[Stratman]

Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here.

---

Hin, I have a Rikenon"P" 50mm F2 lens in great shape. It came on a KR 5 Super I got for $3 at goodwill. If you want it, PM me with your addy, and I'll send it to you for the shipping fees. I never use it, as I have several other 50s that are a bit faster. It is in pretty much like new condition from what I can see.

---

Last edited by Stratman; 11-25-2009 at 08:57 PM.

[mikengstrom]

Here are Jon Goodman's instructions for sealing multiple kinds of cameras:

Favorite Classics / Jon Goodman's Seal Replacement Instructions

Here is the link to Goodman's eBay store where he sells seal kits:

eBay Seller: interslice: Cameras Photo items on eBay.com
Contact him directly via eBay for kits not listed.

Steve

(In case you are wondering...Mr. Goodman is sort of a legend in regards to seal replacement on old cameras.)

Yeah I'd 2nd that! I got a $10 Kit from Jon a while ago, I've done 2 ME's and a Program A and I've still got 2 or 3 cameras worth of film door seals and a ridiculous amount of mirror bump foam left. They are quite generous kits I think.

Its a fairly easy process, takes a few hours the first time. Jon's instructions are very easy to follow. The mirror bump is probably the only real tricky bit making sure the foam falls out of the camera and not onto your focus screen. But it's not too hard. If you haven't already got one get a blower bulb to blow any crap out of there.

[titrisol]

Hin, I had a good chuckle with your pancake clone idea.... those lenses are small but no waffle

[hinman]

Hin...your XR-P is a few years newer than my XR-7 and is a very different beast, though with a shared heritage. It supports Av and Manual modes with non-Ricoh, K-mount lenses. With Rikenon-P and 3rd-party compatible lenses, it is one of the most feature-rich manual focus cameras ever produced and supports Sv and multiple program modes.

Your Adaptall-2 PKA adapter will work on the XR-P in Av and M mode only. You will need the KR (I think?) adapter with the "Ricoh Pin" to get full functionality. I think KEH has one in stock. I would suggest the regular PK adapter if you don't have the Ricoh version.

I think you are going to like it and will be interested to read your impressions of the XR-P as compared to the Super Program.

Steve

Thanks to Nick and Stratman for the kindness towards my ricoh xr-p purchase. I will find a time to contact you for inquiry.

And a brief update: my xr-p just arrived and I shot two rolls with it. I was toataly blown away by how nice the Ricoh is. It is more sophisticated than the SuperProgram. The viewfinder is nicer in few ways as compared to Pentax SuperProgram

• .88 magnification instead of .82 in SuperProgram. Coverage is actually 93% instead of 92%.
• display of shutter from chosen Av versus Programmed shutter even without half pressing. The chosen Av is also displayed full-time in the display. All in a sudden, I have few gripes on my SuperProgram after seeing what is offered in the Ricoh xr-p. This is a big thing for me over the SuperProgram as I find the SP to be slow in reacting to half press
• The viewfinder has much more display information for the photographer than any other Pentax film bodies that I have used and that includes Pentax Pz-1 and Pentax 645N
• It has mode dials for P (programmed mode), PA (programmed mode for action shot preference), and PD (programmed mode for DOF preference)
• It has Av and Tv on the shutter dial and works with Tv on shutter priority, I think
• I don't know how well the inter-voltmeter works but it looks well designed
• Body is about the same size, a bit bigger than the SuperProgram but all in black, the leatherette is not as nice as the Pentax as I see other older units with torn body
• This is BIG: the mirror snap is much more dampened than both the SuperProgram and the MX. I feel less vibration in the shutter release. It has a nice and well controlled mirror snap than both Pentax MX and SuperProgram. This may be subjective, more use and slow shutter test will tell. I have few shots in 1/30 sec and 1/15 sec and I will be damned if it come out fine in hand-holding
• I am overall very surprised with this Ricoh xr-p camera. It is perhaps not as mechanical as the Pentax counterparts and it is sophisticated that I find the need to read through the menu to get myself familiar with the features. I am the average joe who doesn't read menu and this camera interest me so much that I found the menu comforting and helpful

I will report more. I love that thing once I have it in my hand -- it is an awesome film camera if in good condition. The foam and bumper seemed to be designed very differently than those of Pentax. Maybe much newer body due to younger age, I see no loss and superb clean mirror housing. That is unlike many previous frustration in getting a lemon with well used Pentax film body that need repair. It is too early to tell until I see the results. But so far, cosmetic tell me positive side of the story to share.

I will soon test how the DA primes work on the Ricoh xr-p in Av mode.

