Difference between revisions of "Sears KS 500"
(stub begun with catalog date, feature comparison to KS 1000. Awaiting Flickr photos invited to pool.) |
m (stray space) |
||
| Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
Immediately following on from the [[Sears KS 1000 | KS 1000]], US retailer [[Sears]] offered the '''KS 500''' in its 1979 Spring/Summer catalog<ref> A [https://christmas.musetechnical.com/ShowCatalogPage/1979-Sears-Spring-Summer-Catalog/0581 scan of page 581] shows it alongside the KS 1000 as well as a rebadged [[Mamiya]] SLR; from [https://christmas.musetechnical.com/ Musetechnical's "Christmas Catalogs & Holiday Wishbooks."]</ref> at a price of USD $239.50 (about $800 in 2021 dollars). This was the second [[K mount lenses | K-mount]] camera offered by Sears and once again is a rebadging of a [[Ricoh]] model—specifically the [[Ricoh KR-5 | KR-5 (no suffix)]]. | Immediately following on from the [[Sears KS 1000 | KS 1000]], US retailer [[Sears]] offered the '''KS 500''' in its 1979 Spring/Summer catalog<ref> A [https://christmas.musetechnical.com/ShowCatalogPage/1979-Sears-Spring-Summer-Catalog/0581 scan of page 581] shows it alongside the KS 1000 as well as a rebadged [[Mamiya]] SLR; from [https://christmas.musetechnical.com/ Musetechnical's "Christmas Catalogs & Holiday Wishbooks."]</ref> at a price of USD $239.50 (about $800 in 2021 dollars). This was the second [[K mount lenses | K-mount]] camera offered by Sears and once again is a rebadging of a [[Ricoh]] model—specifically the [[Ricoh KR-5 | KR-5 (no suffix)]]. | ||
| − | The roughly 13% price savings versus the "1000" seems to have helped sales; but there were quite a few features sacrificed to get there. Available shutter speeds are limited to 1/8 to 1/500 second plus B, there is no depth-of-field preview, and no "ME" ([[Multiple exposure | multi-exposure]]) switch. Neither shutter speeds nor aperture are displayed in the viewfinder. (In place of the KS 1000's aperture "peepsight" on the front of the [[pentaprism]], there is a plain blanking plate.) | + | The roughly 13% price savings versus the "1000" seems to have helped sales; but there were quite a few features sacrificed to get there. Available shutter speeds are limited to 1/8 to 1/500 second plus B, there is no depth-of-field preview, and no "ME" ([[Multiple exposure |multi-exposure]]) switch. Neither shutter speeds nor aperture are displayed in the viewfinder. (In place of the KS 1000's aperture "peepsight" on the front of the [[pentaprism]], there is a plain blanking plate.) |
The film advance lever of the KS 500 must be pulled outward to unlock the shutter release and activate match-needle exposure meter readings, with power provided by two silver-oxide button cells (type 357 or SR44 are suitable). | The film advance lever of the KS 500 must be pulled outward to unlock the shutter release and activate match-needle exposure meter readings, with power provided by two silver-oxide button cells (type 357 or SR44 are suitable). | ||
Revision as of 13:05, 5 May 2021
Immediately following on from the KS 1000, US retailer Sears offered the KS 500 in its 1979 Spring/Summer catalog[1] at a price of USD $239.50 (about $800 in 2021 dollars). This was the second K-mount camera offered by Sears and once again is a rebadging of a Ricoh model—specifically the KR-5 (no suffix).
The roughly 13% price savings versus the "1000" seems to have helped sales; but there were quite a few features sacrificed to get there. Available shutter speeds are limited to 1/8 to 1/500 second plus B, there is no depth-of-field preview, and no "ME" (multi-exposure) switch. Neither shutter speeds nor aperture are displayed in the viewfinder. (In place of the KS 1000's aperture "peepsight" on the front of the pentaprism, there is a plain blanking plate.)
The film advance lever of the KS 500 must be pulled outward to unlock the shutter release and activate match-needle exposure meter readings, with power provided by two silver-oxide button cells (type 357 or SR44 are suitable).
Notes
- ↑ A scan of page 581 shows it alongside the KS 1000 as well as a rebadged Mamiya SLR; from Musetechnical's "Christmas Catalogs & Holiday Wishbooks."
Links
- An online owner's manual for the Ricoh KR-5, from Mike Butkus' OrphanCameras.com
