Episode 73: Fuji and Ricoh

For the second episode in a row, we promised to deliver a thrilling discussion about two brands of Japanese cameras that have more in common than you might think.  Fuji and Ricoh both started making products for the photography industry right before the war, but originally started out in different industries, for Fuji, it was celluloid plastics and Ricoh (then called Riken) it was as a chemicals research company.  Each took a path making lenses and cameras, but in both instances photography was never each company's main focus.  Both Fuji and Ricoh invested heavily in the photocopier industry in the later part of the 20th century, and both successfully made the jump into the digital camera world.  Both companies continue to make new cameras today, Fuji with their excellent lineup of X-Series digital mirrorless, and Ricoh with their GR point and shoots and their ownership of the Pentax brand. In this episode, Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike are joined by Paul's personal Fuji rep, Bob Grzesiak, returning callers Brad Swain, Howard Sandler, Mark Faulkner, Miles Libak, and first time caller, Dan Cuny. We extensively cover many of Fuji's medium format cameras from the Texas Leica, their variety of 4.5x6, 6x7, 6x8, 6x9, and even their lone 6x17 model, plus the company's mid century rangefinders, the extremely compact and very quirky Fujica Mini, their entry into SLRs with the Fujicarex, the Fuji ST-series, and the unloved Fuji AX-series.  For Ricoh, time is spent on their Auto-Half series and Hi-Color 35, along with some of Ricoh's screw mount SLRs and Mike's favorite Ricoh, the Anscomark M interchangeable lens rangefinder camera. In addition, we get to hear which of these two companies used to throw the best parties for camera dealers, a little bit of history regarding the Fuji Finepix S-Series DSLRs, a bit about the Ricoh GR-series, plus a strange digital camera that had not only interchangeable lenses, but also interchangeable sensors, plus some bonus discussion about Mamiya Prismat "bastard cameras" like the original Ricoh Singlex with the "sorta" Nikon F-mount, and a strange Tower branded camera made by Mamiya with an Ihagee Exakta lens mount and a Canon lens. This proved to be a very lively discussion, covering a huge amount of different camera models from two brands that don't get discussed nearly as often as others.  If you find that your collection is thin on cameras by either of these manufacturers, this is the episode that will surely flare up a case of GAS.  Get ready to open your wallet! For the next episode, we will be exploring the world of third party lens makers like Vivitar, Sigma, Tamron, Spiratone and many others, plus we hope to revisit a topic that started in a thread on the Camerosity Podcast Facebook group regarding home processing.  Episode 74 will be recorded on Monday, July 22nd at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time. The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance. In This Episode Fuji and Ricoh Have Remarkably Similar Histories / Roico 127 Camera Fuji Made LTM Lenses and One Nikon S-Mount Lens in the 50s Fuji Made the Hasselblad XPan / Fuji Large Format Lenses Fujica ST-801 and ST-901 / Fuji's f/1.6 and f/2.2 Lenses and 1/700 Shutter Speeds Fujica 35SE Rangefinder and Other Fixed Lens Rangefinders / Fujicarex II SLR A Change of Priorities Caused Fuji To Change Their Lineup in the Mid 1960s Rapid Cassette Fujis and the Half Frame Fujica Mini The Fujica V2 and Compact Deluxe Rangefinders Are Excellent Fuji GF670 and Other Folding Cameras / Fujicaflex Automat TLR Bob Loans a Fuji G617 to Car & Driver and They Destroy It The Fu