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Tell your friends about us!Transparent body Ricoh FF-9S
- Thread starter Domingo
- Start date
Okay for anyone interested what I have found out is that the Ricoh FF-9SD was a special edition camera. It was released in 1992 and only 2000 were made. They all sold out on the first day. It was the first camera in the world with a clear cover that can actually be used to take photos. The original price was US $316 in 1992. They are very collectible cameras and cost more now, There is a Ricoh FF-9SD advertised now in Japan for the equivalent of $500 USD but search around and you could pick one up cheaper if the seller doesnt know what they are worth (like I did!)
Date of sale - March 1992
Film system - 35mm cartridge film (135)
Image size - 24mm x 36mm
Lens - Richo 35mm f3.5, 4 elements in 4 groups
Focus - Active auto-focus
Finder - Life size
Shutter - Electronically controlled 1/4 to 1/400 with self timer
Exposure control - Programmed auto exposure for ISO 100 to 1600
Battery - 1 x CR-P2 battery　
Features - Attention getter at parties with its see through body! Equipped with unique Ricoh features such as night mode etc.
Size - Width 121mm, height 67mm, depth 47mm
Weight - 235g without battery
Price - 35,000 yen including case
Distinguishing feature - internal components visible due to the clear cover
Date of sale - March 1992
Film system - 35mm cartridge film (135)
Image size - 24mm x 36mm
Lens - Richo 35mm f3.5, 4 elements in 4 groups
Focus - Active auto-focus
Finder - Life size
Shutter - Electronically controlled 1/4 to 1/400 with self timer
Exposure control - Programmed auto exposure for ISO 100 to 1600
Battery - 1 x CR-P2 battery　
Features - Attention getter at parties with its see through body! Equipped with unique Ricoh features such as night mode etc.
Size - Width 121mm, height 67mm, depth 47mm
Weight - 235g without battery
Price - 35,000 yen including case
Distinguishing feature - internal components visible due to the clear cover
http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... f%26sa%3DN
Http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... f%26sa%3DN
a couple of translated pages with photos of the Ricoh ff-9sd transparent
Http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... f%26sa%3DN
a couple of translated pages with photos of the Ricoh ff-9sd transparent
I tripped over this post while searching for more info about this camera. I have one of these cameras that I received as a birthday gift in the early 1990s, and I just found it in the back of my closet a few days ago. It is still stored in the original box with all of the books (glad I thought to keep that stuff), and the only thing missing is a small metal clip that was inserted before the film to allow the camera to take panoramic shots.
odklizec
PK
Some more details about this camera can be found in Ricoh archive:
http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... 1992b.html
http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... 1992b.html
In an effort to correct a few of the misrepresentations above by other well meaning members:
The Japanese documents indicate that the Ricoh FF-9SD camera was released in the "year" 2000; NOT that 2000 were made.
There were 20,000 released in a limited edition. [It so states on the camera.] I own #06339/20000.
The camera is made in Taiwan, ROC. Taiwan does not support their camera. It is now worth about 8 USD, not 360 USD. The Japanese buy this camera [privately] for 10USD as an example of what not to do. Only the Japanese have archives available on the internet pertaining to this Taiwan camera.
The camera user manual literature, available on the internet through forums, and the camera itself states that it is a "panoramic" camera. It is not; there are mistakes in Chinese/English translation. The camera has two "panoramic modes", one for daylight and one for night time. As the camera is fully electronically automatic, auto focus is defaulted to infinity in both "panoramic modes". In the night time "panoramic mode", the shutter speed is defaulted to the particular dx iso of the film. The manufacturer states that the error of auto focus and shutter speed are drastically reduced, capturing clearer images. That is what they mean by "panoramic".
The camera takes wonderful normal pictures. It does not take panoramic pictures; however, the bypass of the electronic auto focus does produce clearer distance images than if allowed to auto focus. No "panoramic" adapter kit came with my camera; no such panoramic adapter kit is even mentioned in the user manual. The optical physics is not intrinsic to the camera.
It is really neat that the shutter can be triggered by practically any external triggering device, so long as it is electronic [a short circuit to the input jack], such as an infrared sensor so adapted.
I bought this camera because it was claiming to be "panoramic"; and looking at the thing, I could not figure out the mechanism for such a representation. The claim is as false as it is impossible. The physics just isn't there. There are sample photo images of "panoramic" in the user manual; they are all normal pictures. I am keeping this camera in a drawer because it takes great distance photos [auto focus disabled]. It doesn't belong on my display shelf with my precious cameras.
For this motorized noisy, vibrating camera, I recommend the fastest film speed as possible [1600dx], a tripod, and either an extension shutter control, or use the built in time delay shutter.
I would consider buying another Ricoh product only upon timely free evaluation from the manufacturer. This Ricoh product was misrepresented in 2000 A.D., and it is misrepresented in 2009 in this Ricoh forum above.
The Japanese documents indicate that the Ricoh FF-9SD camera was released in the "year" 2000; NOT that 2000 were made.
There were 20,000 released in a limited edition. [It so states on the camera.] I own #06339/20000.
The camera is made in Taiwan, ROC. Taiwan does not support their camera. It is now worth about 8 USD, not 360 USD. The Japanese buy this camera [privately] for 10USD as an example of what not to do. Only the Japanese have archives available on the internet pertaining to this Taiwan camera.
The camera user manual literature, available on the internet through forums, and the camera itself states that it is a "panoramic" camera. It is not; there are mistakes in Chinese/English translation. The camera has two "panoramic modes", one for daylight and one for night time. As the camera is fully electronically automatic, auto focus is defaulted to infinity in both "panoramic modes". In the night time "panoramic mode", the shutter speed is defaulted to the particular dx iso of the film. The manufacturer states that the error of auto focus and shutter speed are drastically reduced, capturing clearer images. That is what they mean by "panoramic".
The camera takes wonderful normal pictures. It does not take panoramic pictures; however, the bypass of the electronic auto focus does produce clearer distance images than if allowed to auto focus. No "panoramic" adapter kit came with my camera; no such panoramic adapter kit is even mentioned in the user manual. The optical physics is not intrinsic to the camera.
It is really neat that the shutter can be triggered by practically any external triggering device, so long as it is electronic [a short circuit to the input jack], such as an infrared sensor so adapted.
I bought this camera because it was claiming to be "panoramic"; and looking at the thing, I could not figure out the mechanism for such a representation. The claim is as false as it is impossible. The physics just isn't there. There are sample photo images of "panoramic" in the user manual; they are all normal pictures. I am keeping this camera in a drawer because it takes great distance photos [auto focus disabled]. It doesn't belong on my display shelf with my precious cameras.
For this motorized noisy, vibrating camera, I recommend the fastest film speed as possible [1600dx], a tripod, and either an extension shutter control, or use the built in time delay shutter.
I would consider buying another Ricoh product only upon timely free evaluation from the manufacturer. This Ricoh product was misrepresented in 2000 A.D., and it is misrepresented in 2009 in this Ricoh forum above.