Ricoh Auto Half Review
The Background
I had wanted this camera for a long time, I have always been a big fan of Minolta optics and this camera checked a lot of boxes for me. Hybrid auto-manual Exposure via a needle system, range focus and options for manual override along with a selenium meter, so no batteries required! These puppies are usually found on eBay fairly easily but they are also on the pricier side, usually shipping from Japan and of unknown working condition, so I attempted to pick a winner, crossed my fingers and clicked buy it now…
The Camera
Straight away, this is one of the best looking half frame cameras, I've laid eyes on... Mine came in a dark gunmetal sort of grey. I don't recall ordering in this color but I was glad when it arrived that way. My copy has a few dents, nicks and scratches but on a camera this old that is part of the deal and part of the aesthetic. A cursory inspection of the camera showed the meter seemed to be working, the shutter speed was adjusting and the apertures were working correctly as well. The lens seemed to be clear and scratch free but the light seals did look a bit shoddy to say the least. Anyways I loaded up a roll of Portra 160 ( this has been my goto color film for the last few months, I got a big lot of it pretty cheap on Amazon awhile back, it's great more info here)
The Experience
In use this camera is a bit more complicated than a pure point and shoot like the Pen EE but definitely easier than something like a Pen F. It's really more akin to a Canon Demi or an Olympus Pen . Having spent the last year shooting the Auto Tele 6 I had to adjust my workflow a bit, but not too much. The two main controls are focus and exposure. Focus is range based with 3 presets, 3m, 5m, and Infinity. Like many half frame cameras a setting of 5m will leave almost everything in focus so you rarely need to adjust this setting, however you do need to be cognizant of it just to make sure you're not set to 1.2 m when shooting a beautiful landscape in the distance. Exposure is easily set with a match needle system, just line up the needle in the green rectangle and go. There are also options for shooting with a preset aperture and a fixed shutter speed of 1/30 and while this is mainly meant for flash photography, 1/30 can produce a quality image in the half frame format. It's important to note that the different numbers on the exposure ring DO NOT actually correspond to a particular aperture setting and they are not particularly useful, just follow the needle and ignore the numbers. In the field this camera quickly became an extension of me. The viewfinder is bright and clear. The settings are easy to use. The camera is compact and intuitive. It may be my new favorite half frame...
The Pictures
Long Exhale....The photos were Foggy/ Hazy AF. Exposure seems to be fine and as far as I know the film was stable ( stored in my Fridge) but fuck these things are barely usable unless I am trying to emulate a dream sequence from a Soap Opera. I opened the camera up to take a look at the lens again and shined a light in there to see if I was missing anything. Boom, there it was, the inner lens element seemed to have a light film over it. I tried to clean it off with a microfiber and then a kim wipe, but no luck.
I had wanted this camera for a long time, I have always been a big fan of Minolta optics and this camera checked a lot of boxes for me. Hybrid auto-manual Exposure via a needle system, range focus and options for manual override along with a selenium meter, so no batteries required! These puppies are usually found on eBay fairly easily but they are also on the pricier side, usually shipping from Japan and of unknown working condition, so I attempted to pick a winner, crossed my fingers and clicked buy it now…
The Camera
Straight away, this is one of the best looking half frame cameras, I've laid eyes on... Mine came in a dark gunmetal sort of grey. I don't recall ordering in this color but I was glad when it arrived that way. My copy has a few dents, nicks and scratches but on a camera this old that is part of the deal and part of the aesthetic. A cursory inspection of the camera showed the meter seemed to be working, the shutter speed was adjusting and the apertures were working correctly as well. The lens seemed to be clear and scratch free but the light seals did look a bit shoddy to say the least. Anyways I loaded up a roll of Portra 160 ( this has been my goto color film for the last few months, I got a big lot of it pretty cheap on Amazon awhile back, it's great more info here)
The Experience
In use this camera is a bit more complicated than a pure point and shoot like the Pen EE but definitely easier than something like a Pen F. It's really more akin to a Canon Demi or an Olympus Pen . Having spent the last year shooting the Auto Tele 6 I had to adjust my workflow a bit, but not too much. The two main controls are focus and exposure. Focus is range based with 3 presets, 3m, 5m, and Infinity. Like many half frame cameras a setting of 5m will leave almost everything in focus so you rarely need to adjust this setting, however you do need to be cognizant of it just to make sure you're not set to 1.2 m when shooting a beautiful landscape in the distance. Exposure is easily set with a match needle system, just line up the needle in the green rectangle and go. There are also options for shooting with a preset aperture and a fixed shutter speed of 1/30 and while this is mainly meant for flash photography, 1/30 can produce a quality image in the half frame format. It's important to note that the different numbers on the exposure ring DO NOT actually correspond to a particular aperture setting and they are not particularly useful, just follow the needle and ignore the numbers. In the field this camera quickly became an extension of me. The viewfinder is bright and clear. The settings are easy to use. The camera is compact and intuitive. It may be my new favorite half frame...
The Pictures
Long Exhale....The photos were Foggy/ Hazy AF. Exposure seems to be fine and as far as I know the film was stable ( stored in my Fridge) but fuck these things are barely usable unless I am trying to emulate a dream sequence from a Soap Opera. I opened the camera up to take a look at the lens again and shined a light in there to see if I was missing anything. Boom, there it was, the inner lens element seemed to have a light film over it. I tried to clean it off with a microfiber and then a kim wipe, but no luck.
Conclusion
So now I have this beautiful paperweight here to stare at while I write this review. I am wondering if I want to try my luck on another one or just go back to a camera that I know can produce a solid image...
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