Ricoh Super Shot 2.4 Dia Focus 

In this episode, I review the Ricoh Super Shot 2.4, a special 35mm camera released in November 1966 with an unusual focusing mechanism and film advance which I only discovered accidentally via a photo in the online watch magazine Hodinkee. The featured Omega Speedmaster was nice but what really sparked my curiosity was the lens and camera in the background. I started researching using the little readable fragments such as IKENON and eventually determined that the featured camera must be a Ricoh Super Shot 2.4 with a Rikenon lens.
Digging deeper, I learned that the camera came with an unusual focusing mechanism that is based on the earlier suggestion that people’s heads are roughly the same size and can be used for correct focusing. The viewfinder therefore features a diamond, or mathematically correctly, rhombus shape that changes in size as the lens is focused. The idea is to match the size of the diamond to the subject's head. This naturally only works if you have people in your frame. If there are none, there is a small indication in the upper left corner of the viewfinder that gives at least a rough indication on the current focusing distance. This diamond is also where the Dia Focus name comes from as it stands for Diamond Focus.
The second remarkable feature is the film advance mechanism which works with a spring that is wound by the user and then transports the film after each exposure for up to 12 frames. Afterwards or in between, it needs to be wound again. This allows for relatively quick shooting without winding the film manually after every shot.
Reasons enough to take a closer look at the camera for this channel. I did the usual:
- reading the manual for hints on what needs to be considered such as replacements for the mercury batteries and that it requires film to properly function
- reading through forums to get an idea for common problems
- closely observing the market and identifying potential good buys that come with a case and are probably in good condition
I eventually found a promising camera that cost around 45 Euro including shipping. It came in relatively clean and good condition. The battery compartment still had the original mercury battery in it and needed some cleaning. But a fitting Wein cell made the light meter work again. The camera also received a proper cleaning with Isopropanol and looked almost like new again. The light seals still looked good enough and didn’t appear to need replacing. And since I had read that the camera needs film in it to properly work, I put in a first roll of Japan Camera Hunter’s Street Pan 400 to give it a test run. I also went out with Jules for a quick weekday evening photowalk shooting some Kodak Gold 200. Last but not least, I took a few portraits of a friend to see how the camera would perform for this obvious use case.
Let’s take a closer look at the results, the camera’s features, build quality and my personal impressions.
Gear used:
Ricoh Super Shot 2.4 Dia Focus
Films used:
JCH Street Pan 400
Ilford Delta 100
Kodak Gold 200
References:
www.hodinkee.c...
If you enjoy our videos and like to follow us on Instagram, find us here: / analog_insights