Friday, October 5, 2012

Ricoh 500G

Ricoh 500GThe Ricoh 500G, one of my late-grandfather's 35mm Rangefinders, is a fun, simple to operate, and lovely little camera.  It's lens is incredibly sharp, renders colour beautifully, and brilliantly crafted.  The rangefinder is big, and clear, contrasty, and very easy to operate.
The diminutive size should not be an expectation of its usefulness, as the small size just means it is compact, and can fit in a purse, pocket, or your jacket.
Because of its small size, it can literally be taken along anywhere with you, and remain conspicuous.  The only downfall to this camera, though, is the light seals.  Being 40+ years old the light seals are crap, turning literally into a black goo that can cause serious problems on the film.
Not only that, the light leaks onto the film are something else, and it's not the easiest type of seal to replace.
Nonetheless, it's something that will require if you intend on using it for more than decoration.
                                                                                                   

Tech Specs:

Ricoh 500G 35mm Rangefinder
Rikenon 40mm ƒ/2.8 Lens fully coupled
1/15s to 1/500s +B Copal Shutter (X-sync via Hot-Shoe)
10s self-timer (lever beside lens)
24mm x 36mm frame size
25ASA to 800ASA film speed selector
Light Meter at front of lens for filtering through screw on filters
400g without film or battery
1xLR-44 Battery for Light-Meter and Auto-Aperture
Single-Crank film-advance