What to go for when you can't afford Pentax

Shooting Adox HR-50 in a Ricoh KR-10. Developed in 510-Pyro

[@sputumtube]

I bought my KR10 in 1982 and it's performed without issue (never even had a CLA) ever since. I still have it (and use it) to this day. I since added a KR5 (which I keep in the car 'just in case') and a KR10 Super both of which also work well. The Pentax K-mount lenses are a huge bonus too. Like you said, the diagonal split image prism is genius. Never understood why other manufacturers didn't copy this feature as it's much easier to use. Worth noting that Ricoh now owns Pentax..!!

[@theoldunsshot1005]

Thanks. Both Ricoh cameras I have owned have given sharp photos and great handling. Cheers, Keith

[@jimgraves4197]

Ricoh SLR's are great cameras. Cheap and cheerful, they do everything a manual focus slr needs to do.

[@theoldunsshot1005]

It feels like a quality camera, Jim. Cheers, Keith

[@diegoscopia]

I love the results you got with it, seems like a nice combination of film developer and lens. The Ricohs, the Chinons and the Cosinas are all nice cameras that are still working well after all these years. A cool advantage of the K mount as well is you can get an M42 adapter that sits flush and use them without problem on stop down metering mode.

[@theoldunsshot1005]

Thanks. I also have the Chinon CE-4 which I like. Cheers, Keith

[@petervanderkruk8346]

I have a Ricoh XR-M and am very happy with it.

[@theoldunsshot1005]

I don't think I have ever seen one ofthose, but it looks like a useful tool. Cheers, Keith

[@photonfantastic]

Excellent photos with perfect exposures. You have dealt admirably with overcast skies, which is something that I have never been able to do.

[@theoldunsshot1005]

Thanks. I put the good skies down to the film - I didn't use any filter or do any special work in Lightroom, other than increase the exposure and add a touch of clarity. Cheers, Keith

[@fredyellowsnow7492]

Picked up a Ricoh XR2-s last year, along with some other kit. Nice little camera and doesn't, to my hands, feel any cheaper made than the OM-1 I've been using for decades.

[@theoldunsshot1005]

My KR-10 also feels like a quality product and I think it handles great. I think Ricoh found their niche in the enthusiasts market and produced some great cameras. Cheers, Keith

[@danienelphoto]

I did a review on the Ricoh KR-5 Super on my channel, and I love it.... and I am a Pentax fan!

[@theoldunsshot1005]

Thanks. I will have a look. Cheers, Keith

[@danienelphoto]

By the way, loved the shots too.

[@theoldunsshot1005]

@@danienelphoto Thanks! Keith

[@jeremyrichards8327]

Impressive results and a nice camera that has slipped under the radar of the more prominent makes.

[@theoldunsshot1005]

Thanks. My next video will feature another make that was underrated. Cheers, Keith

[@jeremyrichards8327]

@@theoldunsshot1005 I remember seeing a KR10 being used when on holiday in 1983 and thought it was a decent camera then.Having a metal shutter was unusual for a mid range camera as most were cloth.I had just the year before bought a s/h Nikkormat Ftn which looked slightly old fashioned in comparison but is still as good now thankfully.

[@iainmc9859]

Ricoh always had a reputation for top quality glass. I've only got one, a compact but its solid and it does the job.

[@theoldunsshot1005]

Thanks Iain. I had a Ricoh FF-1 micro compact that had a Tessar type lens on it and the quality was great on that too. Cheers, Keith

[@nocturnal1970]

Go for Lumix full frame S5ii lens deal combos which is a superior modern camera system and cheaper than what is now a niche DSLR system. I had Pentax from 2012 and sold all the digital era gear to pay for the new camera system. I had F*, DA* and Limited lenses so all the good stuff BTW 😊 You can get the older FF S5 used for about £700 in UK

[@theoldunsshot1005]

It sounds good but I don't do much digital and my Sony A3000 takes care of all my needs at the moment. Cheers, Keith

