Topic: My latest aquisition ...

[Fluminian]

... is a Ricoh TLS 401

It's in near mint condition and everything works perfectly except metering.
The main attraction: unique dual viewfinder - standard and sort of waist-level
viewfinder. It came with a 50mm f1.7 Auto Rikenon.

Has anyone owned this model before? Any tips for fixing the meter?

[mcduff]

Not much help here, but that is a cool rig. It looks like a tank. No wonder as that is a complex viewfinder sitting on top of it.

This site helped me taking apart a pen EE and has some info on your camera including talking about replacing the battery wife etc. http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/ricoh401.html

[jojonas~]

Urban Hafner has or had one. dead meter in that too though if I remember correctly.

[Fluminian]

Thanks for the link, mcduff. I'll take a look at it later, but I doubt I'll be
able to find the battery wife. 

[Fluminian]

So, not much hope for the meter, jojonas~? The thing is built like a tank,
but it seems the meter is it's Achilles heel. 

[jojonas~]

might be
I'd just go sunny16 on it, or use a separate meter

[Fluminian]

I've got a Sekonic L248, but I'll probably go with the Sunny 16 system.

[Francois]

I've got an old Argus which looks a lot like this except for the prism.

Meter wise, mine works... but reliability doesn't seem to be there.

[Urban Hafner]

Actually the meter in mine worked, but didn't turn on after advancing the film. Instead in turned on for a bit just in the middle of advancing the film. That in combination with the dim finder was a deal braker for me. However the 50mm f/1.4 was a sweet lens.

[Fluminian]

You forgot the weight on the "con" column. 
I believe (hope) 50mm  f1.7 is sweet too.

[Yglotte]

1.7 lenses are usually great, even when they aren't from "fancy" brands.
Like the Minolta 50mm F/1.7 is pretty awesome:

Anna par Yglotte, sur Flickr

 

[Francois]

Pro: M42 mount equals cheap lenses by the ton.
Con: when you can get something by the ton, you have to first carry it (the ton of whatever)

These cameras are incredibly heavy. I wonder what they used in them? Cast iron gears or what?

[Fluminian]

Pro: M42 mount equals cheap lenses by the ton.
Con: when you can get something by the ton, you have to first carry it (the ton of whatever)

These cameras are incredibly heavy. I wonder what they used in them? Cast iron gears or what?

And I bought it for exactly that reason - I needed a body for several m42 lenses I've got.
The weight is the problem of course, but until I find a very light m42 body this one will do.

[jojonas~]

Pro: M42 mount equals cheap lenses by the ton.
Con: when you can get something by the ton, you have to first carry it (the ton of whatever)

These cameras are incredibly heavy. I wonder what they used in them? Cast iron gears or what?

And I bought it for exactly that reason - I needed a body for several m42 lenses I've got.
The weight is the problem of course, but until I find a very light m42 body this one will do.

I wonder if the Contax F/Pentacon F bodies are light? small atleast! but no meter

maybe a fujica? like the Fujica ST 605 N -seems small? after reading some old magazines I think that they tried to push the envelope with theis slrs.

[Fluminian]

8<---------8<-----------8<--------------8<---------------

I wonder if the Contax F/Pentacon F bodies are light? small atleast! but no meter
maybe a fujica? like the Fujica ST 605 N -seems small? after reading some old magazines I think that they tried to push the envelope with theis slrs.

Originally I wanted Pentax Spotmatic II, but couldn't find one locally, at least not in a good condition, but I've just placed a bid for one on ebay
and if I win Ricoh will be converted to paper weight. 

[Francois]

Last year, I got an M42 to Nikon adapter from China. It's the model with the added lens for infinity focus. Granted you loose the auto diaphragm feature, it works. I have yet to expose any film with it but in the viewfinder, it looks good.

I must say that the adapter doesn't work with lenses that don't have a manual/automatic switch.

[Fluminian]

I have tried several m42 -> K mount converters, but they were all horrible and finished in trash.

[jojonas~]

I have tried several m42 -> K mount converters, but they were all horrible and finished in trash.

I'm using a m42 to MD mount converter and after it's put it on a lens I can just forget about it

[Fluminian]

I've just talked to the Ricoh TLS 401 seller and we agreed I'll return the camera,
but I'm only allowed to choose from some other stuff he's selling. I chose 2 little
guys that are the same camera, but with different names. He was giving me just
one, but I demanded more as I was lied to so he gave me both.

[Francois]

These look pretty good. Small rangefinders are always fun.
They remind me of my Hi-Matic F which is held together with bubblegum .

[Alan]

Urban Hafner has or had one. dead meter in that too though if I remember correctly.

i have urbans now, still shooting the first roll through it. The meter is dead, i have hand held jobbie which is fine.

Sent from my HUAWEI U8815 using Tapatalk 2

[Fluminian]

I would keep the camera with the dead meter, but I don't like being lied to.

[Fluminian]

These look pretty good. Small rangefinders are always fun.
They remind me of my Hi-Matic F which is held together with bubblegum .

Yes, they do, but I don't know if they are early revisions or the plastic ones from later.
I hope at least one of them is metal. The guy guaranties they are both in perfectly
working condition. We'll see. Hopefully there won't be any traces of gum on them. 

[Ezzie]

Nice swap. Mechanically the same camera, but two different lenses. Skopar vs Sonnar. Would be fun to see which performs best (to your taste, they are no doubt good both of them)

[Fluminian]

Nice swap. Mechanically the same camera, but two different lenses. Skopar vs Sonnar. Would be fun to see which performs best (to your taste, they are no doubt good both of them)

I will test them  thoroughly and report back here. 

[ambaker]

Picked up an old Spotmatic F, with three primes, over the weekend.  135mm 28mm and a 1.4 50mm SMC Takumar.  All in very nice shape.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Fluminian]

Picked up an old Spotmatic F, with three primes, over the weekend.  135mm 28mm and a 1.4 50mm SMC Takumar.  All in very nice shape.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Aw, that's what I wanted. Three lenses? Congrats. That Takumar 50mm, 1.4 is a fantastic lens,

[Ezzie]

Picked up an old Spotmatic F, with three primes, over the weekend.  135mm 28mm and a 1.4 50mm SMC Takumar.  All in very nice shape.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Aw, that's what I wanted. Three lenses? Congrats. That Takumar 50mm, 1.4 is a fantastic lens,

I have an old SP1000, and the Super Takumar 50mm 1.4 Though a more than good enough lens on the Spotmatic, I find it is outperformed by the newer VC 50 f2.5 Color Skopar when compared mounted on the cough, cough, dare I say it, the Fuji X-E1. The SP1000 is acting up though, so another M42 mount camera is on the horizon, just haven't decided which yet.

[Fluminian]

Picked up an old Spotmatic F, with three primes, over the weekend.  135mm 28mm and a 1.4 50mm SMC Takumar.  All in very nice shape.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Aw, that's what I wanted. Three lenses? Congrats. That Takumar 50mm, 1.4 is a fantastic lens,

I have an old SP1000, and the Super Takumar 50mm 1.4 Though a more than good enough lens on the Spotmatic, I find it is outperformed by the newer VC 50 f2.5 Color Skopar when compared mounted on the cough, cough, dare I say it, the Fuji X-E1. The SP1000 is acting up though, so another M42 mount camera is on the horizon, just haven't decided which yet.

This one? Voigtländer? You don't say? 50 year old Color-Skopar 50mm f3.5 wipes the floor with my
SMC Pentax-M f2.0 so no wonder yours beat f1.4 Takumar.

[Ezzie]

Yepp, that's the one.