Ricoh Six
The Ricoh Six is a Japanese 6×6 folder, made around 1952–3.
Description
The Ricoh Six is a horizontal folding camera. The folding struts are inspired by the Ikonta. The top plate has a chrome finish, with the tubular optical finder in the middle. The advance knob, placed at the left end, has two arrows to indicate the winding direction and a round piece of leather. On the left of the finder, there is an accessory shoe and a button to release the folding bed. The name RICOH SIX and the serial number are engraved on the top plate, to the right of the finder. There is a body release and a leather-covered film retaining flange at the right end.
The camera can take 6×6 or 4.5×6 pictures with an exposure mask. The back is hinged to the right and contains two red windows placed in the middle, one above the other. They are protected by sliding covers.
The lens is a C. Orinar Anastigmat 80mm f/3.5. The shutter gives B, 25, 50, 100 speeds and is engraved RIKEN at the bottom of the speed rim. It is synchronized via an ASA bayonet post and has a distant release connection.
 
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| Ricoh Six no. 1696, C. Orinar Anastigmat 80mm f/3.5 lens no. 1804. Pictures courtesy of Jay Tepper. (Image rights) |
Production
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.
Notes
Bibliography
- Asahi Camera (アサヒカメラ) editorial staff. Shōwa 10–40nen kōkoku ni miru kokusan kamera no rekishi (昭和10–40年広告にみる国産カメラの歴史, Japanese camera history as seen in advertisements, 1935–1965). Tokyo: Asahi Shinbunsha, 1994. ISBN 4-02-330312-7. 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). P. 831.
- "Rikō 6" (リコー6, Ricoh Six) Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.14, October 1989. No ISBN number. Rikō kamera no subete (リコーカメラのすべて, special issue on Ricoh). P. 45.
- Sugiyama, Kōichi (杉山浩一); Naoi, Hiroaki (直井浩明); Bullock, John R. The Collector's Guide to Japanese Cameras. 国産カメラ図鑑 (Kokusan kamera zukan). Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 1985. ISBN 4-257-03187-5. Item 1413.
Links
In English:
- Ricoh Six in a photo.net post
- Ricoh Six at medfmt
- Ricoh Six at butkus.org
- Folding cameras at Nekosan's website, with a Ricoh Six
In Japanese:
- Ricoh Six in the Ricoh camera list at the Ricoh official website, the characteristics table is mistaken for another camera
- Ricoh Six in the All Japan Classic Camera Club site
