Ricoh DIACORD L User manual

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DIACORD
REFERENCE
MANUAL

@ Corrying strop connection
@ Film winding knob
@ Depth-of-ffeld scote
@ Film odvonce button
@ Exposure counter window
@ Film exposure index scote
window
@ Exposure mefer needle
@ Exposure meter scole
@ Filmexposure index selector
slide button
@ Finder lens
@ Toking lens
@ M-F-X Synchronizqtion lever
@ Shutter speed selector lever
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@
@
@
@
@
@
@
@
@
@
@
DUO-LEVER
Focusing
Shutter button protector ring
Combined nome plote ond
light window cover
Light window (Selenium
pho-
tocell)
Shutter releose button
Shutter cocking lever
Mo gnifier for critico
I focus-
ing
Froming operture for direct
view-finding
Focusinghood
Froming operture front plote
Exposure window
@ Toke-up spool knob
@ Cordless flosh contoct
@ Accessory shoe
@ Self-timer button
@ Light volue selector lever
@ Flosh terminol
@ Tripod bushing
@ Bock cover locking disc
@ Bock cover lock tob
@ Film pressure plote
@ Cortridge positioning cliP
@ Lever for outomotic zero'
setting of film counter
@ Film Stort mork
2

FTLAII
LOAD'NG
Alwoys ovold dlrect sunlight
When the bock cover is open
the r'
0 " in the film counter
window oppeors oufomoticolly
Fig. 3.
3
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Rotote the locking disc
direction of the orrow.
this loosens the lock, open
bock cover by roising up
lock. Fig. 2.
in the
Fig. 1.
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As
the
this
2
ten
rter
rlly.
The empty spool con be eosily
put in the toke-up chomber by
pulling the knob os shown in
Fig.4.
Breok the film roll seol, being
coreful not to ollow the film
roll to become unwound. With
the block side of the film
focing inword, ploce the film
inside while pulling the knob
os shown in Fig. 5. 4

6 Moke doubly sure the roll is
properly engq
ged ot both
ends. The slightest deviotion
will homper smooth winding
ond result in foilure. Fig. 6.
7 Corefully pull out obout 6 in.
of the film ond slip the end
into the longer of the two
slots
in the empty spoot. Here
be especiolly coreful thot the
tip of the film is not put in
crooked or otherwise out of
olignment.
Fig.7.
Turn the film winding knob
until the number "1" qppeors
ond the knob outomoticolly
comes to o stop. Now it is
reody for toking photogrophs.
Fig. 10.
!o
As soon os the film hos been
loo
ded, turn the exposure
meter slide b
utton until the
ASA number of your film op-
peors on the film exposure
index scole. Fig. I l. (Referto
| | pose 7l
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8 ls you slowly wind the film
o film stort mork (n morks
or <-- ---) mork) will op-
peor. Now, line up the film
stort morks with the A mork
on both sides of the comero
os shown in Fig. 8.
9 Th"n close the bock cover.
The reverse order of opening
the comero is used to close
it. Moke sure the locking disc
is turned fully ond firmly in
ploce. This completes
the lood-
ing of the comero. Fig. 9.
After you hove token one
picture,
press
the film odvonce
button, releose it ond wind
untilthe next number oppeors
ond the knob outomoticolly
| 2.or"s to o stop. Fig. 12.
After the lost picture, o e mork
oppeqrs ond the film winding
knob con be turned continu-
ously until the remoinin! film
hos been completely rolled up
| 3 on the toke-up spool. Fig. 1
3.

