Top 20 Ricoh KR-30SP 35mm SLR Camera Questions & Answers

please get a service tech

It would seem that the mirror is locked up. Some cameras have a mirror lock to reduce vibration after the view is focused and ready to expose. Check your camera features. If it doesn't have this feature than the camera may need servicing.

Your camera is in cocked position with shutter fully cocked and that is why you cannot advance the film advance lever. Set the shutter to x position ( on your shutter speed dial on the right hand side and top of your camera ) . The shutter should release and then you should be able to advance the film advance lever.

Sometimes film jamming in the film can cause the shutter to be very difficult to **** . I had an Pentax years ago that was similar in design to the Ricoh and loved it.
Using a little, but NOT a lot more force may help you to complete the cocking action. Other than that I would remove the film and blow out the mechanism with compressed air. Don't know if this will definitely solve the issue. But hopefully it will.
Best Regards, Mark

With the camera turned on, look in the viewfinder. Down on the bottom right side is an LCD display, if it's blank then your camera probably has dead batteries. It takes 2 x CR1/3N or 4 x SR44.

Your film accepts 35mm negative film or 35mm transparency (aka slide) film. It will accept any ISO from 12 to 3200, but in practice all you'll usually need are ISO 100, ISO 200 or ISO 400. You choose the film based upon lighting conditions and the lenses you'll be using, but in general you'll use ISO 100 if shooting mainly outdoors in daylight, ISO 400 if shooting in low light or with a telephoto lens, and ISO 200 is a general all-rounder good for most things. ISO is usually referred to as film speed as higher numbers need less exposure than lower numbers but the trade-off is a less detailed image.

To load film into your camera and to set the camera to match the film ISO setting refer to this link to the manual provided by Norman Butkus. The manual will also guide you through all other aspects of operating your camera.

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the shutter is locked in the up postion. Try replacing batteries and put you shutter speed at the B setting and see if this will unlock.

Stick black substance is probably the light seal the camera has along the edge of the door. Over time these foam like seal become stickey and start to fall apart. The same stuff is used as mirror dampening the mirror flips up when you take a picture. I think you can do a search on Google for an instruction to replace these deteriorating seals. I've had plenty of them myself on classic film cameras.

You didn't state whatbrand of camera you have. Nikon, Canon, Pentax and Minolta all make digital cameras that take their old lenses. In the case of Minolta, Sony took over the production. The only things that may not work are the old flashes. The new digital cameras may need upgraded models of the flashes. Never use an old flash on a newer digital model without checking if it could damage the camera. You need not buy a 12 mega pixel to print 4X6 prints. Their older and less expensive models will work just fine.

The shutter parts are most likely broken. That is usually the tell-tale sign of a broken camera, not advancing. Repairs for film cameras are very expensive and if parts are needed, it may be impossible for a 20+ year old camera. My suggestion is to find a replacement film camera system. Your Ricoh lenses will fit on a Pentax camera, but not work in Auto Mode. Prices of used Pentax cameras with built in motor drives are around $100. Check on line cameras stores. They have lots of use cameras/lense. A lens to use on that is another $75 or so. Only Nikon and Canon make new film cameras anymore. If you want an indestructable K-mount, find a Pentax K1000. Many lenses are available but no motor drive nor auto exposure on that model.

Take out the batteries.

The film doors in most 35mm SLR's is spring loaded with a release from the rewind knob. Chances are your spring has lost tension, slipped out of place, or the teeth that grab the door have been damaged. You can always use the handyman's secret weapon (duct tape) to fix the problem, but if you're looking for a more permanent and less gooey and unattractive solution you're going to need to find a shop.

If there aren't any locally, you can find some online, or google KEH Camera if you're not sure who online is reputable. It'll run you $35 for a repair estimate which is waived if you decide to have the work done. Keep in mind some parts, for some cameras, are hard or impossible to come by so your model may or may not be able to be repaired, or may be priced outside of what you're willing to pay to have repaired.

Unfortunately, you won't find new spare parts as the model is so long out of production and the manufacturer ceased to exist many years ago. The difficulty is compounded by the fact that there is so little money in servicing and repairing 35mm SLR cameras that most repairers have ceased trading. If you do strike lucky, then unless the part is very cheap and you have the skills to fit it yourself it makes no economic sense at all as the body in excellent cosmetic and functional condition is only worth £5-£10 in the UK (where I am) and probably less in the USA.

The only source will be from a used donor model, but as there are plenty of KR-5's, KR-10's and similar Pentax K-mount bodies lying unused these days why bother paying for one? Almost every 35mm SLR and lens I've acquired in the last six years has been totally free via my local FreeCycle and Freegle groups, and most have been fully functional or just needing new batteries and light seals.

If you're really determined to save your camera then you maybe able to fabricate the spring yourself, but it's been so long since I took a KR series model apart that I don't recall the design so it may be an impractical suggestion.

Good luck, and sorry that this is not the answer you were hoping for.

Very similar to Pentax k mount. Can use k-mount lenses on Ricoh, but have to remove a pin on Ricoh lenses to use on Pentax

http://butkus.org/chinon/ricoh.htm

You can find a manual at http://www.butkus.org/chinon/ricoh.htm

You can find an on-line manual for this camera - just google Ricoh XR-2s manual. This will give you all the info you need.

Yes. G13 and 357 are equivalents.

Give this site a try. This guy has collection of Ricoh camera manuals in PDF format for those old film cameras.
http://www.butkus.org/chinon/ricoh.htm

Goto http://www.craigcamera.com/ib_qr.htm website. They should have the manual for your camera. If you dont' see your camera on the webpage give them a call at 1-877-572-3686.