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The technical stuff:
Camera type: Rangefinder
Lens Type: Rikenon f2.8 40mm
Shutter Type: Two blade lens mounted shutter
Automatic exposure
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This is nice small lightweight rangefinder from Ricoh
that has something of a good reputation. This particular example is in
immaculate condition apart from the light seals which have gone spongy. It
comes fitted with a Rikenon 40mm f2.8 lens and has built in cds metering
within the lens housing. This is good because you can use filters (46mm)
and not have to worry about compensating for exposure.
There's a good side and a bad side to this little gem.
The good side is that it produces cracking pictures with superb sharpness
and detail. The metering is a little on the dark side but this is better
than blowing out the highlights. The bad side is more of a subjective
thing. The handling is not the most user friendly, unlike most
rangefinders in this class which have a lever arm of some form to move the
focusing ring, this one does not. This is particularly awkward because the
ring is very thin and therefore not easy to use. Another issue with
focusing is that the rangefinder "spot" is a very small square
and not easy for me to see clearly without spectacles. The combination of
these two issues made focusing a difficult operation which is the one
thing that a rangefinder is normally good for. Otherwise it's a very nice
little camera. Check out the results.
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