Ricoh's KR-5 Super — updated mechanical manual SLR, Pentax K mount, 1983.
The Ricoh KR-5 Super is a 35mm film SLR made by Ricoh and released in 1983 as an updated entry-level body using the Pentax K bayonet mount. It continued the simple, budget-oriented KR-5 concept aimed at students and beginners while making small refinements. It sits at the low end of Ricoh's SLR range.
It is a single-lens reflex for 35mm film using the Pentax K bayonet mount. The KR-5 Super uses a mechanical focal-plane shutter and manual exposure with through-the-lens metering shown in the finder. The shutter is mechanically timed and fires without a battery, and the cell powers only the meter. The camera keeps a basic control set focused on straightforward manual shooting.
The KR-5 Super suits students, beginners and general users who want an inexpensive, reliable manual SLR with the broad K-mount lens choice. It is easy to learn and undemanding to use. Its strengths are the mechanical shutter and lens availability; its limits are the simple feature set and absence of automatic exposure.
When buying used, inspect the foam light seals and mirror-damper foam for age-related perishing. Test the mechanical shutter at all speeds for capping or slow-speed lag, verify advance and rewind, and confirm the meter reacts. It runs on common button cells for metering, so check the meter reads correctly; the mechanical shutter still works with a dead battery. K-mount lenses fit directly and are easy to source.