So, yesterday I decided to sit down and write a blog post. I have some cameras sorted and put to one side, tested and waiting for me to write about. I picked one up and wrote a lovely little piece. I posted it…then realised it was a camera I had already posted about and very recently at that. I was so tired, that I forgot and rewrote the whole thing. What a waste of time. I have never done that before. What a wally.
Anyway, today, I chose one from a box of Ricoh cameras that a new friend recently sent me. I made absolutely sure that I had not written about it before. Actually, it is a bit of a coincidence as another person also sent me a lovely Ricoh TLR. With all the Ricohs I now have, I could have a Ricoh only month.
Here is this camera…the Mirai, which I think is the ugliest camera I have ever used and maybe even seen. Though I did like how the flash was stored and then popped out when needed.
This weird looking camera was released in 1988 as a joint project with Olympus, hence the two names in the title. I loaded mine with a roll of donated Bergger Pancro 400 and took it to Leeds to see the Knife Angel. The zoom was perfect for getting closer to the fenced off sculpture. It struggled with low light situations, that can be seen in the photo of the young boys. They called out, “Take our photo!” But the camera simply refused to react. It dodn’t want to focus, then refused to fire the flash. It’s a shame as that would have been a great shot.
Finally, I took the ensemble to Thornton Le Dale, a village I had wanted to visit for a while. The size of the camera meant it took up most of the space in my bag.
It wasn’t the perfect day to visit, but Beggers can’t be choosers. It was a very friendly place and a few locals stopped for a chat. The beck had lots of white-throated dippers that seemed to be oblivious to people walking by. Due to the focusing speed of the camera, I didn’t try to capture any shots of them and just enjoyed their presence.
I found the camera awkward and cumbersome to use. The placement of the shutter release was not in a natural position for my tiny hands, I found I had to keep looking for it. I tended not to use the adjustable handle for that reason, prefering the more “millenium falcon” look when it was stored horizontally.
I did like the macro feature and the dial to manually adjust the focusing when in this mode, not that I have any example shots from when I did use it 🙂 There was enough zoom to make it useful, but the 35mm wide angle was also a lovely starting point. The use of four AA batteries was also convenient.
I wrote to the original owner of the camera and explained that I probably wouldn’t use it again and would be like it back? I also told him that, inexplicable in my opinion, a friend of mine had taken a strong liking to the camera and thought it was the most funky looking camera ever. He would love to be the new owner…go for it came the answer. So in the blink of an eye, the camera was gone from my posession.
Sometimes, quirky cameras are fun to try or own, but for me this one wasn’t. I was happy to see it go and honestly, Bergger wasn’t my favourite film either. This post sounds a little negative I know. On the plus side, I loved Thornton le Dale and will visit again in warmer weather, and the knife sculpture was stunning.
If you would like to read more positive reviews of this camera, there are a lot out there. Here are some other useful links in addition to the ones I have already added within the text.
https://arhphotographic.co.uk/2022/07/24/the-marvelous-ricoh-mirai/
https://www.lomography.com/magazine/276353-lomopedia-ricoh-mirai
https://casualphotophile.com/2020/10/23/olympus-az4-ricoh-mirai-review/
https://silvergrainclassics.com/en/2023/02/the-ricoh-mirai-bridge-camera/
https://www.35mmc.com/03/11/2023/ricoh-mirai-as-a-semi-professional-task-camera-back-to-see-the-future/
I like Ricoh cameras. This Mirai looks like a Transformer. I see this model, along with the Olympus AZ-300, the OM 88 or 77, as prototypes rather than as finished models. Extraordinary work the Knife Angel.
I usually like ricoh cameras, just not this one. Yes, a transformer!
As soon as I saw the picture of the camera I thought “I wonder if this is that ugly camera Peggy was on about?” and you are right, it is even uglier than the one you gave me!
See, told you 😀 yours worked better too.
You made an interesting observation in this review when you said the camera “refused to react” to a low-light situation. This computer-driven argument between the clay and the potter can be very frustrating. I feel like yelling at the camera, “I know the image will be underexposed, or the focus not precise. Take the shot anyway, darn it!” These situations often keep me from grabbing a highly-automated camera when going out shooting.
I felt like that exactly, it was infuriating. The flash was up so it should have fired once it had focused. Firstly it kept saying it was focused when it wasn’t. Then, even when it thought it was focused it didn’t activate, and never fired the flash. At other times it fired no problem…but not when I actually, really, needed it. grrrr.
I rather like the results, but think that’s more Todo with subject matter.
Just goes to show one can take BW photos of chocolate box British villages, not something I’d have tried but will in future.
What a beautiful place, one could easily image that’s some time in the past. Definitely wouldn’t mind going there. Old grainy film in a medium format or or tungsten film to give that slightly blue old transparency slide look (or is it Kodacolor that ages that way)
Also think that Thornton le-Dale is where a well known vintage car auction house is, from TV series bangers and cash. So maybe some nice photo opportunities in the future too.
In fact a vintage car in that setting would just reinforce the different time effect.
Camera looks like an absolute nightmare of ergonomics
I think I will be going to a few more over the summer so I might try both of those. I have loads of old grainy 120, and maybe some 120 slide in the freezer.