Tanaka
Tanack IV-S – 95/99

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Japan 1952 – Compact – 35 mm – Rare.

The Tanack are Japanese Leica copies, made from late 1952 by Tanaka Kōgaku

The Tanack IV-S, whose design is very close to that of the Leica III, is the most popular of the series which had started with the Tanack 35. The main difference to the Leicas is the hinged back that allows an easier film load.

Tanaka rangefinders account among the best “Japaneses Leicas” (along with likes of the Nicca, Leotax, Honor or Melcon) and are incredibly well built and durable devices devices. Most of the surviving Tanacks IV-S are normally in good enough shape to be in the hands of photographers rather than on collection shelves.

The company made later attempts at producing more advanced rangefinder cameras: the Tanack SD, inspired by the Nikon S2, and the Tanack V3 and VP, closer to contemporary Canon models.

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