Ricoh R1: the Perfect Pocket 35mm Film Camera?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ต.ค. 2022
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The Ricoh R1 is a little point and shoot film camera that captured my heart. Sadly, it took my heart, ripped it out, and stomped all over it.
In this review, I tell you all about this plastic beauty and share results from my first two rolls of 35mm film shot on Fujicolor C200 and Kodak ColorPlus 200.
Unfortunately these are the only rolls I'm likely to get from it. Watch this video and find out the full story.
00:10 How I got my Ricoh R1
00:48 LCD issues
01:03 Brief history and overview of the Ricoh R1 including specifications and panorama modes
02:27 Things I like about the Ricoh R1 including details about autofocus, autoexposure, and super night mode
03:50 Things that can go wrong with the Ricoh R1 including the LCD screen, the light seals, and the camera bricking
05:04 First roll with light leaks on Fujicolor C200
07:50 Second roll on Kodak ColorPlus C200
08:56 Super colourful Kodak ColorPlus 200 contact sheet
10:13 How you can help Matt Loves Cameras with a shoutout for the latest Ko-Fi donations
10:33 Second roll on Kodak ColorPlus C200 (continued)
13:49 Sad ending to the Ricoh R1 love story
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I have an R1, purchased in the US in '95 just prior to a season of archaeological survey work in the foothills of the Andes in NW Argentina. The prof I was travelling with and I were mugged in Buenos Aires at the outset of the trip and he had the department's Leica taken off him but my tiny R1 went undetected by the mugger and it became our sole camera for the months-long duration of the project. While it was no Leica, it performed beautifully! The saturated colours and excellent exposure in the brilliant, clear high altitude light made the images jump out at you - and I was shooting colour transparency stock!. Of course the Ricoh glass couldn't hold a candle to Leica glass, and it wasn't remotely as sharp as you would get from the Leica or an FE2 with decent Nikkor glass, but still! We were walking many miles each day at 3,000m - 4,000m altitude, and having such a light camera was a joy. And the added bonus was the super wide 24mm lens that created some fantastic, unusual perspectives. Of course, all good things come to an end, and a few years later after may more rolls put through it, it simply froze. Whether it was the circuit board or the motor simply giving up the ghost, I don't know. I still have mine and live in the hope that someone, somewhere will figure out how to repair these little gems. My Yashica T5 still trundles on, producing excellent images but without that special something that having the dual lens combo at your fingertips provided. Not to mention it is considerably bulkier (and as a result, I suspect, more robust). But the R1 is a special little camera. I subsequently acquired a GR1v secondhand. The LCD is now unusable at about 80% dead. The much higher cost and fancier materials strip it of some of the unpretentious character that the little R1 had and it never gave me the pleasure that the R1 did. I miss it.
Oh wow that’s an incredible story! Thanks for sharing 😊 so glad you had the R1 on that trip and it was able to punch above its weight! I’ve thought about a GR1V many times, it’s still a camera I’d love to buy. For now my R1s is still doing well! Glad to hear your T5 is going strong, I have a Yashica T3 but it’s a little bulky, great lens though!
Brilliant video Matt! You got some amazing shots! Hope you find another one!
Thanks Matt! Still wondering if I should buy another R1 or upgrade to the GR series ha ha
Thanks for a timely video, I’m scouring London for an R1 and your images confirmed I should buy one.
Oh wow, have fun over there Steve! Hope you find one!
Great video Matt! Thank you. You captured some really nice images.
I've always wanted a R1. I did score one at a local estate sale a few years ago, great color (green) and in excellent condition. Sadly, it was DOA when I got home. Thankfully, the price was pretty good and I was able to sell it on ebay as a parts camera and made a few bucks.
Thanks so much Joe! That’s a shame but great that you recycled it and got your $ back!
Great results Matt! The Ricoh R1 and GR models are such great little cameras. I had a GR1s which lasted a year before the shutter stopped working. I loved that camera :(
My biggest issue with the R1 (aside from the LCD not working) was the delay when pressing the shutter and when the camera adjusts and the shutter releases. drove me mad! ended up selling it. I recently picked up a GR10 which i'm loving. It's a nice balance between the R1 and GR1.
Thanks Melissa! Yes the form factor of the cameras is a major plus! Oh no, reading that makes me even more hesitant ha ha. I’ll try and pick up a cheaper one, fingers crossed it lasts a while. I must look into the GR10 too!
Excellent results; that's a sweet-looking camera. Hopefully, you can find a replacement (I'll keep an eye out, nab one if I find one, review it, and then send it your way). Keep up the amazing work!
Ooo that would be amazing Alex, fingers crossed you find one! 🤩
So glad i managed to have snagged one with a working LCD a couple of months ago
Nice! Hope you get hundreds of rolls out of it 😊
I have an R1s that I love. The R1s is essentially the same as the R1. In mine, the LCD works great, but it does have the deteriorated light seal around the film window problem. Most-importantly, as with your R1, it takes great photos.