Warmest,
Hin

---

Last edited by hinman; 12-03-2009 at 03:41 PM.

[hinman]

I finally managed to find a local lab to develop my 1st roll of b&w film. The DA 40mm f/2.8 worked flawlessly with the SuperProgram

Pentax DA 40mm f/2.8 limited on SuperProgram

While the DA 21mm f/3.2 has the image circle, I kind of liking it as a vignetting window. It beats me why the circle is not centered.

Pentax DA 21mm f/3.2 on SuperProgram

And the try out on Ricoh xr-p is the best in the experience, it beats the SuperProgram and that in my MX which I have not even tested with a roll.

Ricoh xr-p with Access 35-75mm f/2.5-3.5 zoom





Ricoh xr-p with Tamron sp 17mm f/3.5 adaptall-2 (51B)

Thanks to everyone's help on my nostalgic film experience to re-live my youth into Photography.

Warmest,
Hin

[stevebrot]

...Maybe much newer body due to younger age, I see no loss and superb clean mirror housing. That is unlike many previous frustration in getting a lemon with well used Pentax film body that need repair. It is too early to tell until I see the results. But so far, cosmetic tell me positive side of the story to share.

I will soon test how the DA primes work on the Ricoh xr-p in Av mode.

Warmest,
Hin

Hin,
The XR-P is about the same vintage as the Super Program (maybe a year behind) and were in competition for the same market. I remember reading reviews at the time where the reviewers made many of the same points that you noted when comparing the two cameras.

As for the DA lenses with the XR-P in Av mode. They no gonna work. The body is unable to control the aperture and will treat them the same as a Pentax-M lens.

Steve

[stevebrot]

Hin!

Nice film shots! Now you are going to have to start contributing to Javiers film shot thread. There is no prejudice against non-Pentax cameras so you are safe with your Ricoh...

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-film-slr-discussion/53503-cool-let...ilm-shots.html

Steve

P.S. What was your film and who did your scanning?

[hinman]

Hin!

Nice film shots! Now you are going to have to start contributing to Javiers film shot thread. There is no prejudice against non-Pentax cameras so you are safe with your Ricoh...

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-film-slr-discussion/53503-cool-let...ilm-shots.html

Steve

P.S. What was your film and who did your scanning?

Steve, I really want to thank you for the big suggestion on using a local film lab that others recommend. I searched really hard and ask around, everyone don't like the Walmart, Target and Costco experience and I then I researched in Yelp listening especially to University students and amateur professionals comment on their experiences on selected photo labs. And I found a small lab that charge a bit more but the service won my heart and soul as the owner explained the film differences, slides and what 120 film to try and what to pay attention in the trial. He is like an mentor when I walk into the lab. He offer me even another local contact that is like Eric equivalent in my area. The owner name is Henry and he refers me to one and only super dude that he knows who is dependable in fixing/repairing film cameras.

He scan the film for me, way better than the cheesy Walmart scan. The DA 40mm is superb on the SuperProgram. The DA 21mm has the imaging circle that the 92% coverage in the SP's optica view finder can't reveal the effects at the time of the shooting. But a crop 80 to 85% will do, e.g.

I used this film with Kodak Professional b&w 400 and according to the film lab with Henry, I need to set ASA to 200. I don't understand the detail but that is his suggestion to me as some shots is a bit overexposed. Films are funny and each film has a rich history to tell like a story with a hidden gem to get the sweet spot of usage. Some can be pushed in the ASA setting, some more contrasty, some warmer in tonality, some cooler to balance the sunset. I feel like reading the Photograhy poetry when I talk to Henry. He is my mentor.

In Henry's store

He encourages me to try out slide with Velvia and Provia. In his words: you will love it and my kids will love it.

Thanks,
Hin

[Nesster]

Hin,man, you have found a wonderful film man in Henry.

The image circle probably is centered for the 21mm - look at the negatives to be sure.

There is a fiction combined with a fashion trend in film:
the fiction is that 'full frame' = every available fraction of a mm of the exposed frame. Not so. Whether scanning machines or prints or mounted slides, a portion of the frame is sacrificed, and has been so since the beginning of time. (And print sizes being what they are, usually no frame matches to a print size)
The fashion trend: to show the entire frame with its film border, somehow to prove the excellence of composition or completeness of the capture - some honesty kick perhaps, or the display of film artifact.

Anyway, when scanning the scanner operator or software 'chooses' which bit of the frame it captures. In the case of the vignetted shots, the software probably chose a bit off to the side by default.

