like a re-badged Osaka. It's a nice, solid camera.

BBarlow690 said:

It looks even more like a re-badged Osaka. It's a nice, solid camera.

Click to expand...

An "Osaka" is a rebadged Tachihara. Cordially, Kiku

Those little cam clamps for focus locking are an early Tachihara item. I had one for a few years. A workable camera, but not as stable as my later Wisner or my present Linhof Technikardan. The TK45 is a rock stable field camera byt comparison to the others. It is also a bit heavier and a LOT more awkward to fold up. Overall, the best of all. OTOH, it is more expensive. For $600 the Tachihara is a good buy. I don't know about the Shen Hao....

Frank

For the same price as the Tachihara, the Shen-Hao gives more movements and a Graflok back, but in a heavier camera. I think either is a very good buy.

I went with the Shen-Hao, as the weight didn't bother me and I figured the extra movements might come in handy. I've used the Graflok back a lot (for roll film holders and a Grafmatic), but the extra movements have seen very little use. Still, I think it's the right camera for me. For others, the Tachihara is a great camera. I don't think you can really go wrong with either.

I love the look and feel of the Ebonys, but could not justify another US$1000 for a camera with basically the same level of utility. Again, the decision was the right one for me, and might be wrong for others.