Hin's Photo Corner

I have been using my Ricoh xr-p for few months for my nostalgic path in going back to 35mm film which I started with photography. Though I only have used it for no more than 5 rolls of film, I can say that I like the camera. I actually sold my Pentax SuperProgram and kept the Ricoh as my main manual focus film camera. It is compatible with all the Pentax K mount and I have ordered a copy of Tamron adaptall-2 adapter for Ricoh xr-p. The infamous Ricoh P pin is used in the auto programmed mode in Ricoh xr-p.

So far the Ricoh xr-p has met my interest on b&w film and I hope I can go further into slide films. I don't see myself developing film at home but I hope I manage to cut down the cost with my inexpensive Canon 8000F scanner and my planned purchase of Vuescan software.

I have several gripes against the Ricoh xr-p. It is not built as strong and trouble-free like the Pentax K1000, ME Super and SuperProgram. I have done three separate purchases of used Ricoh xr-p bodies, I got two lemons in getting stuck shutter release and various other problems related to broken shutter and mirror locked up. One frequent complain with the xr-p is about the absence of optical DOF preview. For me I have the most problem on how easy the electronics and mechanical parts can fail on the Ricoh. Though the minus, I love the rich features on the xr-p, especially on the rich array of information display that go with the optical viewfinder. For reference, I have a scanned copy of the user menu on the optical viewfinder display




The viewfinder's field of view covers 93% and magnification at .88X. I especially like the diagonal split screen and I find it easier to obtain focus than the horizontal split screen. And there is the auto exposure lock that doubles up with added lighting in viewfinder and I find it valuable in shooting indoor or when the available light is dim.

The ricoh xr-p is compatible with all Pentax K mounts. It is unfortunate that the Pentax A data pin is not the same as the Ricoh P pin. What that means is that the various program modes are not enabled but the metering work the usual way like a Pentax film body in Av mode as long as I select A on the shutter dial and select aperture on aperture ring. If I select a shutter speed instead, the optical viewfinder will indicate overexposure and underexposure with the set aperture. Here are the few lens that I have used with xr-p to great liking

• Tamron SP 17mm f/3.5 in adaptall-2 mount (51B)
• Cosina 55mm f/1.2 in K mount
• Access P-MC 35-70mm f/2.5-3.5 1:2.6 Macro Zoom in R/K

And I plan to use the following lens with my Ricoh xr-p soon with both slides and films.

• Vivitar 24mm f/2.8 from Cosina in P/K-AR mount
• Rikenon P 35mm f/2.8 in R/K mount
• Tamron SP 35-80mm f/2.8-3.8 1:2.5
• Pentax FA 77mm f/1.8 limited

Related:

• The Ricoh Love with Ricoh xr-p
• Canon 8800F flatbed film scanner
• Night Walking Scenes with 51B
• Ricoh P pin and R/K mount
• FotoExpress in San Jose for film development
• Pentax DA limited on SuperProgram
• Pentax MX
• Pentax 645N
• My 1st 35mm film camera -- Praktica MTL5
• Hin's Camera Gear

I have been taken a hiatus from blogging after I get a bit burned out in setting out various milestones to trim my gear. I bought my 645N over six months ago and it was not until the last weekend that I got a reasonably sturdy ballhead that I could take it out for some test shots.


I have a better ballhead with Linhof but I don't have the right base plate for quick release. I took a gamble in getting a cheap and seemingly inexpensive ball-head to try from ebay on KS-0 professional tripod ballhead. It came from Hong Kong and with shipping, it only costs $40. I won't recommend it right away as the build is not as good as I would like. But so far it does the job fine for me. I especially like the two controls knobs to secure the ball-head firmly in place while having the 3rd smallest knob for rotation. The unexpected weakness is on the 3/8" screw that I need to secure with a coin on the quick release. That is very inconvenient to use.



The ball-head claims to support 8 Kg or 17.6 lb and I am yet to test it on a heavier setup with longer telephoto lens. When I mounted my Pentax 645N with a FA 45mm f/2.8, the setup is very sturdy on the ball-head. I can actually carry the camera mounted on tripod while looking for a spot to set up the shooting. When I use the ballhead of my Tamron SP 500mm f/8.0 adaptall-2 (55BB), the whole thing looks sturdy and easy to use.









