# Finally Happened to me!!!!



## jbylake (Dec 27, 2009)

I'm always reading on this and other forums about someone scoring an old mint camera for 2 or 3 bucks at a flea market or someone just giving them one. I always thought to myself, "how come this #*(* never happens to me?". 
Well an elderly couple that comes into the shop occasionaly, and happens to know that my second passion is amateur photography, brought me a little christmas gift. The story is that they bought it, but couldn't remember when, new, years ago, and never used it. It's an absolutely mint Ricoh 500G, although the sorry P&S photo's (all I had handy at the time) don't do it any justice. The original bag, manual, and flash came with it. The bag has deteriorated slightly over the years, and the manual, too, but the rest is mint, inside and out.

Did a lot of searches and the info concerning it's quality and collectbility varied widely. I just know it's a "compact" 35mm, and I think I got it narrowed down to circa 1970 -1972. Have four rolls of spare Ilford sitting around, so I'm going to take it out when it warms up a bit, and find out for myself. Value ranged from practically nothing to $175, but I don't really care about that, it's a gift, and I'll keep it. Again, apologies for the crappy P&S shot's, they really don't do it any justice, but here it is. If you know anything about these please share.
J.:mrgreen:


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## PatrickHMS (Dec 27, 2009)

Here is a link to some more information about your new camera ~

Matt's Classic Cameras: Ricoh 500G


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## jbylake (Dec 27, 2009)

PatrickHMS said:


> Here is a link to some more information about your new camera ~
> 
> Matt's Classic Cameras: Ricoh 500G


 
Thanks Patrick, although actually, that was one of the very few informational sites (concerning that particular camera) that I'd already found.  Due to lack of info, at least that I can find, I don't think it must be very interesting to very many people.  I just like old stuff, am not a serious collector, and will keep snagging the stuff when I find it.  If I can get enough pieces that look decent, like this one, I might have a wood working pal of mine build me a hexagon shaped glass enclosed lighted display case for them.  It's not really important to me if they are not "sought after" camera's, just that they look presentable, and would make a cool display.

I appreciate your effort, though, in trying to help me find out some background on this particular camera.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

J.:mrgreen::mrgreen:


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## T-town photographer (Dec 27, 2009)

Congrates on the find.  I have serveral old cameras and need to do some research on them.  My wife calls them clutter,  I call the cool.

Michael


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## jbylake (Dec 27, 2009)

T-town photographer said:


> Congrates on the find. I have serveral old cameras and need to do some research on them. My wife calls them clutter, I call the cool.
> 
> Michael


 

J.


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## compur (Dec 27, 2009)

Very nice find.  And a black one too!  Those are harder to find.  Congrats!


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## jbylake (Dec 27, 2009)

compur said:


> Very nice find. And a black one too! Those are harder to find. Congrats!


 
Thanks, comp...but to put the record straight, I can't take the credit for "finding" it, it was given to me by an elderly couple, as a gift...

J.
 :mrgreen:


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## lmchelaru (Dec 27, 2009)

That's awesome! Congrats!

I love old cameras. I visit the local thrift shops around here quite frequently, and I've yet to find one. 
I did find a nice-looking toy camera (it's called a Steinbach, I've looked for info but can't find anything online), but the film wouldn't advance through it. 

Have you run some film through yours yet? You should post some photos up when you do.


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## jbylake (Dec 27, 2009)

lmchelaru said:


> That's awesome! Congrats!
> 
> I love old cameras. I visit the local thrift shops around here quite frequently, and I've yet to find one.
> I did find a nice-looking toy camera (it's called a Steinbach, I've looked for info but can't find anything online), but the film wouldn't advance through it.
> ...


No, haven't yet, just got it a day or so before Christmas. I've got 4 rolls of Ilford 100 and 400 sitting around doing nothing, so I'm going to soon. Also, need to order a battery for it..plus it's freaking cold here, and I can't stand cold weather. Going to wait for one of those wierd 70 degrees days that we occasionally experience here in the winter, and go shoot 'em up, and see what happens.

Oh, and as to the thrift shop thing, all I ever manage to find is something that looks like it's held together with twist ties and paper clips.  Some of these lucky jokers on the forum pull some pretty awesome cameras out of thrift shops and flea markets.  Thus the title "It finally happend to me", never believed it would. An unused mint camera circa '72 or thereabouts.

J.:mrgreen:


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## CoRNDoG R6 (Dec 27, 2009)

Cant wait to see what that camera will produce. Dont forget to post up pics asap.


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## lmchelaru (Dec 27, 2009)

jbylake said:


> Oh, and as to the thrift shop thing, all I ever manage to find is something that looks like it's held together with twist ties and paper clips.  Some of these lucky jokers on the forum pull some pretty awesome cameras out of thrift shops and flea markets.  Thus the title "It finally happend to me", never believed it would. An unused mint camera circa '72 or thereabouts.
> 
> J.:mrgreen:




All I ever find is the models that were out right before everyone switched to digital point and shoot. I don't know if you know what I'm talking about, but they're "smooth" and I think they're ugly.  Sort of like this.

My friend's aunt recently found a fully working Brownie at an antique store and gave it to her for Christmas. I'm extremely jealous. haha. But she said she'd let me take it out for a spin. 

But good luck with yours! I'm excited to see what the photos will look like!


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## jbylake (Dec 27, 2009)

CoRNDoG R6 said:


> Cant wait to see what that camera will produce. Dont forget to post up pics asap.


 
Will do CD....I'm just sitting here wondering about what kind of quality I'll get, given I do my job and shoot 'em right, but surely I can manage to get one right out of 4 rolls of 36  I'm going to shoot everything in B&W first, and maybe throw a roll of Kroger Kodak T-Max color in there somewhere.

J.:mrgreen:


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## jbylake (Jan 9, 2010)

I posted, in another thread here, about receiving a free Ricoh 500G, circa '72, that's never been used. Never had a roll of film in it, never had a battery in it. Long story short, an elderly couple that I know, bought it new, thought  that it was too "new fangled" and complex, and stuck with polaroids.

From what little I've been able to glean from the net, there really isn't much interest in them. However, while waiting for a battery, I'm wondering if I should shoot some film through it, or just leave it "un-molested".

It's not that I'm worried about ruining any collector's value, I don't really see that it has any, but just the fact that it's as old as it is, and completely new, maybe I should just keep it that way.....

What's your take on it....
Shoot film...
Just put it up on the curio shelf....

Thanks,

J.:mrgreen:


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## lmchelaru (Jan 9, 2010)

If I were you, I would definitely run a roll through it.


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## jbylake (Jan 9, 2010)

lmchelaru said:


> If I were you, I would definitely run a roll through it.


 
I'm thinking hard...I found a site from a guy who posted quite a few shot's with one.  Really a good camera, or at least his is...

J.:mrgreen:


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## lmchelaru (Jan 9, 2010)

DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!
lol. I don't think it would do you any good just sitting on a shelf, as pretty as it may be.

I'd go crazy if I had a camera but didn't use it, at least for just one roll.


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