Camera Talk

Four versions of the original 500 were made, with number 2 being the most produced one. http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Ricoh_500

Mine has a sticky focus, which is an inconvenience for now, but if I were to use it more often it would definitely get a re-lube first. That, and the loose screws in the winding mechanism need to be locked with some enamel polish, after of course I source some replacements for the ones that got away.

But it’s a beautiful, well built camera with a good lens and shutter. The auxiliary lens set looks great, and performs okay (I’ve seen much worse), but the leather cases are losing their green felt flocking, so I’ll need to find some other carrier for them. Since I hadn’t thought to bring a lens cleaning kit with me, I couldn’t get the flocking off the lenses, and that may have affected their performance.

Test was performed with Ilford FP-4 Plus 125, and for the first three frames a Ricoh yellow filter was attached to the lens. If you look at the whole album, I denote which ones had the filter, and any corrections made to exposure or framing.

One of my pursuits, the old “front porch” gas station

Redwood Gas Station by P F McFarland, on Flickr

Using the auxiliaries

Wide-Normal-Tele by P F McFarland, on Flickr

A back lighting shot

Methodist Steeple by P F McFarland, on Flickr

Still life in metal

In The Pile by P F McFarland, on Flickr

When the clouds won’t cooperate, I take their photo

Waiting For The Light by P F McFarland, on Flickr

Art

Symbolic by P F McFarland, on Flickr

The camera

Ricoh 500 ver 2 by P F McFarland, on Flickr

See all the photos with narration at https://flic.kr/s/aHskuWiw1g

PF

Not bad at all. I have never handled one of these, but they seem to fit into the impressive Japanese wave of RF cameras that swept the market in the middle of the past century.

The normal is definitely an interesting lens.

Yep, nice camera that gives great results. I particularly like 'Gas Station' ! Well done.

These are great. I particularly like the last two.

Redwood Gas station is very nice! Well done and a great camera too.

About finding those screws. I went to an old jeweler who also repairs watches and in 10 minutes I not only walked out with an assortment he installed 5 missing screws in an old Japanese RF for me.