The Ricoh Auto Half S, a masterpiece of half-format photography, was introduced in the 1960s as part of the renowned Ricoh Auto Half series. Its evolution in 1965 brought a self-timer. However, it lacks the accessory shoe.
Equipped with a fixed 25mm lens that can be opened up to an impressive f/2.8 aperture, this 35mm camera offers fixed focussing. Shooting at a distance of 250 cm from the subject is ideal.
The integrated automatic exposure supports films in the ISO range from 12 to 200 and automatically adjusts the aperture and exposure time. At the same time, however, it also allows manual aperture selection depending on individual requirements.
The automatic exposure mode uses a shutter speed of 1/125 second, while a shutter speed of 1/30 second is used when using the flash.
With a weight of 350 grams and dimensions of 8.9 x 6.7 x 3.45 cm, the camera is compact and lightweight. It does not require an external power source to take pictures, thanks to the selenium light meter, whose reliability can deteriorate over the years.
Film selection for the Ricoh Auto Half S
Even today, if you can find one in working order, the Ricoh Auto Half S is an ideal companion when travelling. For colour shots, we recommend using the Kodak Ultramax 400*, while the Kodak T-Max 100* is a solid choice for black and white shots. According to test reports, both films offer reliable results for various applications.
The camera exposes an area of 24mm x 17mm, which means that a normal 35mm film can hold twice the number of images as stated on the packaging. Despite the smaller exposure format, the Ricoh Auto Half S delivers impressive results, even if it does not operate in "full format".
