Difference between revisions of "Ritz Camera"

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m (Created page with "{{stub}} __NOTOC__ '''Ritz Camera''' is a chain of camera store based in the United States. They use the private label brands '''Quantaray''' and '''Dakota'''. ==Cameras== ===Fi...")
 
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{{Flickr_image
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|image_source= https://www.flickr.com/photos/thwphotos/441456907/in/pool-camerawiki/
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|image= https://live.staticflickr.com/176/441456907_fe936b336a_w.jpg
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|image_align= right
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|image_text= Annapolis, Maryland, storefront<br>just before 2005 closure
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|image_by= Thomas H. Williams
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|image_rights= wp
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}}
 
__NOTOC__
 
__NOTOC__
'''Ritz Camera''' is a chain of camera store based in the United States. They use the private label brands '''Quantaray''' and '''Dakota'''.
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'''Ritz Camera''' was a former chain of retail camera stores based in the United States. From their 1936 roots in the Washington, DC, area,<ref>[https://www.flickr.com/photos/camerawiki/52546737536/in/pool-camerawiki/ Ritz national advertising beginning  c.1954] names five locations: Two in DC, two in Baltimore, one in Philadelphia.</ref> Ritz and their sub-brands eventually grew to be the largest photo retail chain in the country, peaking at around 1,200 stores. Ritz locations combined equipment sales with (higher-margin) photofinishing, a winning formula to keep customers visiting. In addition much of their growth (led by 2nd-generation David Ritz) came from acquisitions, notably of their major competitor Wolf Camera,<ref>A pre-merger [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1999/11/22/still-on-a-roll-at-ritz/b3150151-11dd-4de9-b63d-09859187bb3e/ 1999 ''Washington Post'' profile about Ritz's growth phase] notes that the Ritz and Wolf families are relatives.</ref> as well as Kits Camera, Inkley’s, Proex, and The Camera Shop.
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Ritz was one of the founding retailers of [[Promaster | P.R.O.]] (Photographic Research Organization) and prominently advertised their products through the 1970s. But in later years Ritz was able to launch its own exclusive private-label brands such as '''Quantaray''' and '''Dakota'''. Items branded as Quantaray  appeared c.1975,<ref>See this November, 1975, [https://www.flickr.com/photos/camerawiki/52745220913/in/pool-camerawiki/ Ritz Camera ad in ''Popular Photography''] (Vol. 77, No.5; page 170). Quantaray-branded lenses were  [https://www.flickr.com/photos/camerawiki/52750094389/in/pool-camerawiki/ added by January, 1976,] (''Popular Photography'' Vol. 78, no. 1; pages 160–161). </ref> eventually including house-branded cameras.<ref>An example is this [https://www.flickr.com/photos/nesster/5554902783/in/pool-camerawiki/ Delta 2-RZ] (rebadging an abandoned [[Tōkyō Kōgaku | Topcon]]) from 1979.</ref>
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In the 1990's they worked with camera manufacturers like [[Minolta]] and provided exclusive distribution of cameras with special features like panorama modes or date backs, that were not available to other distributors in the US. '''Tech-10''' and '''Ray Enterprises Inc.''' were also brands used by the company.
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Ritz filed for bankruptcy in February 2009, closing half their stores in trying to reorganize. David Ritz with other investors under the name RCI (Ritz Camera Image) acquired the company out of bankruptcy which caused conflicts with creditors. However this reorganized company also struggled, and the entire chain was liquidated in 2012.<ref>"[https://direporter.com/industry-news/marketing/ritz-camera-image-acquired-canda-marketing-bankruptcy-auction Ritz Camera & Image to Liquidate, Website & Some Stores Acquired by C&A Marketing]" Sept. 10, 2012, from [https://direporter.com/ Digital Imaging Reporter].</ref> Some assets (including a handful of stores and the online sales division ritzcamera.com) were acquired by C+A Global; but the final brick-and-mortar storefront (in Bethesda, Maryland) closed in 2018.<ref>"[https://bethesdamagazine.com/2018/05/01/ritz-camera-closes-this-week-in-bethesda/ Ritz Camera Closes This Week in Bethesda]" May 1st, 2018, [https://bethesdamagazine.com/ Bethesda Magazine].</ref>
  
