More recently, I have been buying a few Sears and Ricoh SLRs. All of the K-series Sears SLR cameras were made by Ricoh, and were certainly a good value for the time, and are still to be recommended if you want a K-mount SLR. The Ricoh-branded versions are also good, of course, and compared with bodies made by Pentax of the same period, are, in my opinion, better cameras.
Sears KSX - with 135mm Takumar |
Sears KSX Super with 50mm f/2 lens |
Ricoh XR-7 with a the very good ACCESS 35-70mm F/2.5 zoom. |
So, what does all this mean? Basically, the Ricoh /Sears k-mount bodies are a bargain, and perform well, and while the Pentax logo may have more branding power, the Ricoh bodies often have more features and are better-made. I have seen several K1000 cameras with de-silvered mirrors and wonky electronics in the Pentax ME and ME super. You can frequently buy a Sears KSX or a Ricoh for less than a large pizza, including the lens. They make great cameras for those wanting to use film in a reliable 35mm body. All of the models take current silver-oxide or alkaline button cells, so no worry about that. Based on my experience, I rate them a "best buy" and highly recommend them for the shooters out there. there are no lack of K-mount lenses from Pentax, Ricoh, Sigma, Tamron, Tokina, and a host of other no-name brands. If you need a manual, be sure to check out Mike Butkus' camera manuals site, and be sure to pay for his hard work.
I am way behind in developing and scanning in the negatives, so be sure to check my Flickr pages.
I am way behind in developing and scanning in the negatives, so be sure to check my Flickr pages.
2 comments:
Thanks for reviewing these SLRs. I see them on eBay from time to time at fire-sale prices -- now I won't shy away. I have a ton of K-mount lenses here and would enjoy experiencing one of these cameras.
I love Ricoh lenses. The K-mount 50 f/1.7 is stellar lens. Ricoh cameras represent very good value for money.
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