Impressions & Notes

• Quite small and have two knobs to tighten the ball-head in place
• Third smallest knob is used for rotation, quite smooth in the field
• ball-head claims to support for 8kg/17.6lb and so far so good in first outing with Pentax 645N
• First weakness is on the use of quick plate that is difficult to tighten unless I use a coin to help
• Second weakness on the knob control on the locking plate as I found the knob getting stuck in unwinding a couple of times. It looks like some lubricant is needed to help to ease up the friction noted.
• I like the extra locking feature which prevents the locking plate from dismounting.
• Build is not fantastic but I find it reasonable for the price.
• Seems easy to use with exception on tightening the locking plate screw, a coin can address the problem but it is still inconvenient for quick release.
• The KS-0 ball-head seems similar in design to Benro ball-head that I have seen.

Related:

• Pentax 645N purchase
• Canon 8800F flatbed film scanner
• Linhof Ballhead and Giottos MH-652
  
• Amvona AT-CF992 tripod
• Tamron SP 500mm f/8.0 adaptall-2 (55BB)
• Pentax K-x White Arrival
• Hin's Camera Gear

I got this old zoom lens knowing that it is a auto-only M42 lens. I had the previous experience in altering an auto-only diaphragm into manual diaphragm m42 lens. It is equivalent to switching to M in most of the M42 lens with A/M switch. For manual stop-down, one has to use M setting as most of the current digital bodies don't have the mechanics to depress the aperture pin for the proper stop-down.

Every lens is different and this one does not come as a surprise in terms of difficulty. I first found the aperture pin not working even upon full depress into the lens. I later found a stuck linkage between the pin the aperture diaphragm. Once I get the pin to work properly, I added a little hollow insert using a fragment of a pen refill tube to make the pin pressing on the aperture diaphragm control at all time.



But once I get the stop-down mechanics working with manual diaphragm opening with the aperture ring, I found another issue and it is something that I have not dealt with before. The old M42 lens leaks oil likely from the helical housing in the focus and zoom compartments.

The lens has potential and I start liking its strong build and unique character that little is known about it.



It works quite well when stop downed properly. And here are some test shots done with Pentax K20D












Impressions & Notes

• It is a bummer to be able to fix a lens with aperture issues and stop short in fixing it completely due to the oil leaking from the lens helical to aperture blades
  
  
• The oil and wet blades don't affect the lens performance immediately as I find no issues in the test pictures but it is something to be less desirable
  
  
• The zoom lens has internal moving part for the zooming. Upon changing from 80mm to 200mm or vice versa, the lens does't extend or retract to a different length.
  
  
• Bokeh and sharpness are found decent. The lens perform quite evenly across the range though I prefer to shoot in 180mm instead of 200mm as I think sharpness is better in 180mm.
  
  
• This M42 zoom can work straight in Av mode in my Pentax K20D from f/4.0 to f/11. In wide open shot in f/3.5, I usually dial in +0.3 to +0.7 Ev.
  
  
• Contrast is sometimes low when I shoot into objects with harsh lighting. It seems lacking on coating like the SMC in Pentax. The contrast is usually a easy fix in post processing.
  
  
• I have decided to move on and sell it for cheap to others with full disclosure on the wet blade with oil issues
  

Related:

• Soligor 200mm Tele-Auto f/2.8 m42
  
• Pentax genuine M42 adapter
• Pentax K-x and M42 lens
• M42 adapter with inner ring for Auto-only M42 lens
  
• Pentax K20D
• Hin's Camera Gear
  

My Access 35-70mm f/2.5-3.5 is in R/K mount which works with Ricoh xr-p film camera. I find the Ricoh pin retractable but the pin sticks out too much that it is found to jam in my Pentax K-x body. I have altered the lens to remove the Ricoh pin in order to use it in my Pentax body. The zoom is actually quite good when I tried it on b&w film with Ricoh xr-p.

When I test it on Pentax K-x, it is just a beautiful and functional short zoom. Its close focus is 1:2.7. It is unfortunate that it overlaps with my Tamron SP 35-80mm f/2.8-3.8 that I have decided to sell it to others.








Impressions & Notes

• Very surprising zoom lens with good performance throughout
  
• Color is vivid and good contrast
• Close up quite useful in 1:2.7
• Two touch zoom
• Ricoh P pin needs to be removed for Pentax digital bodies. P pin will jam AF/MF switch connector on Pentax digital bodies
  
• Focus Throw a bit short for precision in manual focusing
• Size is smaller than Tamron SP 35-80mm f/2.8-3.8
  
• Filter size is 58mm, solid construction.
  

