Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/01/24

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Leica P&S questions Ricoh Shotmaster Zoom 105 Plus
From: "Gary Todoroff" <datamaster@humboldt1.com>
Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2003 22:36:56 -0800
References: <552F605DE028F4409199716CBA831B8B1C7D48@06mail.ad.fhai.org>

Ricoh Shotmaster Zoom 105 Plus

I bought one for my son 5-6 years ago for about $350, then bought three
refurbs locally two years ago at $100 each - one for another son, one for my
dad, and finally one for me. Lens is fast and very sharp - beautiful 16x20's
and last year I enlarged a "snapshot" of a USCG helicopter and local fire
dept fire boat to 20x30. The three prints are hanging at the CG HQ, Fire
Dept and Eureka City Hall.

Best feature of the Ricoh is the fixed 28mm focal length, along with zoom of
38-105mm (f3.6-f5.6). At 28mm it is a slow lens but very sharp, too. I also
like that the film winds all the way to the end as soon as loaded, then
winds back into the cassette as you shoot. In quiet situations, you just get
a quick 2 seconds of rewinding when the last shot on the roll is done. Have
you ever tried to stop a P&S auto rewind of 36 frames grinding away in a
church or theater?!

It also has some nice adjustments for night time use and about my only
complaint is a sometimes balky autofocus. Just find something slightly more
contrasty at the same distance and lock focus by pressing slightly on the
shutter.

Anyway it has served me remarkably well. My other cameras are all Leicas and
Hasselblads, plus a Yashica T4 P&S - shirt-pocket tiny, but with a great big
heart in that wonderful Zeiss 35 T* lens. So it's a tough camera crowd to
get along in. The Ricoh Shotmaster Zoom 105 Plus would make a really
flexible travel camera. I noticed there are a couple on eBay right now, and
some refurbs may still be available at camera stores. I'm hanging onto mine.

Gary Todoroff
Tree LUGger


- ----- Original Message -----
From: Andre E. Purdy <andre@fhai.com>

> I'm in need of a P&S camera for an upcoming trip to Paris.  My
> requirements are as follows:



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Replies: Reply from Alastair Firkin <firkin@ncable.net.au> ([Leica] Re: Leica P&S questions Ricoh Shotmaster Zoom 105 Plus)
In reply to: Message from "Andre E. Purdy" <andre@fhai.com> ([Leica] Leica P&S questions)