Sears KS 1000
The KS 1000 is an all-manual 35mm SLR offered by US retailer Sears, appearing in the store's 1978 Fall/Winter catalog[1] at a price of USD $289.50 (about $1,150 in 2021 dollars). This was the very first of Ricoh's new SLRs accepting K mount lenses which Sears rebadged under its own name. Specifically, it was Ricoh's XR-1 released in late 1977.[2]
Unexpectedly for a general-merchandise retailer like Sears, the KS 1000 is a rather enthusiast-oriented model. Alongside a full range of shutter speeds from 1 to 1/1000 second, the camera offers a self-timer, depth-of-field preview, a locking ASA dial and shutter button, and a multiple exposure switch. The bundled standard lens was 50mm f/1.7 rather than the typical f/2.0. A direct-view peepsight shows the photographer the current aperture-ring setting above the viewfinder image. Many subsequent Sears/Ricoh SLRs would scale back on these features (the missing peepsight is the reason for the curious blank "nameplate" often seen on other models).
Notes
- ↑ A scan online of pg. 1088 show it alongside one of the rebadged Mamiya cameras the catalog also offered.
- ↑ A Ricoh advertisement announcing the XR-1 and XR-2 in the
December 1977 Popular Photography; scan courtesy voxphoto.
Links
- An online copy of the owners manual is posted at Mike Butkus' OrphanCameras.com
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