New Ricoh GXR lenses

[Jonathon Delacour]

According to Amateur Photographer, Ricoh will introduce two new GXR lenses in 2010:

Due for sale in Summer 2010 will be the P10 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VC unit that will include a compact sensor with a resolution of 10 million pixels. The CMOS sensor will be back-illuminated, as with the unit used in the new CX3 camera, which will reduce the impact of noise in low light situations.

A GR Lens A12 28mm f/2.5 is due for launch in winter 2010 and will be fitted with a 12 million pixel APS-C sized CMOS sensor. Ricoh says this lens will have a manual focus ring as well as an AF system, and will be powered by Ricoh's GR Engine III.
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A 28mm lens on an APS-C sensor is 42mm-e, my ideal focal length. If it performs as well as the 33mm macro, I'll be joining the GXR team.

Uh-oh! It occurred to me that, because it's an APS-C sensor, this should have gone in the "Other Cameras" forum. But the other lens unit has a small sensor. And now I've realized that the 28mm lens unit might be 28mm-e. In which case, I won't be joining the GXR team.

What a shemozzle! My apologies to all. :banghead:

 

[pollobarca]

Thanks for the link.
A sensor unit for the use of Third party lense's too.:toocool:
Remote units for wild life photography ( is that animal or human wildlife?)
would be a paparazzi dream too.

Just when I started to think that the new Oly pen was ideal... I think it will be down to the size of my bank balance.

 

[Jonathon Delacour]

The "28mm" lens unit is 28mm-e, according to DPreview.

So its actual focal length is 18 to 19mm. Which makes perfect sense, given that the GR-D cameras have all had 28mm-e lenses. As much as I loved my GR-D, I always longed for a narrower (~40mm-e) field of view. Since that's totally unlikely to happen, I'll turn my attention elsewhere.

 

[retow]

The "28mm" lens unit is 28mm-e, according to DPreview.

So its actual focal length is 18 to 19mm. Which makes perfect sense, given that the GR-D cameras have all had 28mm-e lenses. As much as I loved my GR-D, I always longed for a narrower (~40mm-e) field of view. Since that's totally unlikely to happen, I'll turn my attention elsewhere.

There is already an excellent large sensor 50mm equiv macro module. GXR with two excellent primes, 28mm and 50mm respectively, who needs more.

 

[bradhusick]

I tried the GXR, and IMHO unless they totally rework the autofocus and manual focus system the GXR is dead on arrival. Others feel differently, especially landscape shooters. There are already lots of posts on this, so I won't revisit this.

 

[madmaxmedia]

I bet the 28mm module will focus faster since it is not a macro. Not sure how much faster though...

The small sensor module apparently has better AF, and the new 28-300 should AF very fast (FWIW), since its equivalent to the Ricoh CX cameras.

But it feels like the GXR system introduces more compromises than benefits. Hopefully the new 28mm module is a good one-

 

[wbrandsma]

I personally don't mind Ricoh producing the 28mm lens unit, but I don't understand this move since they wanted to keep the GRD their top of the line camera. Since the GXR is very comparable in terms of handling and customizability it is almost useless to keep the GRD and CX cameras in their line up. Especially since the new A12 28mm lens will have a lot better image quality than the GRD3.

 

[madmaxmedia]

I think there is still a difference, since the GXR unit is larger sensor. A GXR plus 28mm module will be significantly more expensive than the GRD III (which is expensive in itself.) There will be many that would choose the GRD III for the price, larger DOF, and perhaps some operational advantages due to smaller sensor (for example if it focuses faster.)

 

[wbrandsma]

That is true, but many users requested a GRD with larger sensor and there is the constant market competition from the m4/3 system. A GF1 with the later to be released 14mm lens will be very strong competition for the GRDIII. At some point the smaller sensor will loose its benefits, because I think m4/3 becomes the new small sensor.

I also do think the GXR body will become cheaper at some point, because the money will be made with the lens units.

 

[Jonathon Delacour]

There is already an excellent large sensor 50mm equiv macro module. GXR with two excellent primes, 28mm and 50mm respectively, who needs more.

Anyone who detests the 50mm-e focal length. Or wants something faster than f/2.5. Or doesn't need macro. Or all of the above.