Ricoh Six
The Ricoh Six is a Japanese 6×6 horizontal folding camera. It has a tubular optical finder, a body release and an accessory shoe. The lens is an Orinar Anastigmat 80/3.5, and the shutter is a Riken with B, 25-50-100 speeds. With a mask, it can also take 4.5×6 pictures.
It seems that it was made around 1952 or 1953 by Asahi Precision Industries (Asahi Seimitsu Kiki Kōgyō, 旭精密機器工業), a depending company of Riken, that was finally merged into Riken Optical Industries (Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō, 理研光学工業) in 1953. According to Kokusan kamera no rekishi, it is featured in the Japanese camera announce column of the May 1952 issue of Asahi Camera, and the same source mentions a Ricoh 80/3.5 lens, but this lens name has not been observed yet.
It is said at Ricoh's corporate site that it was assembled from existing parts, especially for the PX shops of the occupying American army in Japan. It is possibly more common in the USA than in Japan.
Printed bibliography
- Kokusan kamera no rekishi Item 1001.
- McKeown, James M. and Joan C. McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th Edition, 2005-2006. USA, Centennial Photo Service, 2004. ISBN 0-931838-40-1 (hardcover). ISBN 0-931838-41-X (softcover). Page 831.
Links
- Ricoh Six at Ricoh's corporate site, the characteristics table is mistaken for another camera
- The Ricoh Six at a photo.net post
- The Ricoh Six at medfmt
- A Ricoh Six at the All Japan Classic Camera Club site
- Folding cameras at nekosan, with a Ricoh Six
