Good Ricoh lens (30mm F3.9 (3 3 groups))
Manual focus possible (0,60m to infinite)
Apperture priority possible (f5.6 f11 f22)
Mode TV 1/30s
Filters mount (37mm diameter)
Multiple exposition
Exposure compensation
Cable remote release
Built-in flash and flash socket

Noisy
All-plastic and fragile
Some vigneting at f5.6
1 second is the slowest shutter speed (but you could override this with the ME mode)

It's a shame that marvelous little machines like this one or the much-loved Ricoh R1 are already mostly out of stock everywhere, 'cause of that digital (over) fever. I've found this one brand new boxed, collecting dust at a local photo shop (March 2006) at just 60 euros!
Lots (I mean LOTS) of manual features, reallly unusual on any P&S, plus a good f3.9 Ricoh lens; not as good as the R1's or R10's however (more vigneting on open blue skies, i.e.). Also I've bought the remote release cable for it.
It's noisy and all plastic, but this is all I can say against it. Also, some experts recommends it as the best film camera to do twin stereo photos (http://medfmt.8k.com/mf/stereo.html).
If you'd find one, please don't hesitate to get it.

Similar Products Used:

Ricoh R1 (better lens, but no manual features)
Ricoh R10 (ditto)
Nikon AF 240 and other P&S

-manual controls -wide angle lens -build-in shoe for external flash -adapter to mount 49mm filters (which is a big plus when I usually put a cir-PL) -use AA batteries

flash is too weak adapter will block the lower part of the view-finder motor and shutter are VERY noisy

Very hard to find a cheap P&S with manual control. Nice to try all "modes" there, but in most cases you need to set the aperture for your shots. Contrast is good, I can say a bit fake on blue skies. It doesn't have dark corners as in Rollei Giro 28M, a big plus when you consider you don't need to crop your photo on reprints. Sharpness is OK, much better than Giro after some sample scan on the scanner (don't know if the Olympus Epic is better on this area)

Customer Service

none

Similar Products Used:

Rollei Giro 28M Pentax 928

Great price. Beautiful design (silver model). Feature-laden, esp. unusual is the Aperture-Priority mode. Rare on a Point-and-Shoot. Photos very crisp for a P&S, Manual Focus option a plus, though I never use it. Also accepts 49mm filters, incredible in such a low-cost P & S. Has exposure compensation also.

Lens cap fits 39mm standard issue model, but you must use a separate lens cap when using step-up ring and 49mm filter.

Ricoh only distributes Digital Cams in the US, film and digital elsewhere. So, had to go to Canada to get this little beauty. Quite a rarity for this many features at a little more than $100 bucks in US dollars (purchased in Canada via the web). Advanced features such as exposure compensation make this camera more than a dumbed-down 35mm P&S. It's a fun model, comes in two colors.

Customer Service

At Henrys.com in Toronto, great service via e-mail or phone

Similar Products Used:

Canon

control
cheap!

loud
bright silver

I originally read about this camera in April 2000 Pop Photo and really wanted one. Aperature control P&S are difficult to come by unless you can fork out at least $500. I love compacts and have almost tried out all of them. The aperature control ones are all in a different class because they allow more control. What I really would like would be a Konica Hexar, but that will have to wait. If not for the first review, I would not have found it at such a value- thanks! I just received the camera today and it looks pretty promising. And it uses AA batteries so that I can experiment all I want for cheap! The finder is sharp and bright- very good. Controls are fairly good- all very intuitive= everything is out in the open. The only drawback may be the loud (think late 90s point and shoots) due to an inexpensive drive and gears- this isn't a Contax nor a Hexar. Silver color is very bright, but looks good. No report on the lens, yet, but when I opened the back, there is no large rear element! Usually, high quality lenses have a huge rear element- like Olympus Epic or darn any decent camera, but not this one. I am skeptical now, but am going to burn a few rolls to make a decent evaluation. As a preview, it seems like a fun camera (like above review) and has more control than ANY camera in its price range. I wish they would stick the Olympus Epic's 90lines/mm lens in this baby. Wait for next review and maybe some pics. (Thank Ricoh for building this one for themselves) -Jeff

Similar Products Used:

None

Manual controls

Limited manual control

I picked one up awhile ago simply b/c of the "manual" override. F stops are limited to f5.6, f11 and f22. The aperture is controlled by 2 blades. The only shutter speed that can be set is "TV" = 1/30 sec (recommended for shooting TV or monitor image). Power supply is 2 AA batteries. It acepts an external flash (hot shoe). Overall construction is VERY light plastic - much more fragile than Oly SE, T4 or the Fuji DL Super Mini. My brief observations are: vignette at f4, sharpness similar to SE, and T4 but better than Fuji DL super Mini based on 4X6 prints. I only used it once for test and have not use it since. I found the manual override to be insignificient considering what I have to give up wrt size and "quality of build" when compared to the above cameras.

Ricoh designed/marketed the camera as a beginner student camera. It comes with a very good photography 101 handbook and how to use the "creative controls" on the 35R. If I don't have the other P&S, I may use it more often - NOT! My Hexar is my most beloved. ;-)

Customer Service

NA

Similar Products Used:

Yashica T4, Oly Stylus Epic, Fuji DL Super Mini

controllable compact camera
hot shoe mount-what is that!
adjustable aperature
cost the same as my epic

loud motor

this is a great compact camera. it actually shows you the shutter speed when you select the aperature and it even has multiple exposure mode. the built in flash is powerful and for close photos- too powerful. does the adjustable aperature matter- yes!!! most compact camera programs will stay wide open unless there is a lot of light. that is why you get a program with a solid flat line at wide open until you reach high light levels. the 35r lets you use smaller aperatures whenever you want and also large aperatures when you want to isolate the subject. it works! (if you say that it doesn't work, then any consumer zoom slr lens has similar 'small- wide aperature'). the diaphram is a square which sometimes causes the right and left side to have some light fall-off- very little (because the film is rectangular). i cannot believe that this camera has multiple exposure mode- better than the nikon f70! in this mode with sufficient light (it will use flash under low light), i consider it as good as the konica hexar's silent mode- it just clicks with no motor advance. of course, you have to remember to advance the film or else... the best thing about this camera is the lens- it has very high contrast- so good that colors are very rich and saturated- black and white film should be spectacular. Sharpness is high, but this does not mean everything- my epic is a tiny, tiny bit sharper, but does not have this high of contrast. I think it has a little bit more contrast than my cheap consumer slr lenses, but is just a tad softer at the edges. a few shots of a cathedral i've taken looks quite amazing with incredible contrast and a very blue sky like i used a polarizer. test shots with a tree trunk and ground leaves show the incredible detail one can get even though it doesn't have ultimate sharpness- you'll see what i mean (this make me question what makes a good lens- sharpness or contrast or maybe both or not both-it might be a balance of the two). the 30mm perspective is a good one for street photography. it is a good lens- probably due to the coating- a blue/violet/red coating which looks like the one on the gr1, but then that is a little bit stretching it, huh? i have some pictures which i need to scan, but for the money, this is the most fun compact that lets you be as creative with a giant slr in a compact size.

Similar Products Used:

None