The Ricoh Singlex TLS is a Japanese SLR without much allure. What makes this particular example so rare and special is its matt black color, where the brass color becomes beautifully visible after all these decades. Ricoh was such an unknown brand at the time that it was decided in the late 1960s to release the camera under many different brand names, including those of major retail chains.
Nothing wrong with the Singlex TLS. A robust metal machine —heavy (720 gram), solid, and with a loud but crisp shutter sound:). It was actually quite unremarkable in an era when one manufacturer after another was showcasing the new generation of SLR cameras, with few differences between them. But the Ricoh is instantly recognizable by the shutter speed dial, which prominently sits on the front of the body. This unique feature makes the camera stand out.
The Ricoh Singlex TLS is a 35mm single-lens reflex (SLR) film camera produced by Ricoh in the late 1960s. In the USA rebranded as Sears TLS, by Kmart as Focal 1000 and by the German Porst as Porst Uniflex TTL. It was designed as a budget-friendly alternative to professional SLRs while still offering solid performance. It offers the common M42 screw mount, allowing compatibility with a very wide range of lenses from various manufacturers. It has a Focal-plane shutter with speeds from 1/1000s to 1s plus Bulb (B) mode. It comes with a genuine Through-the-lens (TTL) stop-down metering, using a CdS (cadmium sulfide) light meter cell that requires a PX625 1.35V mercury battery (match-needle system). Since Mercury batteries are discontinued, you can use a Wein Cell (look on Google). The big and clear viewfinder houses in a Pentaprism with a microprism focusing screen. At one small side we find the PC X and M Sync terminals, an odd but at the same time remarkable place.
On the top we find a manual film advance lever and rewind knob that also provides information about the kind of film you are using in the camera. On the front we have the M42 mount, the shutter controls which also has the (coupled) ASA filmspeed indicator. It means the lightmeter gives the proper values according to the ASA/ISO settings (25-1600) of the film. On the left side there is the stop down lightmeter (like the Pentax Spotmatic) that shows the actual chooses aperture through the lens to obtain an accurate light measurement. With small apertures this gives only a dim light when looking through the viewfinder, but that is no flaw of the camera. One should first frame the subject and focus and then apply the aperture.
Ricoh is a Japanese company (1917) that produces cameras, lenses, digital compacts, as well as office equipment. It acquired Pentax in 2011, and after 2013 the merged company became Ricoh Imaging.
From 1964, Ricoh made SLRs with interchangeable 42mm screw lenses, most of which were called Singlex. In 1977, it switched to the Pentax K-mount. The Singlex TLS was one of the more advanced Ricoh SLRs at the end of the sixties, benefiting from TTL metering, which was an improvement over earlier external light meters. The M42 lens mount made it versatile, allowing photographers to use lenses from brands like Pentax, Zeiss, and Takumar. But Ricoh also offered their own M42 lenses, for instance the Rikenon 50 mm F2 that is attached to mine and eighteen lenses from 21mm to 800mm.
Loading Film
1. Open the film back by pulling up the rewind knob.
2. Insert a 35mm film canister into the left side.
3. Pull the film leader across to the take-up spool on the right, inserting it into a slot.
4. Advance the film and press the shutter to check that the film moves properly.
5. Close the back and advance the film until the counter reaches “1.”
More questions about using the Ricoh? Look in the original manual, available at Butkus. Compared to higher-end SLRs like Nikon or Canon models, the Singlex TLS was considered a mid-range camera, good for enthusiasts and hobbyists. Ricoh produced more that 50 different SLR models through the years. Then TLS was succeeded by the Ricoh TLS 401, introduced in 1970 as an innovative successor, having a combined eye-level and waist-level finder.
I can still clearly remember that my father bought a Ricoh for both his 8mm film camera and his SLR. They were quality products at an affordable price. That’s why it’s so surprising that the brand has remained so modestly positioned in the camera world. Now that I also own a Ricoh, my interest has been sparked—especially in the medium format range, where they have developed models as well.