Ricoh super 44 vintage camera use and film and developing question

[medievalme]

Hi everyone...Hoping one of you camera geniuses out there can answer a few questions. My 11 year old daughter is doing a report on

the Beatles and Linda McCartney and she is going to dress and pose as Linda for the presentation. I picked up a working old camera in

spotless condition at a garage sale. A Ricoh super 44. It looks great with what she is doing but I thought it would be SO cool if she

actually took some of her own photos with the camera and had the images printed for the presentation. Where can one buy film for a

camera like that? What size film? And does anyone in the Los Angeles area still even print film like this anymore?? We live in Santa

Monica. Was thinking maybe a film student at a college might know how?? The event is not until early next year so I have time to maybe

figure out how to take a photo with it so she can experiment... Advice anyone... Or is there another camera I should look for for the

vintage look of the Beatles era but is easier to use and buy film/develop etc.<div></div>

[thirteenthumbs]

<p>The camera uses 127 film.<br>

A downloadable instruction manual is available for free here: http://www.butkus.org/chinon/ricoh/ricoh_super_44/ricoh_super_44.pdf<br>

Freestyle, http://www.freestylephoto.biz/ , lists 127 in B&W and Color , 1 type of each but are currently out of stock on line.<br>

Freestyle has a Los Angles retail store and a Santa Fe Springs catalog store, click on the about us tab on the home page. They may know where to get 127 film processed.</p>

<p>Have fun with the project.</p>

[John Seaman]

<p>Unfortunately 127 film is not easy to get, or get processed. I think Linda would have used a 35mm Nikon F. A 35mm camera would be a better choice as its easy to get film and get it developed and printed. Nikon F's have got quite a cult following and are fairly expensive but something like a Nikkormat, a Minolta SRT, a Pentax Spotmatic or a Canon FTB would all be possible candidates.</p>

[glen_h]

<p>Yes, buying a used 35mm SLR, film for it, and processing, will be much easier than finding 127 film and getting it processed.<br>

The cameras mentioned above are often found for about $20, maybe down to $10. <br>

One possibility is:<br>

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/auctions/YASHICA-FX-3-Super-Camera--Vivitar-Thyristor-18598272.html<br>

<br />which you can save on shipping if you happen to be in Santa Ana. There doesn't seem to be a shopgoodwill store in LA. <br>

Or you can just go to a nearby Goodwill store. <br>

(You can find black and white 127 film on eBay, maybe only 20 years old for $10 or so, and develop it yourself. The 35mm SLR is a better choice.)</p>

 

[glen_h]

<p>Here is an FTb, a good choice.<br>

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?itemid=18578426<br>

You will have to pay for shipping, but even so you should get it at less than $25.<br>

The Super 44 is from about 1958, the FTb from about 1971, if that matters.</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>That Ricoh is a nifty camera and will make a fine prop even if she can't use it.</p>

<p>Photos of Linda McCartney show her mostly using Nikons. I see photos of her online with Nikon F plain prism models in chrome and black; an F2 (not sure which version); one from the 1990s with what appears to be an FM2 or FE2; several older Nikkors with the distinctive chromed rings.</p>

<p>At least one self portrait shows her holding a Pentax, though the model is difficult to make out because her hands are covering most of the camera - the prism resembles the LX model. Photos of Paul show him holding a Pentax Spotmatic, but the prism is very different in shape from the Pentax she's holding.</p>

<p>Anyway, she's shown using a large enough variety of cameras that almost any 35mm SLR will do. And the one contact sheet of her 35mm negatives that I've been able to find shows Kodak Tri-X on the edge markings.</p>

<p>If I'm recalling correctly her daughter Mary has been the curator for Linda's photography and may be willing to answer more specific questions.</p>

[glen_h]

<p>http://collectiblend.com/Cameras/Riken/Ricoh-Super-44.html<br>

<br />says average $30 to $40, but low confidence. $5 is pretty good, though.<br /><br /><br>

The Nikon F tends to be a little more expensive than my usual budget:<br>

http://collectiblend.com/Cameras/Nikon/Nikon-F-%28chrome,-prism-finder%29.html<br>

<br />the Nikkormat FT3 is a good choice, and more reasonably priced:<br>

http://collectiblend.com/Cameras/Nikon/Nikkormat-FT3-%28same-as-Nikomat-FT3%29.html</p>

 

[Mike Gammill]

<p>I think the Nikons (especially the Nikon F) would make a great prop (as well as being useable). Your daughter would have to learn some basics of setting exposure (also true with the Ricoh or other cameras mentioned). Both the Nikon F with unmetered finder and the Ricoh don't have light meters so instruction on estimating exposure would be in order. Or the Nikon also accepts a metered finder. I think if ease of use is important, the Nikkormat FT3 might be better.</p>

[peter_simpson1]

<p>+1 for Goodwill. There will be a delay before they ship, depends on the store, but can be up to a week in my experience. But you'll eventually get the goods, and you'll be helping out a good cause. They usually have LOTS of Pentax K1000. Advantage of this camera is that the batteries are still available for the light meter (SR44/357) and it's less in demand than a Nikon F or Nikkormat, both of which want the extinct 625 mercury cells. </p>

[CoryAmmerman]

<p>B&H photo has a couple of <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?sts=ma&ci=9954&N=4294203911&Ntt=127+film">listings for 127 film</a>. Not cheap though, and the color film is currently back ordered.</p>

<p>One thought on developing, if your daughter is going to be having any science fair projects to do anytime in the near future, developing the film yourself might make for a really interesting project. Darkroom equipment is going for pennies on the dollar these days, so getting a reel and tank shouldn't break the bank. You can develop it in Caffenol (if you use black and white film), which <a href="http://filmphotographyproject.com/content/2011/01/coffee-break-%E2%80%93-develop-film-home-caffenol">you can make from household chemicals</a>.</p>

<p> </p>

[john_robison3]

<p>Seems like in some of the old photos of the Beatles I've looked at at least Ringo was carrying a Pentax H1a or perhaps a H3v. The Nikon F (with Tn or FTn meter prism) is a good suggestion also although older meters may not work. The F with a plain, non metered prism would be the best idea but plain eye level prisms for F's are almost as expensive as the body.</p>

[Matthew Currie]

<p>Assuming that absolute veracity is not required, I think one might do better looking for an older Minolta SRT or a screw-mount Pentax. Some of those have built in meters and make very good pictures on easily obtained film, and are at least contemporary with the Nikon F's Linda was often seen with.</p>

[medievalme]

Wow thanks everyone I knew you would be a wealth of information....guess I have some homework to do...since she is being Linda in the

early years I think some of the cameras mentioned look a little too modern but maybe I will keep it for the look and have her take photos

with something else...

[glen_h]

<p>I put a 357 in my FT3 and it works just fine. The calibration is at least close enough for negative film. <br>

The look and feel of 35mm SLRs didn't change all that much until the electronic cameras in the 1980s. The early ones didn't have any built-in light meter, the later ones did. And even so, the early electronic ones tried to keep the look and feel, as that is what people expected. <br>

Part of the "look" is the shutter speed knob on the top. At some point in building electronic cameras, they took the knob off, and used thumb wheels with viewfinder display instead.<br>

The electronic cameras won't work at all without batteries. The manuals ones will work, you only need the batteries for the light meter.<br>

Any of the Nikkormats and the Canon F series, such as the FTb, should have the right look and feel for the time. </p>