Week 34 – Sears KS Super II

Sold by Sears in the early 1980s, this rebadged Ricoh XR6 was known as the KS Super II. It is an auto exposure SLR with aperture priority and no manual mode. LEDs inside the viewfinder indicate over/correct/under-exposure. The ‘correct exposure’ LED blinks to indicate slow shutter speeds and warn of potential camera shake effects. It uses a Pentax K mount for lenses, and mine came fitted with a 50mm/f2.0.

In operation, it’s incredibly simple to use. Focusing is aided by a spilt image spot in the viewfinder. Unusually in my experience, the split is on a 45 degree angle instead of horizontal. Where one would normally expect to find a shutter speed knob is a dial with three settings: (L)ock, (A)utomatic, and (X) for flash sync. I found the KS Super II to be lightweight and fun to use, virtually a point and shoot camera with just enough control to keep me from getting bored.

REFERENCES:

Camera Wiki

Manual for the KS Super. Reportedly the Super II is the same camera without a B mode.

eBay

I loaded it with Fuji Velvia 50 slide film and carted it to Deerfield Fair. I am VERY pleased with the results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok, I didn’t take this one at the fair.

Nor this one.

 

Overall, the KS Super II reminds me of my Minolta XG9 but with less control. It may not hold a special place in camera history, but it will surface regularly in my rotation.