C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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The Ricoh Singlex (1963) is a 35mm single-lens reflex camera and Ricoh's founding entry into the SLR camera category. Built in Japan and adopting the M42 screw mount as its lens standard — then universally supported by Pentax, Zeiss, and dozens of other manufacturers — the Singlex positioned Ricoh to participate in the booming mid-1960s SLR market alongside more established names.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
Ricoh's entry into the 35mm SLR market, the Singlex combined an M42 screw mount with a battery-free selenium exposure meter in a solid die-cast body — sold in the United States under the Sears Tower 38 name as Ricoh built its reputation in the American market.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm (24×36mm) |
| Mount | M42 screw mount |
| Years | 1963–1969 |
| Shutter | Focal-plane: 1s – 1/1000s + B |
| Flash sync | 1/60s (X-sync) |
| Meter | Selenium, match-needle, battery-free |
| Exposure | Manual |
| Viewfinder | Fixed pentaprism, microprism centre |
| Battery | None (selenium) |
Ricoh had established itself in the photographic market primarily through rangefinder cameras (the Ricoh 500 and related models) and medium-format cameras before transitioning to SLR production. The Singlex was the platform from which Ricoh developed its SLR expertise, leading eventually to the Singlex TLS (with through-the-lens CdS metering), the later KR and XR series, and ultimately Ricoh's respected K-mount SLR cameras of the 1970s and 1980s.
The Sears distribution arrangement was important for Ricoh's North American market presence: Sears catalogue cameras reached rural and suburban buyers across the United States who lacked access to specialist camera shops carrying Japanese brands.
The Singlex was succeeded by the Singlex TLS — which replaced the external selenium meter with a more modern TTL CdS system — and the line eventually merged into Ricoh's unified SLR programme.
The Ricoh Singlex is historically significant as Ricoh's founding SLR — the starting point of a camera line that would develop through four decades of continuous SLR production and eventually contribute to the Pentax K-mount digital era. For M42 collectors, the Singlex is an affordable and fully mechanical option with a selenium meter that works without batteries. Sears Tower-branded examples carry additional collector interest as US market examples of Japanese badge-engineering.
M42 screw-mount lenses from any manufacturer are compatible, giving the Singlex access to:
Standard M42 accessories (extension tubes, bellows, filters) are compatible.
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
View profile →Ricoh Singlex
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