 
==Cameras==
 
==Cameras==
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{| class=floatright
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|
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{{Flickr_image
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|image_source= https://www.flickr.com/photos/37460295@N05/7444975378/in/pool-camerawiki/
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|image= https://live.staticflickr.com/7259/7444975378_53ded22f60_n.jpg
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|image_align=
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|image_text= Dakota MY-1 point & shoot
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|image_by= Studioesper
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|image_rights= wp
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}}
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|-
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|
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{{Flickr_image
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|image_source= https://www.flickr.com/photos/captkodak/272735002/in/pool-camerawiki/
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|image= https://live.staticflickr.com/101/272735002_fa9dad1b4b_w.jpg
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|image_align= right
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|image_text= Dakota Digital Single-Use Camera
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|image_by= Steve Harwood
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|image_rights=  non-commercial
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}}
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|}
 
===Film===
 
===Film===
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* Dakota Dazzle
 
* Dakota RZ-4 Motordrive
 
* Dakota RZ-4 Motordrive
 
* Dakota RZ-6 Motordrive
 
* Dakota RZ-6 Motordrive
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* Dakota RZ-8 Motordrive
 
* Dakota RZ-12
 
* Dakota RZ-12
* Dakota RZ-2000 SLR
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* [[Dakota RZ-2000]] SLR
 
* Dakota RZ-3000 SLR
 
* Dakota RZ-3000 SLR
* Dakota MY-1
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* [[Dakota MY-1]]
* Quantaray Delta D2-RZ
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* Quantaray Clamshell 35
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* [[Quantaray AFEL]]
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* [[Quantaray R 400]] SLR ([[Cosina CT-20]])
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* [[Quantaray D2-RZ|Quantaray Delta D2-RZ]]
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* [[Quantaray RZ 800]] SLR ([[Cosina CT-7]])
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'''Exclusive distribution'''
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* [[Minolta SR-T 201]] (black body w rubber waffle leatherette)
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* [[Minolta Dynax 300si|Minolta RZ 300si]]
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* [[Minolta Dynax 300si|Minolta RZ 330si]]
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* [[Minolta_Dynax_500si|Minolta RZ 400si]]
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* [[Minolta_Dynax_500si|Minolta RZ 430si]]
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* [[Minolta Dynax 500si Super|Minolta RZ 530si]]
  
 
===Digital===
 
===Digital===
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* [[Kodak DC50 Zoom|Dakota DCC 9500]]
 
* [[Kodak DC50 Zoom|Dakota DCC 9500]]
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* Dakota Digital Single-use Camera
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== Lenses==
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{| class=floatright
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|
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{{Flickr_image
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|image_source= https://www.flickr.com/photos/vox/52548808086/in/pool-camerawiki/
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|image= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52548808086_8909db61c6_n.jpg
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|image_align=
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|image_text= '''Quantaray Wide-Auto''' 24/2.5<br>manual-focus [[K mount lenses | K-mount]] lens
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|image_by= Voxphoto
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|image_rights= nc
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}}
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|-
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|
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{{Flickr_image
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|image_source= https://www.flickr.com/photos/27246804@N04/3889663009/in/pool-camerawiki/
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|image= https://live.staticflickr.com/2653/3889663009_fd027d4067_n.jpg
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|image_align=
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|image_text= Quantaray '''Tech-10'''<br>autofocus 50/2.8 Macro
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|image_by= Jim Harvey
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|image_rights=  with permission
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}}
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|}
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===Manual focus (very incomplete)===
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* Quantaray Auto Macro 55mm f3 - for Canon FD
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* Quantaray Wide-Auto 24mm f/2.5
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* Quantaray MC 28mm f2.8 - for Canon FD
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* MC Quantaray Auto Zoom 28 to 80mm f3.5-4.5 Macro - for Canon FD
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* MC Quantaray Auto Zoom 75 to 200mm f4.5 Macro - for Canon FD
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* MC Quantaray Auto Zoom 85 to 210mm f3.8 Macro - for Canon FD, Olympus OM
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===Autofocus===
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*Zooms for Minolta, Canon, Nikon, and Pentax AF mounts, sometimes under "Tech-10" branding
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==Notes==
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<references/>
  
