The Ricoh Nova

I was, and still am, a fan of the now defunct Minolta for their cameras and photographic accessories. Minolta had came up with some of the best ideas and quality with its photography department. Sadly, it has scaled back its business footprint to photocoping technology. The younger generation will know scantly about Minolta's camera, just as they are rather ignorant about Ricoh, which they put a equation to office automation. In fact, Ricoh has every DNA as Minolta in making cameras. Suffice to say it that Ricoh produced the first plastic camera in 1934, and the first twin-lens reflex camera (RicohFlex III) which is still very much alive today.

From Riken to Ricoh

"Riken" is an abbreviation for the Japanese name for "Institute for Physical and Chemical Research". It exists since 1917 as a private institute to promote Japanese private institute to promote Japanese industry. Many Japanese firms have been established around this source of inventions.

The official founding of the Riken company we know as a camera company was in 1936. Riken Kankoshi Co. was founded to exploit a copy-paper patent. In 1937, they bought the Olympic Camera Works to produce their own cameras. They took the new name :Riken Optical Co. from 1938 to 1963, and from 1963 to present they have been "Ricoh Company Ltd." Ricoh is active in cameras, digital products, networks, computers, office systems, printers, telephones, etc.

The Ricoh Nova

Before the burgeoning of digital cameras, the GR was one of the stars in the camera market. Its DNA was finally reproduced in the digital version GRD I and II, and somewhat in the GX series, except for the GX lens as compared with GRD's. The grading is understandable even though I have not any chance to confirm the rumour myself.

Now that summer is approach, the birth of the next Ricoh nova is heaving into sight. Apart from the new technology, Ricoh has so many great legecy designs to borrow from a hall of its old camera. I'll be very surprised if Ricoh come up with a digital version of its RicohFlex. Until that day comes, let's photo-shop (as against window-shop) some of its old film cameras below and contemplate on the possible digital versions of 'em:

	Ricoh 35 EFS c1963. 35mm film camera with slennium meter. Rangefinder. f=40mm Ricoh lens. Shoe and sync post for flash.
	Ricoh 35 ZF 35mm film camera. Rangefinder. 1:2.8 40mm Ricoh lens. Hot shoe for flash.
	Ricohmatic 126 - C EE 126 cartridge film camera with selium cell around lens, takes 1 x M504 15v battery.
	Ricoh 300 Made in Japan. 35mm Range Finder. Noninterchangeable Rikenon f2.8/45mm lens in Riken leaf shutter 1/10 - 1/300.
	Ricoh 500 G Made in Taiwan. Compact 35mm rangefinder camera. CdS automatic exposure with manual override. Noninterchangeable Rikenon f2.8/40mm lens. B, 8, 15,30,60, 125, 250, 500. (WOW, I like this!)
	Ricoh 500 ZF Made in Taiwan. 35mm camera. Noninterchangeable Rikenon f2.8/40mm lens. 1/10 - 1/300.
	Ricoh AF-5 Made in Taiwan. Aout wind and re-wind. Rikenon Lens 1:2.8 f=38mm. In built pop-up flash. Takes 2 x AA batteries.
	Ricoh AF-5 Strap & lens cap. Made in Japan. Plastic body. Ricoh lens f=34mm 1:4.5. Motor drive. On/off switch for in built flash.
	Ricoh Auto 35 1960-65. Made in Japan. Top half of the body is chrome, bottom blue-grey. Automatic electric eye meter cell surrounds lens. Ricoh f4/40mm fixed focus lens, shutter 1/25-1/170. Lever advance on the botton.
	Stock No 915 Ricoh XR-2s 35mm SLR with XR Rikenon 1:1.7 50mm Bayonet fitting lens. Hot shoe. (This design could be for the digital version.  Cool!)

(Published with courtesy and copyright of photos plus some illustrations of John Cooper. We have no business connection. I just googled and ended up at his website)