CAUTION
When winding the film nevetrlurn fhe film winding knob
while CONITNUOUSI.y pressing the film odvonce button
becouse this will domage lhe geors inside ond result in o
breokdown. After pressing if once releose it, then turn the
film odvonce knob to wind the film.
FIIM EXPOSURE
INDEX
Note: When you purchose film, whether it is
blqck ond white or color ftlm, the film exposure
index of the film is olwoys cleorly specified
on the box or in the enclosed instructions.
For exomple, for the commonly colled X film
the exposure index is 50, for XX 100 ond
2OO tor XXX. As the film exposure index
becomes foster you must use q corresponding
lower exposure (Shuiter ond f stop)
. Therefore,
to moke proper exposures it is importont thqt
you olwoys keep in mind the type of film you
hove in your cctmero (The exposure index).
Unlooding is done, under subdued light, in
reverse order of looding film. After the roll
hos been token out the roll is seoled tightly
with tope. Fold the tip of the poper strip
inword ond iope the seol over it. This will
moke the film more convenient to hondle in
the dorkroom. And, it is olso sofer to olwoys
wrqp the exposed film with light-proof poper
such os tin foil.
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Regordless of how good o comero you hove, through
co
reless
exposure o much onticipoted subiect will turn out
o disoppointing white or block. In photogrophy there is
nothing more importont thon proper exposure. Up till now,
moy people hove been toking photogrophs with only o
rough guess of the exposure bosed on their senses or
exposure tobles. Only through proper exposure con you
truly oppreciote the resultof o good photogroph. To fulfil
this requirement it is best fo use on exposure meter which
determines the exposure scientificolly.
The DlAcoRD L hos o built-in direct-reoding type expo
sure meter of the lotest type. Therefore, even o novice con
become proficient in photogrophy mony times fqster thon
with comeros which do not hove o built-in exposure meter.
Especiolly in color photogrophy, it shows off its greotest
versotility.
PRINCIPTES
OF THE EXPOSURE
METER
The light window behind the nome plote is o setenium
photocetl.
When light strikes this light window on electric current is generoted
occording to the strength of the light. (ln other words, the selenium
photocell octs os o converter ond converts light into etectric current).
When this electric current is tronsmitted to the golvonometer, the
needle inside the exposure meter, of the side of the comero, moves
ond indicotes the brightness
of the subiect on its light scole. This is
how on exposure meter meosures the proper setting. Further, the
numbers which oppeor on the DIACORD L light scole indicote light
volues. Slight differences in respective methods or meons moy exisf
but the principle of o light meter is os exploined obove.
8

HOW TO UsE
THE
EXPOSURE
METER
In the reflected light type fhe rule is to meosure light
by pointing it toword ihe subiect from comero position'
But,'when lhotogrophing people ogoinst o bright bock'
ground, you should get close enough to the-subiect so
you "on obtoin o true reoding of only the reflected light
from the subiect. 's',
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Also, when photogrophing o distont view, such os expon'
,iu"'r""n"ry, if youi comero is tilting upword too high
it will meosure- the light from the sky qnd the more
importont frees or buildings will become underexposed'
S", meosure by tilting the cqmero slightly downword
t-o*ora the ground. When photogrophing into o light
,our"" be Joreful not to ollow direcf light to enter the
light window of the exposure meter.
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EXPOSURE
AND
LIGHTVALUE
In order fo toke c photogroph it is necessory for
o certoin qmount of light to poss through thc lens
ond reoch the film. This is termed on exposure.
We hove olreody exploined the greot importonce
of proper exposure. Up till now, it wos necessory
to sef the shutter speed ond f stop seporotely.
However, o light volue expresses with one number
the necessoryrelotionship between the shutter speed
ond f stop for correct exposure under o given
light source. Therefore, to defermine the exposure,
oll thot is required is to tronsfer this light vclue
to the exposure window for the proper exposure.
This light volue system wos first odopted in Jopon
on the RICHO 500 followed by the DIACORD L
ond hos immensely simplified the determining of
exposure.
Furthermore;on the DIACORD L moximum versotility is
ossured with o BUILT-INexposure meter. The ronge
of the light volue scole on the DIACORD L is from 4
to 17 with exposure becoming double for eoch
decreose in number.
The SEIKOSHA MXL exposure scole hos odopted
the '1,2,5, 10,25,50, 100,250,500 seriesond
is not in multiple series. But, the scole intervols,
other thon 500, ore in olignment ond the chonges
in exposure time ond f stop ore mode completely
outomoticolly. -10-
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Vrelotion con be expressed by o toble os follows :
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HOW TO USE
THE LIGHT VATUE
Pleose look of the exposure window on
the top of the finder lens. The number
closesl
to you is the shutter speed scole,
the middle red number the light volue
scole ond the outside white number the
f stop.
1) Mqke sure thot you motch the
film exposure index of the film in
your comero with the number which
oppeors on the film exposure in-
dex window of your exposure
meter. (Refer to pqge 5 for method
of motchingnumbers). Now, point
your comero toword the subiect
you intend to photogroph. In out-
door photogrophy, where it is
usuql-
ly bright, leove the combined
nome
plote ond light
windowcover
closed.
As shown in figure, while slightly
pulling the meter knob turn the
meter knob counter-clockwiseuntil
you motch
up the "CLOSED"morkV
with the red mork. According to the
brightness of the subiect, the red
needle of the meter ot the side of
the comero will move ond eventuol-
ly come to q stop of o certoin
point. The number indicoted ot
this point is the proper exposure
light volue. (Fig. 1). 12-