Related

• Ricoh P pin and R/K mount
• Tamron SP 35-80mm f/2.8-3.8 adaptall-2 (01A)
  
• BW400CN film experience with Foto Express San Jose
• Access P-MC 70-210mm f/3.5 in R/K mount
• Hin's Camera Gear
  

I got this lens in a package of used Ricoh xr-p body. It is in Ricoh R/K mount that works in (P) programmed mode in Ricoh xr series of camera. It has the notorious Ricoh pin that can jam a digital Pentax bodies. Though the Ricoh pin is retractable, it does stick out too much and will jam onto the AF/MF connector on the Pentax bodies. It will work like a K mount lens on a non-AF Pentax film bodies.

It is quite easy to remove the pin and the zoom lens will just work like a regular manual K mount lens. I use it in M mode and do stop-down metering with the green button on K20D. In Pentax K-x body in M mode, (+/-) Av button acts like the green button with a easier access location.

The lens looks almost identical to the Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm f/3.5 by Tokina, the version 2 in the first three versions recommended by Mark Roberts. The filter size 62mm, the lens barrel, and the weight looks like the same lens to me



I test it out with Pentax K-x and performance closely resembles what I like about the Tokina Series 1 zoom.










Impressions & Notes

• It is quite good in sharpness
• Constant f/3.5 throughout the zoom
• Contrast can be better if a hood is added
• Close up is about 1:4 but I have not confirmed
• No zoom creep, 1-touch zoom, 62mm filter size, zoom quite easy to handle, good for MF
• Lens is small and lightweight as compared to v1 and v3 of Vivitar Series 1 zooms made by Kiron and Komine
• Good control of CA/PF in short experience with the zoom
  

Related:

• Access P-MC 35-70mm f/2.5-3.5 in R/K mount
  
• Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm f/3.5 by Tokina
• Ricoh P pin and R/K mount
• Comparing Vivitar Series 1 zooms
• Tamron SP 70-210mm f/3.5 adaptall-2 19AH
• Pentax K-x and M42 lenses
• Pentax K-x White
  
• Hin's Camera Gear
  

I bought a copy of the Tamron 55BB mirror lens and I saw quite a lot of dirt on the inside rear mirror. It does not look like fungus to me initially. Later, I examined my 55BB closely and found it with both dirt and fungus in both front and back mirrors. I don't have the tool and experience to open up from the frontal part and clean both mirrors. There are more fungus and dirt on the back than that on the front mirror.


I tried the lens with some casual shooting. Though the fungus and dirt, the lens surprises me especially in sharpness and performance in close up. Focusing is quite easy on the lens though the lens seems too light to hold steady in the shooting. It is very unlike the previous mirror lens that I have used from Vivitar 500mm f/8 mirror lens from Korea, likely similar to Opteka or Kalimar . Contrast and sharpness is quite good in the 55BB and what I like about is the handling in the focus ring and the ease of focusing. Though it may be too lightweight to feel well balanced in the K-x, I manage to shoot all the above hand-holding. Close up performance is a surprise for such a long focal lens. Bokeh is kind of an odd ball. Some good and some oddly busy looking with donuts shaped rendering especially when off focus objects are too close.

I've never thought a mirror lens can be sharp and offer moderate contrast that can be tuned in post processing. Was I so wrong on my subjective and negative views before! I was biased towards mirror lens due to my previous not-so-great experience with cheap brand of mirror lens. The 55BB really stands out in comparison.

When I re-edit some of the test shots with K-x, I am quite surprised with the sharpness. I can see the detail on the hummingbird feather and squirrel face without cropping. DOF in close distance is narrow and prone to user focus errors but I do find the focusing ring in 55BB to be outstanding for getting precision in manual focusing.

All in all, the 55BB is a good mirror lens to look for instead of the previous Vivitar that I have tried. It may be too slow to serve well in shooting birds in fly but it will do well in still objects in a distance.

I have sold the lens to my good friend in PF who knows how to clean fungus. And I have found my Pentaxian friend IndianaDinos who has written many valuable blog posts documenting how he cleans up fungus in K10DPentax.


Related:

• Adaptall-2 site on Tamron 55BB
• Fungus cleaning -- K10DPentax.
• Moon Chasing with Tamron 500mm f/8.0 adaptall-2 (55BB) and Pentax K-5
• Hiking with Tamron 55BB -- 2nd copy
• Vivitar 500mm f/8.0 mirror lens from Korea
• Pentax Long Lenses and TC
• Tamron adaptall-2 P/KA adapter
• Tokina SD 400mm f/5.6 and Pentax K-x
• Hin's 600mm rig
• Hin's Camera Gear