R.I.P. XR-20sp and welcome XR-P

[btgc]

Yesterday in Zoo died my workhorse from Ricoh. Oddly enough, week before it warned me, getting stuck for first time; I quickly unstuck it and thought it's just intermittent mechanical issue.

After a week during use (worked just fine) it gave up ghost during exposure - sounded like it even didn't complete it. So now meter works and no shutter action. Probably sometime I'll take a look on it though I feel I have to move, feels like old tired horse which shouldn't be loaded fully anymore.

What can I say? It worked fine some year, dwelling faith in Ricoh SLR system. To be true, it had cracks in top plate on arrival showing it's hard fate, though always worked flawlessly until now.

Good between bad - now I'll have stimulus to reseal XR-P which basically is same as XR-20sp (30sp in U.S.) just has TTL flash control and aperture read-out window over lens like good old XR-2.

Since I have got also XR-P, I feel urge to compare it with XR-20sp - simply because that I don't count XR-P straight better because it were more expensive as XR-20sp. Hope I'll get back with mini-review after I do liitle work on XR-P.

 

[btgc]

I had to see this before!

When I received XR-20sp, it had non-returning mirror syndrome. I adjusted mirror bumper, there are two screws. I then didn't realize I had to fix them by tiny bit of glue, so obviously one of them loosened over time and now fell inside, thus blocking shutter. Now I have to figure where it is and how to get to it.

Ricoh is better than me at cameras 🙂

 

[zuikologist]

Indeed!

The KR10 also seems to go for surprising amounts on the auction site. It seems to have a reputation for reliability in line with the Pentax K1000.

 

[btgc]

Agree!
And pssst! 🙂 Let's not make them a bidwar victims.
One yet have to make me clear why I should go for K1000 when I have XR-2 (great sturdy everyday camera, I just prefer XR-20 for quick shooting).

 

[btgc]

Now this is funny. One morning I took out stuck XR-20sp, poked it with a screwdriver under bottom cover and it sprang back to life. To be fair, it took me some 20 minutes to excersize internals with screwdriver and rotate it, while tiny screw from mirror bumper fell out after travelling through camera. I fastened it with a tiny bit of nail polish 🙂

It's surprising to have camera operating again after two years sitting on "projects and deads" shelf. Now I have operating both XR-20sp and XR-P - and must admit I've got used to XR-P which I thought has more cluttered interface.

 

[Harry S.]

I must say you have a very charming accent!

 

[Pickett Wilson]

Glad you were able to bring an old "friend" back to life!

 

[Beemermark]

Indeed!

The KR10 also seems to go for surprising amounts on the auction site. It seems to have a reputation for reliability in line with the Pentax K1000.

Look for the corresponding Sears models.

 

[btgc]

Thanks for head-ups! At the moment I do not have digicam so I'm postponing comparison with pictures of this two bodies.

Good to have another beat up body I can take out with me anywhere not thinking it did cost me more than two rolls of fresh film. An once I have accepted it's gone, now I feel it deserves to be adjutant camera.