2l In indoor or dork ploces, if
there isno movementof the meter
needle, open the light window
cover to increose the omount of
light striking the light window
which roises the sensitivity of the
meter. In the some monner os
before, while slightly pulling the
meter knob, turn the knob clock-
wise until you motch up the
"OPENED" mork V with the red
mork. (Fig. 2l
3
3) Thelight window cover con be
opened by pressing
the extend-
ed stem ot the upper left-hond
corner of the light window cover
focing the comero. To closethe
light window cover, press the
opposite side of fhe cover until
it cotches. (Fig. 3 ond 4l..
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5
4l After you hove determined the
proper exposure, move the light
volue selector lever while wctch-
ing the exposure window ond
motch up the yellow pointer with
the number token from the meter
reoding. (Fig.5)
) lf the numb
er to
ken from the
meter reoding does not oppeor
in the exposure window move the
light vo
lue selector lever ond the
shutter speed selector tever to-
gether until you find it. tn Fig. 7
the light volue is set ot 12. you
con toke o photogroph with this
volue but in order to bring out
the best quolities of your subiect,
moke the necessory odiustments
within limits requiring no chonge
in the light volue. (More obout
this relotion is exploined in the
toble on Poge I l). This is done
by moving the shutter
speed setec_
tor lever. At this point DO NOT
move the light vq
lue selector
lever becouse this will throw the
7
' proper exposure off bolonce.
14

4l When you wqnt both foreground ond bockground in
shorp focus suchos group photogrophs move the shutter
speed selector lever upword. When you wont iust the
foreground in shorp focus, such os o portroit, move the
shutter speed selector lever downword fo dim the
bockground. At this point, to determine the limits in
which the subiecf is in shorp focus see the depth-of-
field scqle on your knob. lf you wish to photogroph
sport events or scenery from the window of o troin
requiring fost shutter speeds, move the shutter speed
selector lever downword ond motch up the red line
with the proper shutter speed. lf you wont to show
the feeling of motion of moving obiects, move the shutter
speed selector lever upword. Moke sure you occurotely
olign the shutter speed scole. Settings between the
numbers on the shutter speed scole will NOT give you
on intermediote shutter speed.
5) ln the obove coses, os long os there is no chonge in
light volue the exposure remoins the some. Therefore,
os long os you once motch up the light volue, the depth-
of-field ond shutter speed con be chqnged, within limits
requiring no chonge in the light volue, ond still mointoin
the some exposure.
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GU//DE
FOR BECOM'NG A GOOD
PHOfOGRAPHER
As long os you remember o few simple rutes,
even o novice con become o good photogropher.
lf you follow the rules given below, we ore
confident you will quickly show remorkobles
improvement.
1) Hove you ever hod double exposures
?
To prevent double exposures, ocquire the
hobit of olwoys winding the film immediotely
ofter releosing the shutter.
2l Hove you ever hod the four corners of your
photogroph turn block ?
Lotely, it hos become common proctice to use
o hood under overqge condifions. Buf, there
mqy be some of you who hove hod the four
corners of your mosterpiece turn block becouse
you used o hood of different moke. lt is best
to use on occessory which hos been especiolly
mode. And ogoin, if you ottoch the hood
incorrectly it might cquse you iust os much
trouble. On the DIACORD L ottoch the hood so
thof the words RICOH comes out on top.
3) Are you sure the cose is not covering the
toking lens?
In the twin lens reflex, the finder lens is in o
different position so even if you con see the
whole subject through the finder lens, octuolly
the cover moy be covering fhe toking lens.
When ropid-shooting, it is best to be on the
sofe side ond remove the front cover whenever
possible.
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ii
t
HOW TO FOCUS
The DIACORD L hos o unique DUO'
LEVER
for focusing which will enoble you,
wlth o llttle proctice, to focus without the
focusing hood. However, when you ore
not pressed for time it is better to use
the focusing hood for hoirline focusing.
Focusing is done from the bockground
toword the foreground. ln toking subiects
with o deep depth-of-field, such os group
photogrophy, odiust focus iusf short of
center. This is becouse when the subiect
is in good focus the width of the depth-
of-field becomes wider ot the bock thon
in front of center.
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1) While looking into the focus-
ing hood move the DUO-LEVER
with synchronized movements of
both thumbs ploced on both
ends of the lever. The subiect
is in focus where it oppeors the
shorpest. (Fig. 1)
22l For hoirline focusing, use the
wiCe-field mognifier. Just push
the top port of the direct view-
finder frome plote with your
finger tips ond it will outomot-
icolly swing into position. (Fig.2)
3) When using the direct view-
finder frome, press the direct
view-finder frome plote down
flot until it cotches. (Fig.
3). The
frome plote con be returned to
its originol position by moving
the hood slightly bock.
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