 
==Links==
 
==Links==
 
* [http://www.ritzcamera.com/ Company website]
 
* [http://www.ritzcamera.com/ Company website]
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{{Flickr_image
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|image_source= https://www.flickr.com/photos/camerawiki/52547035059/in/pool-camerawiki/
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|image= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52547035059_0eefdbae45_w.jpg
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|image_align= left
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|image_text= 1954 advertising mascot, the<br>possibly-fictional "Bob" Ritz
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|image_by=
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|image_rights=
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}}
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[[Category: Distributors]]
 
[[Category: Distributors]]
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[[Category: USA]]

Latest revision as of 13:24, 31 March 2023

Ritz Camera was a former chain of retail camera stores based in the United States. From their 1936 roots in the Washington, DC, area,[1] Ritz and their sub-brands eventually grew to be the largest photo retail chain in the country, peaking at around 1,200 stores. Ritz locations combined equipment sales with (higher-margin) photofinishing, a winning formula to keep customers visiting. In addition much of their growth (led by 2nd-generation David Ritz) came from acquisitions, notably of their major competitor Wolf Camera,[2] as well as Kits Camera, Inkley’s, Proex, and The Camera Shop.

Ritz was one of the founding retailers of P.R.O. (Photographic Research Organization) and prominently advertised their products through the 1970s. But in later years Ritz was able to launch its own exclusive private-label brands such as Quantaray and Dakota. Items branded as Quantaray appeared c.1975,[3] eventually including house-branded cameras.[4]

In the 1990's they worked with camera manufacturers like Minolta and provided exclusive distribution of cameras with special features like panorama modes or date backs, that were not available to other distributors in the US. Tech-10 and Ray Enterprises Inc. were also brands used by the company.

Ritz filed for bankruptcy in February 2009, closing half their stores in trying to reorganize. David Ritz with other investors under the name RCI (Ritz Camera Image) acquired the company out of bankruptcy which caused conflicts with creditors. However this reorganized company also struggled, and the entire chain was liquidated in 2012.[5] Some assets (including a handful of stores and the online sales division ritzcamera.com) were acquired by C+A Global; but the final brick-and-mortar storefront (in Bethesda, Maryland) closed in 2018.[6]

Cameras

Film

Exclusive distribution

Digital

Lenses

Manual focus (very incomplete)

  • Quantaray Auto Macro 55mm f3 - for Canon FD
  • Quantaray Wide-Auto 24mm f/2.5
  • Quantaray MC 28mm f2.8 - for Canon FD
  • MC Quantaray Auto Zoom 28 to 80mm f3.5-4.5 Macro - for Canon FD
  • MC Quantaray Auto Zoom 75 to 200mm f4.5 Macro - for Canon FD
  • MC Quantaray Auto Zoom 85 to 210mm f3.8 Macro - for Canon FD, Olympus OM

Autofocus

  • Zooms for Minolta, Canon, Nikon, and Pentax AF mounts, sometimes under "Tech-10" branding

Notes

  1. Ritz national advertising beginning c.1954 names five locations: Two in DC, two in Baltimore, one in Philadelphia.
  2. A pre-merger 1999 Washington Post profile about Ritz's growth phase notes that the Ritz and Wolf families are relatives.
  3. See this November, 1975, Ritz Camera ad in Popular Photography (Vol. 77, No.5; page 170). Quantaray-branded lenses were added by January, 1976, (Popular Photography Vol. 78, no. 1; pages 160–161).
  4. An example is this Delta 2-RZ (rebadging an abandoned Topcon) from 1979.
  5. "Ritz Camera & Image to Liquidate, Website & Some Stores Acquired by C&A Marketing" Sept. 10, 2012, from Digital Imaging Reporter.
  6. "Ritz Camera Closes This Week in Bethesda" May 1st, 2018, Bethesda Magazine.

Links