It sure does! Did you replace the light seal or just use black tape on the window?
@@MattLovesCameras Just black tape so far.
I just got my first Ricoh camera recently. It's actually the GRD1 - which is fast becoming one of my favorite camera's. I'm shooting it in black and white mode and honestly, the look it gives is hard to distinguish from film which I believe is what this camera has a reputation for. I'm happy to trade this for a film camera once in a while to stretch my film stock due to the crazy film prices these days!
Ooo lovely! Is that the 8 megapixel one Lori? I've heard the images from that are very filmic! You have me looking on eBay now ha ha
Nice shots.
It's always sad when cameras like this stop working.
I have no experience with Ricoh point & shoots. The closest I come to it is my Konica Big Mini BM-302. It measures 115x63x32mm and weighs 174gr making it slightly bigger and heavier, though still pocket size, if you ask me. The last time I used it, it did develop a bit of an issue, where I had to press the power button twice to turn off the camera, and I have a sneaking suspicion it sometimes missed focus entirely. I'll find out after developing the rolls I put through it...
I hope it still works NP! I have a Konica big mini and it is very similar, lovely rounded edges which makes it perfect for your pocket!
@@MattLovesCameras Exactly👍
Hi Matt, sorry to hear the Ricoh died on you! Have you tried looking for a Rollei Prego Micron? It is basically the same camera, but with a Schneider Kreuznach lens... picked one up for 150€ the other day. LCD is not working, but apart from that it is in an absolutely beautiful condition! Can't wait to see the results from the first roll.
Greetings from the cloudy & dark Berlin,
Valentin
Hi Valentin! Yes I’ve heard about the rollei prego but I didn’t know it had a Schneider Kreuznach lens! I saw one for sale in europe but they seem rarer than the Ricohs. I will keep on the lookout! I did buy a new R1s from Japan, hoping this one will last longer 😊 hope you get good photos with your rollei! It’s hot and steamy here, we finally have some good summer weather ☀️ thanks for watching 😁
Arh, Matt I know your pain! I bought a Rollei Prego Micron (the same as the Ricoh R1) for £20 and had finally found 'the one' for my pocketable quality point and shoot. Like you, I had really pleasing results with this camera. LOVED IT. Then... just like yours for no rhyme or reason it decided to shut itself down after every shot and wasn't actually exposing an image even if it did appear to fire! I'm still sad and every now and again I fire it up in the hope that it will just work. (It hasn't 😞). I replaced it with a Ricoh 500g. It's bigger and heavier of course, so doesn't easily slip into jeans, but is ok for a jacket and is totally manual so I'm not worrying about electronics conking out on me, but it's still not that pesky Prego for ease of automation... I know they say it's better to have loved than not but in this case I wished I'd never encountered it. Good luck on finding a replacement. Keep your eyes open for the Rollei Prego Micron (I've not seen one since) as they are the same.
Oh no! I'm sorry to hear that Paula. I will keep mine and turn it on now and then just in case a miracle has occurred but I won't get my hopes up! Yes! I read that it went by the Prego Micron name and I also searched for cheapies under that but no luck ha ha. Looks like it's either 300 USD for an R1 or 700 USD for a GRIV... both of which are not guaranteed to last 😞
@@MattLovesCameras Yikes! That’s serious money for something that will conk out for sure. 😞 Here’s hoping for that charity shop find. 🤞
Paula, thanks for the tip! I just got a boxed prego micron set in perfect condition for less than a used Ricoh R1. 😄
@@gabgallant Oh that's great! Long may it work for you. I'd love to have another, but not paying silly prices.
What a bummer it stopped working!!! You want to try and see if you can get a service manual for it. Then ask around for one of the old repair guys and see what he thinks is going on. You maybe able to repair it yourself. For a camera that takes such good pics, I'd be looking to get it fixed.
Yes I will hold onto it for sure and ask around... just in case!
That's probably the one way to make the crop pano worthwhile: The lens changes to create a different look. It actually makes sense. Sorry the camera gave out! If only someone could make one of these again ...
Oh yeah, great work, of course!
@@JamieMPhoto Thanks Jamie!
Or repair the dead ones... they'd make a fortune!
Better than going through GR1Vs! They’re like the Schrödinger’s cat of cameras. Broken or not yet 😂
Ha ha I was eyeing one up on eBay... but now I have that stuck in my head... 😸
I hear these camera's are fantastic but break out of the blue
Yes, RIP my little Ricoh 😢
#dontbuybricks
It wasn’t a brick when I bought it 😂
@@MattLovesCameras All point and shoots are bricks. They just haven't realized their fullest potential. Very buddist they are.
@@MakersTeleMark indeed 😅
electronic toy made in taiwan.
I guess they were never meant to last 25+ years... thanks for watching! 😊