Ricoh GXR

“An innovative camera unit system with outstanding image quality.”

We’ve added a new review of the Ricoh GXR [QuickPrice Check] to our Reviews Matrix.

Steve’s Digicams has posted their review of the Ricoh GXR, an “interchangeable unit camera system” that swaps both the lens and associated image sensor as an integrated unit. Currently, there are two units available: the A12 has a 50mm F2.5 Macro lens with a 12.3M (23.6 x 15.7mm) CMOS sensor; the S10 has a 24-72mm F2.5-4.4 lens with a 10M (1/1.7-in.) CCD sensor. The camera has a 3.0-in. high resolution (920,000 dots) LCD.

You can read the full Ricoh GXR Review at: Steve’s Digicams.

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Ricoh GXR

“The Ricoh GXR is one of the most photographer-friendly cameras that we’ve ever reviewed.”

PhotographyBLOG has posted their review of the Ricoh GXR, an “interchangeable unit camera system” that swaps both the lens and associated image sensor as an integrated unit. Currently, there are two units available: the A12 has a 50mm F2.5 Macro lens with a 12.3M (23.6 x 15.7mm) CMOS sensor; the S10 has a 24-72mm F2.5-4.4 lens with a 10M (1/1.7-in.) CCD sensor. The camera has a 3.0-in. high resolution (920,000 dots) LCD.

You can read the full Ricoh GXR Review at: PhotographyBLOG.

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Ricoh GXR with the S10 Unit

Ricoh has announced today a new “Interchangeable Unit” camera where you change the lens and image sensor as an integrated unit. The non-interchangeable body shell consists of the handgrip, battery compartment, memory card compartment, LCD, flash and controls.

In the Ricoh GXR, each unit “optimizes” the sensor used for the particular lens. For example, there is a unit that uses a large APS sensor and fixed focal length lens. Each unit also comes with its own shutter mechanism, aperture, and image processing engine.

Units currently available are:

• A12 – 50mm F2.5 Macro lens with a 12.3MP (23.6 x 15.7mm) CMOS sensor
• S10 – 24-72mm F2.5-4.4 lens with a 10MP (1/1.7-in.) CCD sensor

Currently, only the A12 50mm unit uses a large APS-size sensor. The S10 24-72mm unit uses a tiny 1/1.7-in. sensor with a meagre 3x optical zoom. You might as well get the A12 and crop to get the “zoom”.

If future units feature zoom lenses using the same large APS-size sensor, then the question becomes, Why pay twice for the same sensor (and processor and shutter) when you are just swapping lenses?

If some European magazine or association gives this camera an award, I’m going to scream…

Seriously, some reviewers like this idea very much and if you do, too, then go for it! Certainly it gives you one body and controls to get used to. I’m just a bit skeptical about the whole value proposition, preferring an interchangeable lens system with a large sensor irrespective of the lens attached to the camera.

According to Imaging Resource, Minolta first came out with that [not so] brillant idea and IR concluded the Minolta Dimage EX1500 Zoom could well be “the first ‘obsolescence proof’ digital camera!” — and, umm, the camera is nowhere to be seen today and we all know what happened to Minolta. Ricoh should be careful not to repeat history.

Read the Press Release »