Ricoh 35L - anybody knows that?

blazejs

blazejs

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Hello

A few months ago I have bought a rangefinder called Ricoh 35L. It was an impulse, I liked its design. I have done just 2 rolls of film with it so far but I'm getting curious about more details concerning this camera as there's not much in Google. I know it's from 60's. The lens is S-Kominar 48/2 - so far I've found that must be manufactured by Komine but wish to get some more info about this lens. I have read somewhere that S-Kominars were Tessar type but as it's widest aperture is f2 it seems like it's not Tessar (never heard of so fast Tessar). Does anyone has some information about such camera? It would fill me in🙂 Camera looks like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/blazejs/2901285487/

Regards
Blazej
 
That's a big camera for a fixed lens RF! It looks to be similar to Konica Auto S2 / Minolta Himatic 7 in size and could be a clone of some of the early rangefinders. The 48/2 lens is unusual. Let's see some photos from it soon.

This link suggest a clone of the Mamiya Super Deluxe:

http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/forum/messages/6899/5836.html

This link suggests the Mamiya had a 48/2 Kominar lens:

http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cach...er.htm+mamiya+super+deluxe&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1

But the 35L looks like a bottom winder design, so perhaps it is unique to Ricoh.
 
Last edited:
zuikologist said:
That's a big camera for a fixed lens RF! It looks to be similar to Konica Auto S2 / Minolta Himatic 7 in size and could be a clone of some of the early rangefinders. The 48/2 lens is unusual. Let's see some photos from it soon.

This link suggest a clone of the Mamiya Super Deluxe:

http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/forum/messages/6899/5836.html

This link suggests the Mamiya had a 48/2 Kominar lens:

http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cach...er.htm+mamiya+super+deluxe&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1

But the 35L looks like a bottom winder design, so perhaps it is unique to Ricoh.
Click to expand...

Yes, indeed - its huge;-) And it is bottom winded (quite ergonomic design). I knew the first link but haven't seen second one. I have found a few cameras that use Kominar lens. I have found that Komine was Japanese OEM lens producer (I have a Vivitar 35/1.9 in Minolta MD bayonet that seems to be produced by Komine). So maybe they were supplying lenses to many manufacturers.
 
Ricoh 35L instruction manual

Ricoh 35L instruction manual

Hello,
I've just bought my first rangefinder, Ricoh 35L, without instructionmanual. Does anyone have a copy of it ? I've tried to use it for a while and no way to tune the image focus, and I wonder if because I did something wrong or it's camera issue ?

Regards
 
Hello

I haven't manual too but it's quite easy. I guess selenium lightmeter is dead already so you need to meter light with external lightmeter or follow sunny 16. Setting aperture and time is easy (just follow lightmeter). To focus I have found that rhombus rangefinder spot in viewfinder is visible only when you put your eye to vf correctly so it's rather matter of training. Also built in lightmeter settings in vf are hard to see if you don't put your eye correctly but just forget about built in one. If you have some troubles with this camera let me know. Here are some pictures from this one: http://www.flickr.com/photos/blazejs/tags/ricoh35l/

Regards
Blazej
 
Hello Blazejs,
Thank you for your help, to be more precise I can adjust and coincide the 2 needles (I and Y) but there is no way to adjust the double images in the the view-rangefinder (wthin the lozenge)so that to merge them into a unique image. Do you think that this coould be the failure of the lightmeter ?

Regards
 
This has nothing to do with lightmeter. Try to match ghosts in lozenge on contrasty objects, it should be visible best with vertical lines (window, door, trees). And of course within the lozenge as this is for focusing (should be visible more yellowish). It may be hard to focus on some objects as spot is not that contrasty. Do you have any experience with other rangefinders?

Regards
Blazej
 
Well, so I guess you're just not common with focusing in rangefinder. It requires some practice. In FEDs spot is mor contrasty thus more visible. But view finder is small. In Zorki 4 it's less contrasty and visible but view finder is bigger. In Ricoh 35 L view finder is even bigger than in Zorki. I had some troubles with focusing in Ricoh at the beginning too. My first rangefinder was FED 5B - 7 years ago. And since I have some SLRs (former SLR owner before discovered rangefinders) I love rangefinders. Practice, and I hope you'll like them too🙂

Regards
Blazej
 
One thing I have just noticed.. If you set aperture to f8 (red one), and focusing ring place so that infinity sign is under red number 8 of above ring you should get hyperfocal lenght so all objects between 3m and infinity should be in focus. Just remember to set correct time. Haven't tested it yet with this camera but this should work.
 
Hello Blazejs,
Thank you, I'll test it as soon as I can and will let you know. In the meanwhile, do you know what means the letters V,X,M next to the asa/din adjstment ?

Regards
 
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