More Ricoh Auto 35

[nikkortorokkor]

I got the Ricoh, and here it is:



The big wing on the side of the lens is the 'triggermatic' i.e., shutter release. It is very smooth.



The little socket is for a self-timer. The big socket is for the camera strap, which has ends like a small RCA plug. The strap bayonets on and off. Brilliant!



That, my friends, is no mere winder underneath the camera, it is the 'Triggermatic action lever' Ricoh promised that 'The unique TRIGGERMATIC ACTION LEVER is especially outstanding when speed and continuous shots are required. Split-second film winding enables photography at the rate of 10 shots every 10 seconds.'

I actually believe 'em. When you adopt the right hold the (noisy) Triggermatic action lever is fast to use.



No ASA/DIN/ISO. Just 'Film 6 5 4 3 2 M B' around the lens and this chart on the back.

The system is quite cunning, and goes like this: M = 1/25, 2 = 1/25, 3 = 1/32, 4 = 1/50, 5 = 1/100 & 6 = 1/160. On Auto, the coupled selenium metre selects the aperture.

The Selenium meter has a needle in the finder. It's a simple 'if the needle is in the red, use a flash' system.

I suspect that the meter is a bit sluggish now, though the needle still responds to light. Luckily, there is a manual aperture lever for flash photography situated underneath the lens 24 feet = f/4, 12 feet = f/8 and 6 feet = f/20. If I want to take photos I should be able to do some math and get an exposure close enough for modern print film.

You can probably tell that I'm quite chuffed by the little Ricoh. It is really not my type of camera (I'm a control freak) and yet I find its looks and function charming. The camera is extremely logical to work on (I pulled it apart with ease to clean the finder, and it is remarkably well made for an early P & S. I think it first went on the market in 1960. Remarkable.

The manual can be found here: www.butkus.org/chinon/ricoh/ricoh_auto_35/ricoh_auto_35.htm
It's a brief and well illustrated read.

[nikonbob]

Looks like a very interesting clean camera design with a few unique features. For that reason alone I would pick one up. Let us know how the photos from it turn out. The trigger winder looks similar to the one on the Ricoh 500 that I have and will agree that using the winder is easy and fast.

Bob

[nikkortorokkor]

I'm kind of keen to run a film through the Ricoh too, though the dodgy light meter will make it less fun to use than if I was able to use the camera's full 'shoot from the hip' simplicity.

The math necessitated by the odd speeds and f-stops scares me a bit. I think I'll try the 1st half a dozen shots on Auto then hand meter/guestimate the rest.

I have the Taiwanese 500GX, which is similar to the ME. By then the winder had gone back up onto the top deck.

[nikkortorokkor]

Thanks for the image, Reijo.

I knew of the Zorki connection, but it is fascinating to see the cameras 'side by side'.

The Zorki, I believe, is zone focus, whereas the Ricoh is fixed focus. Am I right about the Zorki?

Also, the Zorki outer is all metal whereas the Ricoh uses some plastic. The plastic is has a very nice, precise feel and doesn't make the camera feel 'cheap' (not like my eos 500) but it does show fingerprints!

The Zorki doesn't appear to have a genuine hot shoe - a very advanced feature on the Ricoh It's my only hot shoe equipped classic).

What a strange wee camera to copy. Somebody in the FSU must have taken a trip to a camera show, come home with an auto 35 and said 'getta look at this beauty, comrade! The proletariat will love it. It will be perfect for those collective holidays in Odessa!'

[Reiska]

You are right, Zorki has a zone focus but as you see:



Alfred Klomp writes on his web page that Zorki has a Hot-Shoe but it is without doubt a lapse.

[camerastoomany]

I have the Zorki 10 - no hotshoe but rangefinder focussing.
A reasonably sharp lens but that trigger action is guaranteed to cause camera shake if one doesn't take a lot of care.

[nikkortorokkor]

Though I haven't put a film through the Ricoh yet, I noticed when 'dry firing' that it is very easy to swing the camera with an overenthusiastic trigger finger. It is, however, a very smooth action (as one would expect with all that leverage) much nicer than many higher end rangefinders with coupled meters.