Comments on: Ricoh GXR Review

By: Marcus

Marcus — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 03:11:10 +0000

About the comment on the body. That is precisely why this GXR system is so interesting. The body is cheap to change! So lets say down the road new flash cards with 100mb/s write time comes out, instead of buying a new body that is freaking expensive like say GF1, GF2, GF3 (see?), you buy the ricoh new GXR body that supports such cards and its going to be at least 60% cheaper than buying other systems body.

By: David Candra

David Candra — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 11:43:10 +0000

Read about it from someone who owns it and been using it in.
http://marcuslowphoto.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-gears-ricoh-gxr-and-sigma-dp2.html

By: Ben

Ben — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 12:01:51 +0000

One thing that most people and I think Ricoh missed is that the RAW image processor, VR, auto focus, and sensor is on a module. The body does JPEG compression and menu control. This is fantastic, screw the dust part. I totally disagree with wanting a new interface when I upgrade. I can have a compact camera and years down the road (I say years hoping but judging from the build quality it would be) that I can upgrade the sensor, better VR and not have to relearn the camera. That is the worse part about a new camera is figuring out how the d@#! thing works! Once you get over the initial investment and assuming the grips lasts a new high end camera 3 years from now only 3-4 hundred bucks as opposed to 600, I am sold.

By: Robbie Lopez

Robbie Lopez — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 13:42:32 +0000

I like the novelty of the idea, but like most of you , I agree that this won’t necessarily be smashing on the market.
I am impressed with the image quality and with noise levels, but the compact cameras with interchangeable lenses are affordable because you buy one component of the camera as an upgrade. Including a sensor, proc, and lens only serves to increase the price per new module unless if they make available more lens options and they are initially sold in kits ( kind of the way you can buy a cheap D90 with “5 lenses” on ebay. You get ok kit lenses, but the better lenses cost more $$.

By: guusdehoog

guusdehoog — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 07:41:50 +0000

Hi there! Thanks for the great article on the Ricoh GXR! I have the used the GXR extensively in the last month and I have to say I really like it. I’m not a professional photographer; I’m a product designer. But I carry at least one digital camera with me at all times; taking pictures of everything I find interesting to capture or find memorable. But I also use (toy) film cameras for those arty pants moments.
For those of you who are familiar with the Ricoh GR series (I, II, III), that would be my favourite everyday camera to use. Eventhough it is a fixed lens (no optical zoom, only digital) this camera gives me all the freedom I want with a camera: an extremely sensitive lens, shooting in RAW format, compactness, great grip, an amazingly intuitive manual settings interface (shutterspeed and aperture effectively under your thumb and index finger) and several of those modular, interchangeable parts like viewfinder, flash, lens adapters, etc. that some of you were talking about.
This legendary (and award winning) design is the base for the design of the GXR; but the GXR adds great lenses and well suitable sensors that go along with them, to the great interface and image quality. In that sense this camera beats the competition (Olympus PEN, SONY NEX (which I also tested) and others) by far.
Keep track of Ricoh and the GXR: because there is more to come!

By: dogwatcher

dogwatcher — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 05:18:30 +0000

@Ion

Many others have had this idea before. But I’m afraid a modular camera like this would be too expensive for potential buyers. Well, you could save money in the long term, but to spend the money in the first place will be the problem I’m afraid.. plus the companies may have no interest in such products. They are happy to sell every customer a new body every couple of years or so.

Well, back to the GXR.. I don’t know, but I remain sceptical. The whole “compact system camera” market (or whatever you want to call the system cameras without pentaprism and mirror) seems to fall into pieces.. there is micro-four-thirds, the new Samsung system, Sony with the NEX cameras, Ricoh… and more to come.

I bet that we will see some dying systems in the future, some of these new bayonets or.. hmmm.. how to call the Ricoh-solution…. “system”?… won’t stay in the market for a long time, I’m pretty sure.

By: Lon

Lon — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:50:47 +0000

dogwatcher, i like your idea about customizing your camera – maybe that is something manufacturers would offer in the future – like say I want a smaller rebel size bady but made of metal, and with interchangeable focus screens and a pentaprism, replace the pop-up flash with a larger more powerful, directible pop-up flash, and could choose a less powerful cpu or sensor to save money (cut corners where I want them cut), etc.

Probably something that would only be available on top level bodies, but would be insanely popular if done right.

By: dogwatcher

dogwatcher — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:28:17 +0000

I think the whole strategy is somewhat… well.. strange.

On some cameras, i can still use 20 year old lenses with good results even today (… without AF and often manual-mode-only of course).

But will I use a 20 year old GXR module. Can’t imagine that. Will it work in 20 years? I have my doubts.

If there were a camera where you can change the sensor, the motherboard und parts of the body (like the handgrup) more easily, this would be real nice…. but it remains a dream.

By: Lon

Lon — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:00:23 +0000

cool idea, could potentially reduce the amount of electronic junk that goes in the garbage, but I don’t think it will go over well in the market – this type of thing could do well if it was an open standard and there were third parties making modular lens-type optic add-ons (stereoscopes, infrared, very powerful telescopic lenses document scanners, slide/negative film adapters, high speed shutter/sensors, etc.).

But I think people prefer to also see a change in ergonomics when they upgrade, who wants to see the same old lcd, buttons & dials etc. And what happens when they invent 50mp modules that require some new faster and bigger storage medium? It’s like upgrading the motherboard on a computer – after a couple years you still need to upgrade the box.