The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

Ricoh GXR, did you see this ???

cam

Active member
Certainly the best I've seen so far... just goes to show you should always wait for lots of samples!
here are the Ricoh samples. i was amazed at how much i could do with the last image (woman in the mirror) when playing around with b/w conversion.

cam, I think I must be completely spoiled by the E-P1 + 20mm f1.7 combination I'm using. Perhaps the images could be sharpened up and the colour improved quite a bit. dpreview samples are rarely flattering to any camera imho.

There's also the Ricoh user interface to consider - I've never had a Ricoh, but the UI seems to be a massive hit for those who use it?
Brian,

you know i rarely do colour, so that isn't an issue for me (plus, it's always been one of Oly's best qualities). they do sharpen up beautifully, btw, and i was obviously just playing with the JPEGs.

i love love love Ricoh's UI and thinks it's one of the best (the Epson R-D1 being my all time fave). whilst you have many initial options, it's very easy to set it and forget it, making for smooth shooting without a lot of menu hunting (which i have seen a lot of on the E-P1).

i admit i'm biased by using their cameras for a few years, but they really have spoiled me.
 

sizifo

New member
i disagree with you completely there. the 50mm is stunning. beats the X1, IMO. /QUOTE]

Very exciting times, and these samples look excellent.

That X1 lens still looks amazing to me, despite what everybody seems to be saying.

Having said that. I'd get the ricoh +50mm without sparing a second thought.
 
Last edited:

Terry

New member
What is also so intriguing about this system is not necessarily what it is today (but that is looking pretty sweet) but also what it can be. For instance there is nothing in the spec to say that the lens and cartridge have to be fixed and sealed. For instance there is now a rumor that there will be a m4/3 sensor cartridge with a lens mount (not sealed) to swap lenses or an m mount cartridge for rangefinder lenses. To have options with one very good user interface is indeed an interesting concept.
 

kit laughlin

Subscriber Member
If we forget the 50mm macro for a moment, the 24–70 zoom on the smaller sensor might be an improvement over the LX3, a camera I have liked but which is a bit small for my hands.

Everyone loved the UI of the GR series, so from that POV, and from the POV of pocketability, the 24–70 unit looks very good to me.

And as someone who uses a number of UIs (presently, the D700, S90, and G1) I definitely like the idea of being able to use one that works really well, can be set up how I like, and can have different lens and sensor characteristics by changing the lens/sensor combo.

And if the idea takes off, then 40/sensor X and other combinations become more likely. I like it.

+1 for Terry's comment, too (we must have been posting at the same time!)
 

Will

New member
What is also so intriguing about this system is not necessarily what it is today (but that is looking pretty sweet) but also what it can be. For instance there is nothing in the spec to say that the lens and cartridge have to be fixed and sealed. For instance there is now a rumor that there will be a m4/3 sensor cartridge with a lens mount (not sealed) to swap lenses or an m mount cartridge for rangefinder lenses. To have options with one very good user interface is indeed an interesting concept.
It would all then make perfect sense. Almost has to happen.
 

kevinparis

Member
terry

the issue is that people don't buy something for what it may or may not do sometime in the future. They buy it for what it does now

If Ricoh dont sell enough of the Version 1 there never will be a version 2.

Personally if they had one or two additional modules available at launch then maybe I might have a little more faith in the ability of this system get up and running.

Oh yeah and also half the price of the body... way way over priced for a battery a lcd, some buttons and a bit of processing.

Obviously it looks like it takes a nice picture... but so do many other cameras

K
 

peterb

Member
I just read about it. What an BRILLIANT concept! Sorta like Hasselblads and other medium format cameras that have a self contained shutter with the lens, but this includes the sensor as well. There are several really intriguing things about this concept.

One, since the lenses/sensor units are sealed there's little worry about the dust issue. And if the optics of their previous cameras are any indication the lenses will be TOP NOTCH.

Two, Ricoh has finally, EFFECTIVELY addressed what I've always felt was the weakest aspect in the whole digital age and that is when you bought a camera (or system) you were committed to a sensor and its resolution. (In the film era when you bought a camera like an M6 for example and could keep the equipment or at least the body while Kodak and Fuji and Agfa duked it out in the film department.)

Thus when the sensor is improved (like the M8) you don't have to toss out legacy equipment when a better sensor came along. Although the costs for each lens/sensor won't be cheap (so far $860 for the 50mm unit).

I have always yearned for a system where you could buy a camera body and be able to change or improve the sensor (unlike ridiculously exorbitant medium format systems) and Ricoh appears to have finally made that possible. So far a fast 50mm f2.5 with an APSC sized sensor. And a zippy f2.5 zoom with a smaller sensor. (As DPReview put it you trade compactness for quality but you have the option for both.)

