Jörg Krüger
Ricoh XR-S
Ricoh XR-S with XR Rikenon 1.4/50
Recently I presented the Revue Solar 100, now I can add the former solar-powered camera made by Ricoh, the XR-S. Unlike the Revue the Ricoh stores the energy from the solar cells not in a capacitor but in a rechargeable battery. Now, after 40 years, that battery is far away from being functional, but fortunately the XR-S can be driven by two common SR-44 button cells.
Without the solar cell feature the XR-S is identical to the Ricoh XR7, which is a better equipped camera in the Ricoh line-up. Better equipped means DOF-preview, multi-exposure button, connection for a winder, removable back, window for f-stops and manual shutter speeds up to 16 s.
Otherwise it offers common standard: Pentax K-mount, aperture priority automatic exposure, metered manual mode, AE-lock, exposure correction, ISO-range 12 to 3600, self-timer, etc; this corresponds to the Ricoh KR-10 super. Not well done is way the shutter speeds are displayed in the viewfinder. An LC-bar imitates a needle, indicating the shutter speed on a scale with transparent background, so if your subject in the viewer is dark you won't see anything.
Ricoh XR-S
Ricoh XR-S with XR Rikenon 1.4/50
Recently I presented the Revue Solar 100, now I can add the former solar-powered camera made by Ricoh, the XR-S. Unlike the Revue the Ricoh stores the energy from the solar cells not in a capacitor but in a rechargeable battery. Now, after 40 years, that battery is far away from being functional, but fortunately the XR-S can be driven by two common SR-44 button cells.
Without the solar cell feature the XR-S is identical to the Ricoh XR7, which is a better equipped camera in the Ricoh line-up. Better equipped means DOF-preview, multi-exposure button, connection for a winder, removable back, window for f-stops and manual shutter speeds up to 16 s.
Otherwise it offers common standard: Pentax K-mount, aperture priority automatic exposure, metered manual mode, AE-lock, exposure correction, ISO-range 12 to 3600, self-timer, etc; this corresponds to the Ricoh KR-10 super. Not well done is way the shutter speeds are displayed in the viewfinder. An LC-bar imitates a needle, indicating the shutter speed on a scale with transparent background, so if your subject in the viewer is dark you won't see anything.