New Ricoh Leica M mount GXR Press Release!

I'm pretty excited about this, though I'm torn whether I should just keep shooting film until I can afford an M9. Hopefully it's a step on the way to a full frame sensor to give the M9 some competition.
 
Pardon me, but cutting thru all the BS, charges and counter-charges, will it do what the RD-1 does?
 
What will be interesting about this is how firmware/in-camera corrections are applied to the light passing through a Leica M lens (or compatible). The NEX and m 4/3 cameras treat non- m 4/3 (or non-NEX) lenses "generically" without correction for vignetting, distortion or common aberrations. The Ricoh fixed-lens modules "bake in" corrections for their own lenses. How will this be done with a vast array of possible M-compatible lenses? Drop down menus?

The thing that is so exciting about this sort of development is the outside-the-box thinking going on at Ricoh. And it is close to what many of us wanted 10 years ago: a drop-in digital film canister for our film SLRs. Pat Ricoh on the back for this one.
 
I had the same thought about pricing...body and m module is not far off from an R-D1. 12 megapixel vs. 6, way better high iso performance (or maybe I should say "way higher"), but no rangefinder. Lots of other differences (like live view which I actually find useful). But it's still an interesting comparison. I started watching for R-D1s on ebay just to see where they were priced. Not sure what I will do. The GXR is growing on me. Great interface and form.
 
The M8 is selling for $1000-$1200? The M module might cost around $800, plus the body which is under $300. The R-D1 is around $1200 used nowadays as well.
 
Last edited:
Ricoh's press release on the M-Module is here and the dpreview write up is here. It all sounds like Ricoh Camera has done a great job and built in a great set of features.

Although I have the GXR and the A12-28mm and the A12-50mm modules a lot — you can see a selection of 10 color and B&W pictures here — and have six Leica-M laenses, I'm still not sure that I'll buy the M-Module for the same reason that I never took to the M8. My favorite lens combination is 21-28-40mm, but because of the 1.5x crop factor of the APS-C sensor, I would have to use my 15mm Voightlander to get close to the 21mm FOV and the Summilux-50 and DR Summicron, two of my favorite lenses, would have a 75mm FOV, which is too long for what I like. MInd you, I'm not a "full-frame freak" and don't mind small sensors and their crop factors if the lenses used are designed for that purpose, like the A12-28mm and the A12-50mm modules.

—Mitch/Bangkok
Beijing Rhythms
 
Funy how nobody mentioned the two special features in the M module: per-lens vignetting and corner color casts profiles set by the user, and three different focus assist modes.

Lens profiles will compensate for the usual problems afflicting wide angle lenses designed for film used with digital sensors.

The focusing assist modes are the best found in any camera: you can zomm in live view at 2x 4x 8x either in full frame or picture-in-picture; and there are two focus peaking functions, one similar to the nex the other showing only the in-focus edges against a solid background. And what's more, magnification and focus peaking can be combined.

As usual, Ricoh cameras are designed by photographers for photographers.
 
The killer question for me (as owning none m lens) is:
Is the IQ with a m lens better than the IQ of the A12-50mm modul?! And if, than how much.

A12-50mm:




I dont think that it would be an interesting way to buy a 35mm Voigtländer or Zeiss lens to copy the FL of the A12-50mm. Perhaps it will be a plus to use a origin 50mm lens as 75mm lens on the crop.

BTW, for me as a m-lens newbie: Whats the best bang for the buck in used 50mm m-lenses?? Lets say for around $300 to §500?
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom