What lens for Ricoh KR-10 & KR- 5 ?

[Havoc]

What lenses can you use on the Ricoh KR-10 & KR-5 35mm cameras ? Any opinions on how good or bad these cameras are ? Thanks in advance for any feedback or advice.

 

[pentaxuser]

The KR-10 got the best value award in the 1982 "Good Camera Guide". It's XR Rikenon 50mm lens got a "superb 9 out of 10 rating. You can use any of the "K" mount lenses which gives you a large choice.

Of course these cameras are getting old but if you find a good one I don't think you will be disappointed.

I don't have one myself but they strike me as being robust with little to go wrong and probably easily serviced.

pentaxuser

 

[mikebarger]

I have a KR-5 I use for a surf camera when we're at the beach. This will be it's third summer, generally I don't get but one summer from garage sale 35mm's. They don't seem to like saltwater. I do try to stick with K-mount bodies as the lens' generally hold up pretty well, and they're cheap.

 

[angry_larry]

I've been using Pentax primes (M, K and A) on a Ricoh XR-10 for over 20 years now. It's similar to the KR-10 and KR-5. In addition to manual metering, aperture-preferred works. I avoid the autofocus lenses because of the extra cost (with no benefit). Lately, I've been looking at the Vivitar/Bower/Samyang 85mm/f1.4, but I really want to find a Tokina 90mm. Had the chance almost a decade ago, but passed it up!

 

[aoleg]

These are nice cameras, light and compact. However, the outer shell is made of plastic, which may be not to everyone's taste. That said, I like the features, small size and the low cost you can get a nice XR-10 for. I've seen quite a lot of these selling for $10-15 recently (paid $50 for one with a Rikenon XR 50/1.4 lens attached). One of the few true bargains still left.

 

[Roger Cole]

I had an XR-7 from shortly after they came out until a couple of years ago when the rewind knob broke. I liked using it so much I bought another, shot with it a while but it now needs the light seals replaced. I've ordered the foam but not attempted it yet. I really like the features and handling of these cameras - not the most durable with the plastic, but in some ways it's nicer to shoot with than my Pentax LX (at least the Ricoh has exposure memory lock, something mysteriously missing from the LX and most other auto exposure Pentaxes, grrr.)

 

[Jojje]

My eyesight isn't getting any better with age and I have found the viewfinder of a Ricoh XR-7 much easier to focus than on my Pentaxes.
I too broke the rewind knob: used too much force while opening as renewal of the ligth seal foams made it reluctant to open! However I was able to fix it with epoxy resin. I intend to get a spare one some day. Undervalued cameras from my opinion.
Nothing wrong with Rikenon lenses. Perhaps not so robust. XR 50/1.7 is wonderful in available light (f1,7 1/60):

 

[lxdude]

but in some ways it's nicer to shoot with than my Pentax LX (at least the Ricoh has exposure memory lock, something mysteriously missing from the LX and most other auto exposure Pentaxes, grrr.)

Weird, isn't it? It couldn't have been a cost issue with the LX. I guess it didn't fit the philosophy of whoever was in charge of deciding those things. They must have figured the compensation dial made AE lock unnecessary. A ridiculous omission, IMO. My P3n does have it-I guess they finally got a clue.

I don't even use AE. But it is nice to grab and hold the setting while metering off something of known reflectance when I'm in a hurry.

Funny about these things. Maitani said he did not put a shutter button lock on his OM-1 because he wanted the camera to always be ready to take a picture. I've accidentally tripped a shutter release without realizing it while carrying an SLR often enough to know that's silly. There's nothing more frustrating than to think the camera is still wound and ready when it's not. And the lock is easily moved while raising the camera to take the shot. Wasted frames were no fun either with expensive slide film.

 

[Roger Cole]

Weird, isn't it? It couldn't have been a cost issue with the LX. I guess it didn't fit the philosophy of whoever was in charge of deciding those things. They must have figured the compensation dial made AE lock unnecessary. A ridiculous omission, IMO. My P3n does have it-I guess they finally got a clue.

I don't even use AE. But it is nice to grab and hold the setting while metering off something of known reflectance when I'm in a hurry.

Funny about these things. Maitani said he did not put a shutter button lock on his OM-1 because he wanted the camera to always be ready to take a picture. I've accidentally tripped a shutter release without realizing it while carrying an SLR often enough to know that's silly. There's nothing more frustrating than to think the camera is still wound and ready when it's not. And the lock is easily moved while raising the camera to take the shot. Wasted frames were no fun either with expensive slide film.

Yeah it is weird. AE with memory lock is my preferred mode with the XR-7. I point it to bias the reading the way the scene demands, lock, re-compose and shoot. Very fast and unless the lighting is very weird wanting spot metering or such, almost always right on. With the MX I am almost as fast. I use it in what amounts to a "manual shutter priority mode" since the aperture ring is so much easier to move at eye level than the shutter speed. I set the shutter speed for subject and prevailing light, a quick point to bias the reading for the area I want and twist of the aperture ring to meter, then recompose and shoot. This manual mode is faster than trying to use AE on the LX and checking the difference between the area I want and as-composed and changing the compensation dial, by a huge amount. The work around is using the LX on manual mode like I do the MX, except when I know the lighting is pretty flat or the central area will be the main subject anyway, things you don't always know in advance.