I also like the rugged magnesium body. And a CHOICE of EVF or optical finders. And the 920 kilodot LCD is no slouch either.

With Ricoh having made ENORMOUS strides in the noise control on their previous small sensor cameras the use of their algorithms on the APS-C size sensor will also be worth looking into as yet a new formidable challenge to mirrorbox-less mFT and APS-C cameras like the GF1, EP-1 and 2, DP-2, X1 and whatever Sony is supposed to announce in a week.

I'd been considering getting a the GF1 but have concluded since I'd want the EVF anyway I might as well stick with my G1 and the 20mm f1.7 pancake as the unit will be relatively non-descript and compact.

But THIS concept opens up a whole new ball game. And I'm going to line up to check out this camera.

Peter
 

sizifo

New member
What is also so intriguing about this system is not necessarily what it is today (but that is looking pretty sweet) but also what it can be. For instance there is nothing in the spec to say that the lens and cartridge have to be fixed and sealed. For instance there is now a rumor that there will be a m4/3 sensor cartridge with a lens mount (not sealed) to swap lenses or an m mount cartridge for rangefinder lenses. To have options with one very good user interface is indeed an interesting concept.
Precisely.

Getting more excited by this by the minute.
 

Terry

New member
terry

the issue is that people don't buy something for what it may or may not do sometime in the future. They buy it for what it does now

If Ricoh dont sell enough of the Version 1 there never will be a version 2.

Personally if they had one or two additional modules available at launch then maybe I might have a little more faith in the ability of this system get up and running.

Oh yeah and also half the price of the body... way way over priced for a battery a lcd, some buttons and a bit of processing.

Obviously it looks like it takes a nice picture... but so do many other cameras

K
I completely understand your point of view and it has a lot of validity. For me, this year the tide has turned. I am not a big camera fan. I have my hulking full frame camera that produces beautiful images. However, at heart I really like small compact cameras and for a while we've been going down the path of pink rhinestone versions. I applaud the effort for creativity and innovation.
To think that this was going to come cheap (not exactly a hallmark of the GR series) was a mistake. What I hope is that perhaps it can be an "open" standard for others to make a cartridge for the camera. Then you would have some interesting products and competition. Yes, all this is nice but you are right you need enough money to get past version 1 into version 2.
 

peterb

Member
TEBnewyork;153946What I hope is that perhaps it can be an "open" standard for others to make a cartridge for the camera. Then you would have some interesting products and competition. Yes said:
Totally agree. Which is why I am so excited at the potential that has been revealed here.

Cheers

Peter
 

Joan

New member
Speaking of image quality, not looking too good... even allowing for dpreview's approach to sample photography.

Cheers

Brian
Now that I've looked at the DPR samples on my 24" iMac, I can see why you had the initial reaction you did, Brian. The 50 lens module still looks sweet, but I am not so sure about the 24-72 zoom. Funny though, I do really like the Ricoh colors, they seem very realistic to me.
 

kit laughlin

Subscriber Member
I should have added that I have owned and sold the LX3, GF1, DP-1 and 2... wasn't it Guy who coined the term "gear slut"? :ROTFL:

Point is that all of these had their strengths, all have different interfaces, and different weaknesses—some due to sensor size, some due to focal length limitations. I have no intention of abandoning the pair of D700s that pay the bills (the idea of a 24mm TS lens on the Ricoh body made me smile) but to be able to settle on one pocket-go-every camera is really attractive.

For me, the 24–72 EFOV zoom is close to perfect (24–90 would be perfect!). The S90 is with me in the Caymans while I get into C1Pro (I have lots of time between workshops here).

Very interesting times.
 

cam

Active member
Now that I've looked at the DPR samples on my 24" iMac, I can see why you had the initial reaction you did, Brian. The 50 lens module still looks sweet, but I am not so sure about the 24-72 zoom. Funny though, I do really like the Ricoh colors, they seem very realistic to me.
the Zoom is still small sensor (a la GRDIII). the 50 is all i've been seriously looking at.
 

Joan

New member
Hi Cam,

So, the sensor in the zoom module is still that tiny? I didn't realize that. I got the idea that it was smaller than the one in the 50 module (but not that small) but that does explain the difference between the quality of the samples.

I really think this has some serious potential, not that I would be able to afford it any time soon (which is probably a good thing :) )


Edit: Now that I really stop and think about it, I guess it would HAVE to be that small, considering the size of the lens. Duh! :eek:
 
Last edited:

Diane B

New member
It sure moved from speculation to the real thing quickly LOL. Very interesting. I've read all available, looked at the Japanese special site--and agree, its a very cool creation. The thing that would veto the original offering for me is the tiny sensor in the 24-72 module. I'm interested in seeing where it goes because the concept is really a different approach for a small cam.
 
Top