The Ricoh camera - history

Ricoh Co., Ltd. was founded by Kiyoshi Ichimura in Tokyo, Japan, in 1936. His first significant camera for medium format photography was the RicohFlex III of 1950, which was also the first mass-produced twin-lens reflex camera. Ichimura followed this success with other innovations including the 1955 Ricopy 101 desktop copy machine and in 1973, the world's first digital facsimile machine, the RIFAX 600S.

Today, Ricoh Co. Ltd, (pronounced Reekoh.) based in Yokohama, Japan, is a global manufacturer and supplier of electronic business machines and a brand name associated with high performance compact digital cameras. The die-cast magnesium bodied Ricoh GR II is one of the smallest CCD sensor cameras with a fixed f/2.4 5.9mm (28mm format equivalent.) lens based on the design of the 1995 award winning Ricoh R1 28mm focal length compact 35mm film camera. The GR and GR II use SD (Secure Digital) flash memory cards for image storage. The first GR version of this model design was so successful, Ricoh produced a brightly coloured limited edition.

Some of the company's best known cameras are the Golden Ricoh 16, Ricoh 16 based on the Hanken and Golden Steky of 1957, Ricoh 500, Ricoh Auto 35, Super Ricohflex, Ricoh Diacord and for 35mm reflex users, the Ricoh Singlex with Nikon bayonet lens mount. The company also made many half frame film cameras. Digital cameras include the Ricoh R10, Ricoh Caplio GX8, Caplio R30, Caplio GX100 and Ricoh GX200.