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(FT5) Continually updated -> The Ricoh GXR is here!!! Not really a MicroFourThirds competitor!?!?
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0911/09111001ricohgxr.asp
And Photographyblog has a size comparison with the Panasonic GF1: http://www.photographyblog.com/news/ricoh_gxr_vs_panasonic_gf1/
Also preorder is available at amazon:Ricoh GRX
A special Ricoh website can be seen here: http://www.ricoh.co.jp/dc/gxr/special/ (Thanks GUWI for sending the link!)
£420 for the “unit”
£600 for the 12.3MP CMOS sensor & 50mm Macro Lens (HD Video)
£300 for the 10MP CCD sensor & 24-72mm Zoom Lens (5fps RAW, VGA video)
They say the Ricoh GX3 is smaller than the Panasonic GF1
Let’s start the poll!
Loading ... Loading ...P.S.: Our “Batman” source were right with the specs. I hope you can help us in future again 
sensor with the lens
so it means that if you wanna upgrade your senson, you also need to buy a new lens
- -”
that’s very strange solution. if we look at price
unit+lens…
i think better is to do unit, sensor and lenses – three components.
very innovative – and who did it – not canon, not nikon, not …. they all want our money only – but do they support real photographie ?
For 600 quid, you can buy a dSLR, for goodness sake!
For the price of the 50mm lens and a sensor module, you can get either the GF-1 kit, the Canon 500D kit or the Nikon D5000 with money to spare
Maybe we should call this the interchangeable LCD and buttons system. Buy the 50mm lens as the base and then change the LCD modules as often as you want… cheaper that way
Strange. I appreciate the innovation but this one is destined for the scrap heap of history.
It’s nice to see a reminder that this is in fact the 21st century.
I can already see the dilemma of buyers….
I actually like this lens but too bad it only comes with this sensor….
I like this sensor but gosh why is it not available on this lens….
I actually do not see the sensors being very large. Imagine having to buy an APS-C or FF sensor with each lens you buy…. gosh! You might as well buy an Olympus dSLR with each lens…. I still think the E4×0 is the most innovative camera ever
Let’s be fair to Ricoh…
Innovative? 100% thumbs up
Practical?…. thumbs down
I like the idea. It’s more a Sigma DP competitor than m43 competitor I think.. But it shows more companies are interested in producing small cams..
Pretty ballsy engineering. I’d like to play with one!
It can only be a success at that price if (a) the autofocus is better than the GF1 and (b) the image quality is a good compromise between the GR/GX and the 4/3 cameras. Otherwise it will simply be seen as an expensive niche system.
I wish it the best but I doubt its long-term success.
Thats an odd design. If you’re going to change the lens and the sensor, why not just buy a new compact?
The risk of dust and damage when moving lenses around is enough. Who wants to risk moving the sensor? It seems crazy.
Now Ricoh users will have to rebuy all of their lenses every couple of years to keep up with sensor improvements
The advantage of m4/3 is the ability to use other lenses, as well, with a mount adaptor. This is what is making the renagefinder owners drool, using an M-mount lens on a GF 1 or E-P2.
There is always the potential for Ricoh to release a cartridge containing a sensor and a m4/3 bayonet or a future m4/3 competitor mount (limited of course by the hight width dimensions of the cartridge)
It’s time to buy one! Just DO NOT OPEN THE PACKAGE, so you can sell this thing as a collectors piece in around 2060…
Ah, Steve, but that’s the beauty of this design: when you change the lens, you change the sensor with it. The sensor is never left open to the environment outside as it’s sealed to the back of the lens.
The only place you’d get dust is in the electrical connectors. Nothing a pencil eraser and a little compressed air couldn’t take care of.
Still, at that price, I think it’s destined for failure.
I think this will make a very versatile system. I also hope they have 35mm and 50mm equivalent (which might kill Leica X1).
But I agree with most of you that the price is a bit high for consumers. But well this is the smaller and the most pocket-able system so far. I think M43 cameras so far are still too big relative to compacts.
I read the comments and feel that some of you which are already predicting the doom for this innovative product should be more cautious before playing expert
I could not see the video but I am curious to see the real details
Reaction about the price are silly. This is obviously not aimed at the entry level P&S user
I am curious about the placing of the hotshoe on the picture. I hope the optional EVF did not require moving the hotshoe off the center for those of us who prefer to use an optional external OVF
Harold
The only way this weird arrangement can be attractive is when/if it compares favorably to fixed lens cameras, instead of having to buy new body, lens, sensor and everything when updating a fixed lens cam, in this new system you can choose to update body only or sensor+lens only, also ricoh can make lenses that appeal to different users (wide-angle vs telephoto oriented users), to be used on same body, no need to create a body with every lens+sensor unit. some flexibility but nothing like the flexibility of interchangeable lenses.
hypothetically if ricoh made a referendum on whether their users want this odd arrangement or conventional interchangeable lenses the latter would achieve a land-slide win. the expensive prices make their offer even more unattractive.
Novel idea. Could have worked — but the aesthetics are crap, like something Batman would have designed. It’s ugly.
If the grip/controls/lcd-screen section had been really pretty, or even luxurious or even steampunk, then maybe people would have liked collecting different lens/sensors for it.
But since it looks like ass, I don’t think people will want to collect it.
It looks like a proof-of-concept, not something ready for retail.
[...] [...]
VIDEO here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spbMQ960j8U or here http://dslr-links.blogspot.com/2009/11/removed-video-of-ricoh-gxr-camera.html
It looks army like to me.
