Post by casualcollector on Mar 5, 2007 19:09:26 GMT -5
Scooped this outfit off E-Bay recently.
Sears Auto TLS, also known as the Ricoh Auto TLS EE. Camera has a 50/1.4 lens. In the outfit were a 55/2.8 Auto Sears Macro with extension tube and a 200/3.5 Auto Sears tele.
The camera is unusual in many ways. It has a cloth focal plane shutter. Every other Ricoh SLR I've seen has a Copal, (or other) vertical travel, metal shutter. It makes me think the camera wasn't manufactured by Ricoh, but I've never seen a similar camera from the usual private label suspects; Chinon, Cosina, Mamiya or Petri. Maybe some of our non - US members have seen this camera with other nameplates?!
It uses standard M-42 mount lenses, but for auto exposure to work, they have to be Sears/Ricoh EE lenses. The lenses have an extra pin that is engaged by a sawtooth edged plate in the camera. The plate moves the pin a specific distance dictated by the TTL meter. Energy to move the plate is supplied by the user's finger on the shutter release, much like the Konica Auto Reflex or Miranda Sensorex EE. Makes for a long, stiff release!
I haven't opened it up yet but the body seems to be unusually constructed. What appears to be the top and bottom covers may actually be the body casting. The prism housing is a separate piece and the top and bottom covers appear to be just flat plates recessed into the casting. Much like a Konica, the bottom is notched to slip the film cassette in. The rewind knob does not lift up.
The meter uses a PX-625 battery. A dead battery was removed with some difficulty and a fresh one installed. The meter doesn't work so neither does the auto exposure system! The shutter is mechanically timed but 1/1000 doesn't work. Others work but haven't been timed.
Sears probably sourced their lenses from Ricoh but I don't think Ricoh manufactured lenses. The 200mm tele bears a very strong resemblance to my Soligor T4 200 manufactured by Tokina. The Macro is very different from my 55/2.8 Vivitar that originated with Komine. Trying to answer these persistent little questions is what makes the hobby interesting! Both of the lenses are standard M-42 mount and not the special EE type.
Everything is in excellent cosmetic shape. Optics are relatively clean, focus and aperture work smoothly and quickly. Next step is to load up some film and guesstimate exposures!
Sears Auto TLS, also known as the Ricoh Auto TLS EE. Camera has a 50/1.4 lens. In the outfit were a 55/2.8 Auto Sears Macro with extension tube and a 200/3.5 Auto Sears tele.
The camera is unusual in many ways. It has a cloth focal plane shutter. Every other Ricoh SLR I've seen has a Copal, (or other) vertical travel, metal shutter. It makes me think the camera wasn't manufactured by Ricoh, but I've never seen a similar camera from the usual private label suspects; Chinon, Cosina, Mamiya or Petri. Maybe some of our non - US members have seen this camera with other nameplates?!
It uses standard M-42 mount lenses, but for auto exposure to work, they have to be Sears/Ricoh EE lenses. The lenses have an extra pin that is engaged by a sawtooth edged plate in the camera. The plate moves the pin a specific distance dictated by the TTL meter. Energy to move the plate is supplied by the user's finger on the shutter release, much like the Konica Auto Reflex or Miranda Sensorex EE. Makes for a long, stiff release!
I haven't opened it up yet but the body seems to be unusually constructed. What appears to be the top and bottom covers may actually be the body casting. The prism housing is a separate piece and the top and bottom covers appear to be just flat plates recessed into the casting. Much like a Konica, the bottom is notched to slip the film cassette in. The rewind knob does not lift up.
The meter uses a PX-625 battery. A dead battery was removed with some difficulty and a fresh one installed. The meter doesn't work so neither does the auto exposure system! The shutter is mechanically timed but 1/1000 doesn't work. Others work but haven't been timed.
Sears probably sourced their lenses from Ricoh but I don't think Ricoh manufactured lenses. The 200mm tele bears a very strong resemblance to my Soligor T4 200 manufactured by Tokina. The Macro is very different from my 55/2.8 Vivitar that originated with Komine. Trying to answer these persistent little questions is what makes the hobby interesting! Both of the lenses are standard M-42 mount and not the special EE type.
Everything is in excellent cosmetic shape. Optics are relatively clean, focus and aperture work smoothly and quickly. Next step is to load up some film and guesstimate exposures!
).
