philslizzy
Member
I'm writing up an history of Tanack cameras. Tanack was a Japanese 'Barnack' style rangefinder. The cameras were made for a few short years in the 1950s.
I would like to hear from anyone who has a Tanack camera in their collection along with lenses, accessories, boxes and any printed information.
Info I would like is serial numbers and a good clear photo of the front and top plate of the camera fro my database. The images and serials shall chart the development of the brand.
I would love to hear about your experiences with the cameras too.
Post replies here or PM me.
Many thanks
Phil
I would like to hear from anyone who has a Tanack camera in their collection along with lenses, accessories, boxes and any printed information.
Info I would like is serial numbers and a good clear photo of the front and top plate of the camera fro my database. The images and serials shall chart the development of the brand.
I would love to hear about your experiences with the cameras too.
Post replies here or PM me.
Many thanks
Phil
xayraa33
rangefinder user and fancier
I seen a Tanack V3 camera back in the late 1980s...it looked like a Canon L1 but with Tanack's own bayonet mount for the lens.
Very rare camera even back then.
The convenience of that Tanack Barnack design like you have in on your thread posting (IV-S) is that unlike the Barnack Leicas and most Japanese copies of that design... was that it had a fully hinged back for easy film loading.
The build quality was not to Nicca or Leotax standards was my impression when examining a few Tanack cameras at past camera shows.
Very rare camera even back then.
The convenience of that Tanack Barnack design like you have in on your thread posting (IV-S) is that unlike the Barnack Leicas and most Japanese copies of that design... was that it had a fully hinged back for easy film loading.
The build quality was not to Nicca or Leotax standards was my impression when examining a few Tanack cameras at past camera shows.
philslizzy
Member
The build quality of the IV-s is pretty good compared to the IIIF that I have. Though that had been serviced before I got it. Despite looking rough it it runs smoothly.
xayraa33
rangefinder user and fancier
I had compared Leotax, Nicca, Melcon and Honor to Tanack and Tanack had the lowest build quality....and all those Japanese camera makes, as good as they were, still paled in comparison to Leica build quality.
Just my observation of many years of handling and inspecting these cameras.
Ambro51
Collector/Photographer
Can’t help with info, but in researching foreign items I’ve found this site Most helpful. It lets you input scanned documents (or foreign magazine articles), then it changes it into a digital text. You then input that into Google translate. Not sure how well it works with Japanese but it handles Danish very well. https://www.onlineocr.net/default.aspx
David Murphy
Mentor
Good luck in your quest, I support your efforts which are important to collectors of this and similar genres of vintage cameras and lenses.
I owned a Tanack IV once, and it was quite a practically useful camera to use. Like most (if not all the Tanack's) it had a swing-open back which made loading easy, but it was also small like a Leica bottom loader. My technician serviced it once and he told me it was a very well made camera internally. The IV is one of the more common Tanack's around and not too expensive on the used market.
If this information helps, I also now own a Tanack Tanar 35mm F3.5 in LTM, which is said to be a rare lens. I have seen only one other for sale on eBay before, although there may be more out there for sale I'm not aware of. There are photos of my lens on the Internet camera-wiki site together with lots of info on this and other Tanar lenses:
http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Tanar_lenses#W_Tanar_35mm_f.2F3.5
I owned a Tanack IV once, and it was quite a practically useful camera to use. Like most (if not all the Tanack's) it had a swing-open back which made loading easy, but it was also small like a Leica bottom loader. My technician serviced it once and he told me it was a very well made camera internally. The IV is one of the more common Tanack's around and not too expensive on the used market.
If this information helps, I also now own a Tanack Tanar 35mm F3.5 in LTM, which is said to be a rare lens. I have seen only one other for sale on eBay before, although there may be more out there for sale I'm not aware of. There are photos of my lens on the Internet camera-wiki site together with lots of info on this and other Tanar lenses:
http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Tanar_lenses#W_Tanar_35mm_f.2F3.5
David Murphy
Mentor
I more-or-less agree with you, but I'd phrase it a little differently: Leica build quality is truly exceptional for any consumer product. In our hobby, we are blessed because of that!
I think most of these Japanese Leica copies have reasonably good build quality (especially Nicca and Canon).
If one wants to see actual poor build quality, buy a Fed or a Zorki - or maybe a Shanghai (a Fed copy from China). (I'm bracing for the usual FSU camera fan blowback for saying this!)
xayraa33
rangefinder user and fancier
I agree with you, David, my experience with the Zorki and Fed has been at least a 50% mortality rate, some just disintegrated on their own with little use and some were faulty from the factory...the Japanese Barnack copies were on a much higher level of quality and reliability but none topped the Leica.
The Japanese makers claim to fame was more of ingenious ways to make improvements to the classic Barnack design from about 1955 to 1959, something Leitz sort of did with the last screwmount Leica, the IIIg.
goamules
Well-known
I had one that was like new in box, a few years ago. Sold it to a collector, it felt fragile. See my post on it from then....
philslizzy
Member
Thank you everyone for replying. I'm sorry it looks like I have ignored the posts but a couple of days after posting my plea for help we were offered a home transfer. We have settled into our new home. I'm afraid cameras weren't foremost on my mind then.
And we had no internet for 10 days.
And we had no internet for 10 days.
philslizzy
Member
I know this site and have information from it. I am looking for serial number ranges in order to get a more accurate figure as to how many of a particular lens were produced. For example your 35 f3.5.
On the link you gave me, about universal finders it says: "None of these has been observed yet, and it is not known if they were actually sold.". Well I have a third variety and have seen images sent to me of the others. So they do exist. Information on Tanacks is incomplete, |I hope to add to that knowlege
jdriffill
Established
I have a leather case for a Tele-Tanar 135mm f3.5. I don't have the lens, unfortunately. The case houses a Canon lens.
L1009593 by John Driffill, on Flickr
L1009595 by John Driffill, on Flickr
L1009593 by John Driffill, on FlickrL1009595 by John Driffill, on Flickr
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David Murphy
Mentor
I own a Tele-Tanar 135/3.5 in Contax RF mount with a case like this. They are also around in Nikon RF mount. It's a pretty common lens and not too expensive. The 135mm finders are also fairly common. The Tanar 135/3.5 is attractive in use, and quite well made. These come up for sale often at moderate prices (for we can be grateful!). I've shot a few frames with mine, always obtaining nice results, although my impression is that the Zeiss 135mm Sonnar is sharper - in fact remarkably so (they are also very common and moderately priced).
I have a leather case for a Tele-Tanar 135mm f3.5. I don't have the lens, unfortunately. The case houses a Canon lens.
philslizzy
Member
If you were in the UK I'd offer a case exchange, my Canon for your Tanar.
I have a Tanar 13.5cm now. Its a well built, sharp lens. They were selling the lenses on their own which were very popular. There were very few indies selling lenses for the Contax and Nikon back in the 50s
hilltime
Well-known
Going back a ways here, but I'm wondering how Phil is doing with his Tanack research? My latest acquisition to mate up with my lonely Tanack V3 body. This camera is from early 1959 and in a short time like a number of other smaller Japanese camera firms in this time period, disappeared through bankruptcy. If you didn't have a viable SLR in the works, most were certainly doomed.
I also have the 35/F2.8 Tanar and the ubiquitous 13.5/F3.5 which seems to be the most plentiful lens they made.
I also have the 35/F2.8 Tanar and the ubiquitous 13.5/F3.5 which seems to be the most plentiful lens they made.