Possibly those lens/sensor modules are splash or water proof since lens and sensor exist inside a closed box.
Imagine how easy and fast you can change those modules while not worrying about getting water and dush inside the camera.
If you could change the sensor as a separate module as well strange configuration could occur where the projected image would not match the sensor size. Also the very critical alignment between sensor and lens would be hard to obtain between reshuffable modules.
And its pocketable…. pretty cool.
Hopefully Ricoh can change the sensor and chip set when an update is wanted… at a price of course.
I think these babies are going to be in demand.
If I am right, it is a very flexible, rugged, pocketable and unfortunately pricey solution. Still spells a magical formulay to many, not bad!
Just my ten cents.
http://dmitry.blogg.no/1257801334_revolusjonerende_nytt.html
Full blog with photos and all…
I wonder if they’ll have a sensor/lens combo where the sensor is small to give you a super-zoom in a small package, but a larger sensor for normal and WA. That’d be interesting.
But, this has got to be the UGLIEST camera seen in several years! This thing makes Kodak point and shoots look fashionable.
Typical hate. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it.
Me, I’m waiting for the full review and IQ reports. But I’m liking the fact there lens will never get dirty when changing.
Afterwards, I’ll check out the ergonomics at my local cam shop.
Then that’s when I’ll make a decision to either love it. Or not.
Will they come up with a full frame sensor + lens combo for that form factor is my real query.
WHICH ONE WOULD YOU PREFER UPGRADE
LENS OR SENSOR ?
I WOULD SAY BOTH !!!!!!!!!!!
This is so innovative! So many people are beating this down when they should be applauding new ideas and technology. I think this seems like a super cool idea, with the possibilities being almost endless for various modules. You can match specific lenses with sensors and price accordingly. Not an entry level system, but if the image quality is good, this could be great.
japanese website Ricoh: http://www.ricoh.co.jp/dc/gxr/index.html?sscl=rtop_gxr
GXR special site: http://www.ricoh.co.jp/dc/gxr/special/
I really like the concept. One major advantage of digital MF is that the lens, camera and sensor can all be changed. This is similar, but people will have to get used to it.
Why, I don’t think it will sell is the cost. Very expensive!! And it is missing a critical element for the cost, A name.
Sony is doing very well in the market, because of the sony name, and more critical the Zeiss name on there best lens. I own Olympus, but would love to have A850 with the zeiss 85mm f1.4 (the only high quality zeiss that auto focuses, auto apterture!)
Panasonic does very well with the Leica name.
So if Ricoh whats this to work, they should team up with a medium format company and call this a pocket MF Digital. In that case Hassy would be the best name as the H3D was called the best DSLR.
all I can say is, it makes no sense. Regardless of the attempt by Ricoh to think outside of the box, if I put it into the context of actually using a type of camera for a specific situation… I’m left with only contradictions and confusing.
, or fast zooms), I just need to swap lenses. but, of course, I would have to carry them with me. with the ricoh, I would have to carry more lens/sensor combos too, but would they make such top flight lenses for it? I doubt it if their 50 prime is that slow and that big.
1. the 50mm (35 equivalent) f2.5 is big and slow. compared to the gf-1 40mm (35 eq) f1.7, the gf-1 remains small even though the sensor is nearly the same size.
2. the 24-70 (35 eq) f.25-4.4 is small and so is it’s sensor so it’s basically a glorified poor low light point and shoot. and it’s not as small as a p & s.
3. I would have to adjust constantly to using a different sensor and attendant sensor characteristics.
4. seriously, how many sensors do I really need? that can’t be cheap. it makes more sense to just have the sensor replaceable (sorta like different focusing screens) so that the lenses would take on different characteristics based on the changed ratio factor.
5. a pancake lens on a gf-1 or ep-2 is small and easily the same size as the smallest from this new camera can be, but it doesn’t loose on poor low light shooting because the ricoh needs a micro sensor to get the lens size down.
6. if I needed top notch lenses (either primes, if they were made
my point is if you actually anticipate using this thing for the different purposes different lens/sensor combos offer, it doesn’t stack up to the versatility that a conventional system offers, especially an m4/3 camera. Yes it’s great to have new sensors without buying the whole camera, but then one begs the question: why not just replaceable sensors?
this camera seems too big compared to a real p&s, too limiting compared to large sensor cameras, and too wasteful/spendy having to buy a lens with a sensor.
regards,
rm
In defense, Ricoh GR 50mm f/2.5 macro should not be compared to 20mm f/1.7, they are different lens. It is closer to Leica 45mm f/2.8 macro which is bigger.
for 24-70mm + small sensor, there is a time/situation where you want depth of field rather than shallow depth of field, and also there is a time when you like versatility of zoom and small, pocket-able size.
You can argue rather to buy the module, why not buying compact camera instead. Yes, you can, but you need to carry extra bulk and learn and adapt to two camera interface.
With GRX, you don’t have to, because the interface, buttons everything are the same.
Also consider this, 50mm with APS-C sensor (bigger than 4:3) plus the sensor is specially designed and optimized with the lens. total price is $830.
Leica 45mm f/2.8 Macro stand alone is $899
which one is more spendy?
Innovative but useless
I love seeing out-of-the-box thinking and Ricoh is no stranger to innovation, but I think this one’s going to be a flop. If the lens and sensor weren’t mated, then I think it would have been a different story.