01 Jan 2024
“Ricoh súper 44 (9 7-2-19-44) is a Japanese 4x4 TLR made by Riken in 1958-9, during the brief 4x4 camera boom. Commercial life and total production The Ricoh Super 44 was announced in Japanese magazines dated December 1958 and was advertised in Japan for less than a year, until September 1959. [4] The price in Japan was $9,800 (including the $800 case), and in the US it was $42.50.[5] The advertisement in the May 1959 issue of Asahi Camera, placed by the distributor Misuzu Shokai, certainly pictures the first prototype with taking lens no.10001.[6] Lens numbers have been observed up to 26919,17] but the sequence was perhaps shared with the Ricohmatic 44. Body numbers are confirmed from 5222 to 16764, in a sequence that was certainly specific to the camera and perhaps started at 5000. A very rough estimate of the production would be between 10,000 and 15,000 units.”