[hinman]

Nester, much thanks for all the help and comment. Henry is the owner that runs the shop that look like a Franchise for FotoExpress in San Jose downtown, I will soon have a blog post to blog about the importance to find a good lab with a great film mentor such as Henry or friend as in Steve, Nester and you all in the film forum.

I forget to mention about the list of compatible lens to various film cameras and I found it very helpful. The ! with yellow icon includes that of DA primes on various cameras

The Pentax Camera Lens Compatibility Chart


Question: Has anyone tried DA 35mm f/2.8 1:1 macro on a film body such as the SuperProgram. I have the greatest love on DA 35mm f/2.8 for the macro and I wonder what it will do to a FF body.

We all know DA 40mm passes the imaging circle test and I see pretty good results in b&w, not sure the same can be said on color as there will be variants and dependency for the final picture. I am hoping the DA 35mm limited will work as well as the DA 40mm in using it in Programmed AE mode with SuperProgram or some other more advanced camera as in Pentax Pz-1 and Pentax MZ-S or Pentax MZ-5n or the like as in Pentax P5 and Pentax p3n.

Thanks,
Hin

[goddo31]

Hi Hin,

I have been following this thread every now and then for interest. I really like your B&W film shots, btw.

Recently I used my DA35ltd to finish off a roll of film in an MZ-50 (think this was called zx-50 in USA??), and I actually have a Super Program camera coming to try it on aswell.
The film was about 5 years expired, but I couldn't see any vignette on the corners when I got the film developed. I'll try and have a closer look at the negatives themselves, in case some cropping was done that I'm not aware of. Sometime soon I'll try a fresh roll of film (maybe B&W too) on the MZ-50 + DA35ltd combination and see how it goes.

I think the 5 year expired film will not be a great example, as it has a considerable colour cast to it. In terms of vignetting though it looks promising.

cheers,
Jason

[hinman]

Hi Hin,

I have been following this thread every now and then for interest. I really like your B&W film shots, btw.

Recently I used my DA35ltd to finish off a roll of film in an MZ-50 (think this was called zx-50 in USA??), and I actually have a Super Program camera coming to try it on as well.

The film was about 5 years expired, but I couldn't see any vignette on the corners when I got the film developed. I'll try and have a closer look at the negatives themselves, in case some cropping was done that I'm not aware of. Sometime soon I'll try a fresh roll of film (maybe B&W too) on the MZ-50 + DA35ltd combination and see how it goes.

I think the 5 year expired film will not be a great example, as it has a considerable colour cast to it. In terms of vignetting though it looks promising.

cheers,
Jason

Out of all my trials, I try to stick to b&w films as that happens to be my interest. I know that with color, we are more likely to run into problems. I like to build a case that at the minimum, some of the DA can be used without much concern on degradation on B&W film and then I can move on to color slides and regular films.

Film has more variants to depend on and as such, one roll on one brand of film on one particular lab may not be enough to report on the findings and hence, I pick my favorite and hopefully the logical and easier choice to begin with -- b&w. But truth lies in b&w may not reveal the potential underlying problems on what happens to the corners and color rendering across the full frame.

It may be a good thing that the vignetting in b&w with DA 21mm, 14mm and 15mm may become an artifacts that is part of the art making. Beauty is always in the beholder's eyes. To a certain degree, I don't mind the little vignette border around a b&w photo. When it comes to the slide or film, that will be a different answer to one's liking subject to my next endeavor in trying it out while learning to shoot in film. Life is a beauty in trying out something difficult. Why you may ask? And why not I will answer as I love to learn and there is no better tool than reading the master of photography with books and resources closely related to Ansel Adams. Shame on me quoting his name and not knowing the path he took before but now I have the basics and the tool to re-live the path and walk the talks he had in his own journal and journey. I have my best companions knowing that he is all there to share the beauty of nature with a film camera. It is priceless if I can even get a glimpse of his understanding and the depth of knowledge that he took on to share with us all in modern photography.

Thanks for the report on DA 35mm. I have confidence that the DA 35, 40, 55 and 70 can be used to bigger success and satisfactory level with a suitable film cameras such as Super Program, PZ-1, MZ-S, MZ-50, ZX-5, p3n, p5 etc. That is those cameras with P for program mode such as SuperProgram and those film bodies that can adjust aperture with a dial such as that in Pz-1 and Pz-1p.

Warmest,
Hin

[goddo31]

Hi Hin,

Have you seen falconeye's report on the DA35 tested on film?
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/318669-post38.html

I have been thinking about this some more after reading your post; so now I have decided to use a spare roll of kodak BW400CN to try out with the DA35 + MZ50 combination. I'll post in this thread with some scanned images when I'm done

cheers,
Jason

p.s. I need to find someone like your Henry, to mentor me through the early stages of my film experience.