[@sdhute]

I have a Pentax MX and a chinon cm5 the chinon uses the Pentax K mount. I’ve been using my chinon more then my Pentax Mx

[@theoldunsshot1005]

The design of the Chinon and Ricoh cameras makes them a pleasure to use, and the quality you can get certainly makes them worthwhile. Cheers, Keith

[@flyonwall360]

When I was a kid, I was fortunate enough to have a mini bike. My father was happy when I asked him if I could sell the mini bike and get an SLR. I was eying a Richo. However, the camera store was having a clearance sale, and I went with a Petri FTE. The Petri came with a 55mm f1.7 lens. Six months later, Petri went out of business. I still kept my eyes on Richo. Unfortunately, I lost the Petri years later when I was fleeing a bad relationship. The only Pentax I have ever owned is an Auto 110 Super.

[@theoldunsshot1005]

There's another camera I've never used, a Petri. Cheers, Keith

[@leemartin2978]

Nicely done 👍

[@theoldunsshot1005]

Thanks, Keith

[@markielinhart]

Nice images mate, they’re lovely I recently sold my Pentax MG, the budget ME. What I didn’t realise when I bought it was that it worked in aperture priority, something I use to this day on digital cameras✌️🇦🇺#bnwrules

[@theoldunsshot1005]

Thanks a lot. I was happy with the camera/film combination. I find myself shooting on aperture priority more and more these days. Cheers, Keith

[@AndrewWaltonPhotography]

Looks a decent SLR Keith, the images turned out well.

[@theoldunsshot1005]

Thanks Andrew. It was good to not report the latest disater or mistake. Cheers, Keith

[@AndrewWaltonPhotography]

@theoldunsshot1005 Hey, that disaster video got you some views.

[@theoldunsshot1005]

@@AndrewWaltonPhotography Maybe my next video should have a title like "The cats have run off with my camera collection!" - that would probably get some views! 🤣 Cheers, keith

[@quite1enough]

Nikon F-301 is also decent camera imo, and it's usually at around $20-40 usd, but I was in real need of mirror lock-up and double exposure functions so I was able to find Nikon F4 for a bargain price. My fully mechanical experience is my Kiev-4a which I found for $15 usd, but it's a rangefinder and when buying better to look up for models before 1974 - first two digits of serial number on the top of the camera indicates the year of production, also it's definitely better to buy only film tested Kievs, also also usual Jupiter-8 lens has a better bokeh than Jupiter-8m lens, so it's better to search for Kiev-4a with Jupiter-8 without "m" on the lens inscriptions.

[@theoldunsshot1005]

Thanks. I used to have an F-301 and it was great, especially with the Nikkor 50mm on the front. Russian cameras have given both wonderful and dreadful experiences - it's all part of the film camera journey though. Cheers, Keith

[@quite1enough]

@@theoldunsshot1005 oh yeah, buying soviet cameras is a lottery essentially, ussr didn't have any quality control standards, only planned economy according to which was important only the volume/amount of released product, but the quality was far away on the background :( I have my F-301, but since I bought F4 and Kiev-4a, majority of the time I shoot those two cameras

[@lescobrandon3047]

Ah, the Volkswagen of cameras.

[@theoldunsshot1005]

Definitely more accessible than the BMW and Jaguar. Thanks, Keith

[@MR-rp3xr]

The KR 5 was the best

[@theoldunsshot1005]

I haven't used a KR-5 but I'm sure it must be good. Cheers, Keith

[@kevinthephotographer9346]

I love Adox HR-50 and am almost through a bulk roll. May I ask what developer you used? I’ve only used Adox HRDEV which is recommended by Adox to tame the contrast with HR50; you have achieved a good range of tones with whatever developer you used.

[@theoldunsshot1005]

Thanks Kevin. It was developed in 510-Pyro for 9 minutes at 20C (the Massive Dev Chart only has times for 22C, so I guessed). It is contrasty but I'm happy. Cheers, Keith