Just bought my first film camera since I was 8, a Sears TLS

[Wolfram Malukker]

Was cruising through an estate sale three weeks ago and saw an old camera marked for 25$. I looked it up, knowing that some old cameras are valuable, and it seemed like a good price so I bought it.

The last time I used an actual camera that wasn't built into a cell phone was in 1998, I had a Kodak branded 110 format camera that I found in a pile of trash at the end of a driveway when I was out riding my bike. It has no adjustments, just a fixed flash and IIRC the flash was always on, at least when I used it I never turned it off. Still got it, but haven't used it since 1998, probably.

What I have bought, after doing some research, is a Sears TLS/Ricoh Singlex TLS. It needed light seals, a mirror bumper, and a new battery, but after I did all those things and gave it a cursory cleaning, it seems to work pretty good. Of course, my frame of reference is that little Kodak 110, so take that as you will. The TLS was dropped or hit pretty hard at one point in its life, right over the flash cable connectors, but nothing seems to be overly damaged, other than the dent in the case.

The lens that was fitted was the Sears Auto 55mm F1.4, which I have read is the same as the Auto Rikenon 55mm F1.4, and I hear it's pretty popular. I am pretty sure the lens is worth more than the camera, but after looking at lens prices that seems normal. I also picked up a Montgomery Ward 28mm F2.8 lens at Goodwill last Saturday, it was very dirty but cleaned up nice and looks good. I tried looking it up, but no consensus on who made that one, and I see some people saying it isn't very sharp while others say it's great. Guess I'll find out eventually, it was $10 so no great loss if it isn't any good.

I bought some Kodak Ultramax 400 at the local drugstore and probably goofed up the first little bit but it's in the camera, advances when I push the lever, and the flash and even the light meter is working. I'm 8 frames in on the frame counter so as soon as I finish this roll, I'll take it to Boutique Film Lab in Nashville, they seem the closest place to me that does film developing.

Does anyone have any advice for this particular camera, lenses, or any experience with BFL in Nashville? Eventually I want to try some Caffinol developing for a roll or two of black and white film, but before that I want to learn to take good photographs first.

 

[Kino]

Welcome to Photrio!

After reading your posting, I don't have any particular advice as it sounds like you have it covered so far.

The 28mm will probably look fine as long as you stay in the mid-range of the f-stop scale. If you shoot wide open, it will probably get really soft in the corners. For some this is terrible, for others, a look that is great. All you can do is try and experiment.

Grab some inexpensive Kentmere Pan 100 or 400 and have a go with the Caffinol.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

 

[Paul Howell]

The Wards branded lens is likely another made by Rioch as well. What battery are you using? I generally use hearing aid batteries with cardboard cut outs to fit the battery compartment. What I did find out is with my Petri cameras is that only a Winn Air 625 battery will work. Ricoh made pretty good cameras and lens, I have the Roich 50 F2 and a 35 2.8 in M42, both are fine performers.

 

[mshchem]

Sounds like you are having a good time! Welcome to Photrio. Post some pictures

 

[xkaes]

Check out:

https://m42lens.com/

 

[Wolfram Malukker]

Hopefully I can continue. I'm a machinist-engineer by trade, and teach machine tool and engineering for the local high school system.

I read that the Ricoh Singlex TLS version is mostly aluminum castings, but this one is a lot of brass and cast aluminum. It's pretty hefty.

 

[Paul Howell]

If you like your TLS you may to find a TLS 401, had a very unique viewfinder, eye level and wait level, along with stop down average and spot metering. Same M 42 lens mount.

 

[BrianShaw]

I inherited a Ricoh Singlex TLS from my godfather, who always referred to it as a “poor man’s Nikon”. It’s a solid and basic camera of its era. It’s definitely not a lightweight. Fun to use with the normal lens but I’ve not been impressed by the 135. The 135 Ricoh by Cosina was okay until the aperture started sticking. The 135 Ricoh by Tokina is just a bad lens in my experience. I don’t believe Ricoh ever made their own lenses, but could be wrong. Enjoy your camera adventure; keep us informed!

 

[Donald Qualls]

I have a Sears TLS and it's one of my better M42 bodies. A better shutter (metal curtain, vertical travel vs. horizontal cloth, hence higher sync speed) and better meter than my Spotmatic SP -- my Singlex II is a slightly newer/better model, but my example has a reliability problem.

One of the great things with M42 cameras is that excellent lenses are fairly inexpensive; all the Takumar and Super Takumar lenses in this mount are very good, some are genuinely exceptional; most Rikenons are better than OK as well. The major downside with all but the very last of the M42 bodies is you have to use stop-down metering if you want to meter through the lens (I got in the habit of shooting with Sunny 16 rule and don't use a meter for every shot). It works, but I haven't used any of my M42 bodies since getting a Nikkormat FT2, one of the first consumer SLRs that could meter wide open.

All that aside, the Sears TLS and that Auto-Rikenon ought to give you a HUGE improvement in image quality compared to a fixed-everything 110 model.

 

[Brendan Quirk]

Probably the majority of my body of work was done with the Ricoh Singlex TLS. I bought it new in 1971, and still have it.

 

[Disconnekt]

I have one too, though not an all black one.

 

[Wolfram Malukker]

Shot my first roll of Ultramax 400 this week. Going in to the big smoke tomorrow, so I can drop off my first roll of film while I am there, and I have a chance to go take some more photographs and walk through some more junk shops.

I have shot this whole first roll with the 55mm/F1.4 lens, ASA set to 400, and shutter speed was *mostly* on 1/500. On a few shots I adjusted the shutter speed to get the light meter to be in slot, but most of them I adjusted the f-stop to get the light meter in the slot. Almost all the shots have been outside. I worry that something in the ASA/shutter speed dial is not right, but we'll see how this roll of film comes out. I will let them know that I am suspicious of the camera when I drop it off.

Occasionally, I had to shake the camera a little to get the light meter to come to life, and mysteriously the light meter switch keeps winding up in the ON position if I close up the leather case on the camera-I think it keeps getting bumped on. I have to keep a closer eye on that for now.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Welcome to Photrio and congratulations on your new camera. Now go shoot more film.

 

[David Brown]

A TLS was my first "real" camera, too, in 1969. (I was a senior in high school and we bought almost everything but food at Sears.) Over a couple of years I had to have the shutter replaced twice. When the third one failed, I bought a used Pentax Spotmatic. Still works.

 

[Wolfram Malukker]

Soooo, finally got to check my first TLS against a good lightmeter.

Yep, the meter in my camera is WAY off, like 4-5 stops off. I bet that first roll has maybe two that are OK.

Went out to my grandpa's place, he was a professional photographer for most of his life. He taught me a lot today, we took some photos and while they're all just flowers out of his garden, they *should* be much better exposure-wise.

Fired up the 3D-printer today and printed a 12-roll film case with a rubber seal, it'll be done in the morning.