[hinman]

Hi Hin,

Have you seen falconeye's report on the DA35 tested on film?
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/318669-post38.html

I have been thinking about this some more after reading your post; so now I have decided to use a spare roll of kodak BW400CN to try out with the DA35 + MZ50 combination. I'll post in this thread with some scanned images when I'm done

cheers,
Jason

p.s. I need to find someone like your Henry, to mentor me through the early stages of my film experience.

I should have read Falconeye's report before the try out. But you know what, I am glad that I did not read his reports as I would not even try it when a report or table suggest that it *may* be a waste of time. But knowing the imaging circle is only part of the story. As the important thing to consider is where the IQ and color is consistent across the frame of the shot. In B&W, we can leverage on sharpness that vaguely conveyed by the lens. With color, that will be the next step. But having it on b&w is both comforting and easier to adjust in PP, I hope as the darkened corner all-in-a-sudden appear to be more of a artistic twist in our quest for using DA lens on full frame bodies, the special FF bodies that nobody pay attention but everyone, part of myself included, gripe about in the digital.

Is it odd? Is it sane? Are we nuts? Are we a genius or are we a complainer? Or are we the photographers behind a simple camera. Be mindful that I don't mean to hurt anyone feeling in a sarcastic way but to tell how odd I see things at times of joy in seeing new meeting old in technology when Pentax is one of the foremost well known companies that strike in backward compatibility. Do they do a poor job in keeping that trend of backward and perhaps forward compatibility?

I don't know but I do know they excel as compared to Nikon in relative terms. God helps you if you have D40 or D60 that only takes DX lens and you are stuck with D90 for a mid-way story and sure you are in good hands if you have the doughs to go for D300S or the FF body with D700. Had Pentax been the outstanding company with backward and forward compatibility, they can if they put thoughts into the Firmware thinking that a FF body can adjust to DA and DA* lens by recognition of lens mounted for a refined view, crop, or best effort area of cropping for its owners.

Regarding the lab, I strongly encourage you to look through Yelp and search engine with Google and Yahoo Local and see the film processing labs that take on 35mm in c-41 and perhaps slides with e-64 (I don't remember if this is right as I have never shot slides for fear of falling in addiction). What I do is that I call each one of them and talk to the operator (hopefully the guy or gal who actually process the film) and ask them some newbie and seemingly naive questions and test their patience

• basic cost in just development without 4x6 print
• scanning, how much and the resolution
• what scanning they use and how do they avoid dust and scratches on films
• what films and slides they recommend for testing a roll of film on a camera that may have issues. What to look for in testing a roll
• Do they support b&w printing exclusively, do they scan b&w differently than color? What are the reasons
• Do they support 120mm films, this is important to me as that is one of the ultimate goals for me to go to film? If FF is all that special, what the hell is wrong in owning MF with 645N now and enjoy the ride with 645D. I call my 645N a 645DLol

And I was DAMN lucky that in Yelp page, I see other photography film students providing their inputs with FotoExpress run by Henry in down town of San Jose. And based on my experience, it sounds like a fantastic idea to ask a Photography school instructor for the recommendation on a lab as the teachers will send their students with a lab he trusts. Usually if a teacher or professional alike trust a lab, it is likely a lab that has support from his students who may grow up to be the real professionals.

Warmest,
Hin

[hinman]

likely 1/30 sec


likely 1/15 sec


likely 1/30 sec

Though there are some vignetting in the above three shots. All are shot in f/3.5 with b&w kodah professional b&w. Anyone guess on its shutter speed? It is between 1/15 sec and 1/30 sec around sun set time. I was in a hurry as my boys and wife were feeling the cold after staying in the beach for long. I used the funky Tamron SP 17mm f/3.5 adaptall-2 (51B) I had little time to brace my shots before my sweetie complained again about the prolonged wait. I am no film shooter and I am very happy with how it comes out. The moon is seen shaken into light bulb and I care less in hiding the error. Hell with the error or any PP. I like originality in our mistakes in photos. I wished I have a mono-pod or a wall to brace my long shutter shot for a two-headed dog. It was not shot on purpose, just when the dog turn its head towards his owner in the store to the left of the picture, I shot it. And later I tried out the Y2 yellow filter and increase Ev compensation by a half stop when the filter is on

y2 filter on, +0.5 Ev



no y2 filter

Thanks!
Hin