C41
Kodak Gold 200
Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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The Ricoh Auto Half E (1966) is a direct follow-on to the original 1962 Ricoh Auto Half, carrying over the camera's core identity unchanged: spring-wound automatic film advance, selenium-coupled programmed exposure, fixed-focus 25mm f/2.8 three-element Ricoh lens, and a leaf shutter running 1/30s to 1/125s. The "E" designation marks a cosmetic and minor mechanical refinement cycle rather than a substantive redesign. Like the original, it requires no battery; the selenium cell drives exposure directly. The body dimensions are essentially identical to the first-generation Auto Half, making it one of the smallest half-frame 35mm cameras produced in the 1960s.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the half-frame-35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
View profile →C41
Kodak UltraMax 400 is a versatile consumer-grade ISO 400 daylight-balanced color negative film with T-grain emulsion, delivering warm Kodak colors, fine-for-speed grain (PGI 46), and wide exposure latitude. Currently in production and available globally as a single-roll and multi-pack.
View profile →BW
Develop half-frame-35mm film
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Before you buy used
About this camera
The refined spring-wound half-frame. Same clockwork advance as the original, minor cosmetic refinements, same battery-free selenium program AE.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm half-frame (18x24 mm) |
| Lens | Ricoh 25mm f/2.8, 3 elements, fixed-focus |
| Years | ~1966-1971 |
| Shutter | 1/30s - 1/125s + B, leaf |
| Flash sync | All speeds (leaf shutter) |
| Meter | Selenium photocell (no battery required) |
| Modes | Program AE |
| Advance | Spring-wound automatic (key on front face) |
| Weight | ~ |
| Battery | None |
Ricoh introduced the original Auto Half in 1962, a year when Japanese half-frame cameras were in direct competition with the Olympus Pen EE series. The Auto Half distinguished itself through two unusual features: spring-wound automatic advance (more akin to a clockwork toy than a camera) and an extremely compact body. The "E" variant arrived around 1966, updating cosmetic details - face panel finish, engravings, and in some production runs the body covering texture - while leaving the optical and mechanical specification intact. Ricoh continued the Auto Half line through to the EF variant (1976), which added a built-in flash unit. The E sits in the middle of that sequence, bridging the original and the later flash-equipped model.
The Auto Half E shares all the characteristics that made the original a design landmark. The spring-wound advance mechanism is genuinely unusual: load the spring by rotating the key on the front face, and the camera advances film automatically after each exposure, allowing rapid sequential shooting without manual winding. On a 36-exposure roll, this yields 72 half-frame frames from a single spring wind cycle.
The selenium meter means the camera is fully independent of battery supply - a practical advantage for users who want a working camera without hunting for obsolete mercury cells. Exposure control is program-only; there is no manual override of shutter speed or aperture.
For collectors and users in 2026, the E is slightly more common than the original 1962 model and commands similar prices. Decorated cosmetic variants (with engraved geometric patterns on the face plate) are more sought-after than plain examples.
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →Ricoh Auto Half E
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