Any GXR M news for 2013?

[dogbunny]

I'm a biased observer and confirmed Ricoh head, but I don't think their cameras are going anywhere. First off, they didn't merge with Pentax, they bought Pentax from Hoya Corp. and Pentax became "A Ricoh Company."

If you go to Ricoh's little museum in Ginza, the camera history of the company really seems to be a point of pride for them.

I'll just hold out and hope they produce cameras that are the best of both worlds.

db

 

[Duane Pandorf]

I'm a biased observer and confirmed Ricoh head, but I don't think their cameras are going anywhere. First off, they didn't merge with Pentax, they bought Pentax from Hoya Corp. and Pentax became "A Ricoh Company."

If you go to Ricoh's little museum in Ginza, the camera history of the company really seems to be a point of pride for them.

I'll just hold out and hope they produce cameras that are the best of both worlds.

db

I was invited by Ricoh this past February to meet with the group that put on their annual photography contest at the Ricoh Ring Cube in Ginza. They have every model camera made by them since 1933 on display. They also have another floor dedicated to gallery exhibits.



While there I did not attempt to ask about future product plans I didn't expect an answer and it wasn't appropriate under the circumstances.

http://blog.duanepandorf.com/2012/02/07/day-37-2012-ricoh-ring-cube-visit/

Having no knowledge nor experience on how Japanese business culture handles the type of merger Ricoh has had with Pentax, these must be factors that are in play.

Plus my short experience with the product Ricoh seems to be a very quiet company about new product announcements.

I know they follow some of the forums and are very excited to see how us Ricoh shooters use their products.

I too will get a second body and module. I just wish someone would make a 24mm f2.0 M mount lens for a 35mm FOV.

 

[johannielscom]

Heck, I wish they would make a fast wide! The little Voigtlander 4.5/15mm is slow, if only it were a 2.8, never mind the size...

An effective 21mm, 2.8 AF lens would be awesome. Or even an 28mm, 2.8 AF!

 

[jarski]

Will the GXR-M be relagated to RD-1 status?

wonder what "status" is this? 😕

 

[jsrockit]

wonder what "status" is this? 😕

A camera that is still sought after well past its specs being considered dated.

 

[Godfrey]

Well, at a ferocious price, we've got Leica 21 and 24 mm f/1.4, then more reasonably, Zeiss 25mm f/2.8 and upcoming Voigtländer 21mm f/1.8 lenses to choose from. I missing a couple, I think, but there seems enough choice.

Shorter than that ... Hmm. Choices are tight short of adapting a couple of SLR lenses.

I'll run with mine. I like fitting it with either the Color Skopar 28/3.5 for a 'one lens-do it all' or the Nokton 40/1.4 and Color Skopar 21/4. They fit the camera beautifully, keeping it compact and handy. The M-Rokkor 90/4 nets a good tele and a still compact package.

 

[Michael Markey]

If so, I will be getting myself a second one, since I truly love mine. I wish it to crank out nice pictures for years to come and will happily pair it with a twin sister to make sure I can keep working with my recently acquired kit!

I`m thinking that I`d better get moving on one in the new year too.

 

[aleksanderpolo]

I too will get a second body and module. I just wish someone would make a 24mm f2.0 M mount lens for a 35mm FOV.

If you don't mind a bigger size, the Canon FD 24/2 is a great lens. It is a SLR lens though and requires an additional adapter.

There was rumor that Zeiss is making a fast 24/25? What happened to that rumor?

 

[jarski]

A camera that is still sought after well past its specs being considered dated.

yes the aura of first digital rangefinder goes a long way. sorry of OT.

perhaps Pentax will release new full frame M module for Ricoh GRX 😛

 

[jankap]

Why a module? A complete camera would be better. A built in evf instead of a rangefinder would be ok. A flashlight isn't necessary.
Jan

 

[jsrockit]

Why a module?

The GXR is a modular camera. It allows Ricoh to dabble in the M mount module while still offering their own lens modules. If it wasn't modular, i doubt we'd have seen the m mount module.

A complete camera would be better. A built in evf instead of a rangefinder would be ok. A flashlight isn't necessary.
Jan

Get a mirrorless with an adapter...

 

[Godfrey]

Why a module? A complete camera would be better. A built in evf instead of a rangefinder would be ok. A flashlight isn't necessary.
Jan

I agree with jsrockit ... That's a NEX 6, not a GXR. Different kind of camera. And nothing wrong with that.

G

 

[agfa100]

I am very happy with my GXR and M-module, would it be nicer to have a updated body with a built in EVF Yes! Would I like to see a Full Frame M-module Yes! or at least a updated 1.5 sensor. I am just happy that Ricoh made the GXR and M-module in the first place. THANK YOU RICOH

wbill

 

[Ruhayat]

Privately some Ricoh dealers fear the Ricoh brand is essentially dropped with the Pentax merger, ie no new models or major updates.

time will tell if this proves true or not.

Stephen

I thought it was announced that the Ricoh brand will be retained for compacts and the Pentax for mirrorless and dSLRs? I'm sure I read that somewhere and I recall it was an official announcement.

 

[rbelyell]

I am very happy with my GXR and M-module, would it be nicer to have a updated body with a built in EVF Yes! Would I like to see a Full Frame M-module Yes! or at least a updated 1.5 sensor. I am just happy that Ricoh made the GXR and M-module in the first place. THANK YOU RICOH

wbill

three cheers for the positive! btw, i know many yearn for in body vf, but i posit that for street work, the ability to use vf as a 'waist level finder' renders it unobtrusive and thus more useful than typical vf setup. i know for me there are many many shots ive only gotten because i was looking 'down' vs 'at' subjects. an invaluable street tool.
tony

 

[rhl-oregon]

Yes, the WLF ability is great--for instance, kneeling rather than having to lie flat for a worms-eye view of something in the gutter.

I sometimes erect the WLF and turn the GXR perpendicular so I'm facing 75-90 degrees left or right of the subject. Another way to be discreet & nonconfrontational with this small black camera...

 

[Duane Pandorf]

wonder what "status" is this? 😕

Out of production. 😉

 

[Duane Pandorf]

If you don't mind a bigger size, the Canon FD 24/2 is a great lens. It is a SLR lens though and requires an additional adapter.

There was rumor that Zeiss is making a fast 24/25? What happened to that rumor?

I just bought the Olympus 50 f1.4 and a adapter. I've looked at the Olypmus 24 f2 and f2.8 along with the much more expensive used Olympus 21 f2.

 

[andrewteee]

It's been over a year since Ricoh announced or released anything. In today's technological world that's an eternity. And let's remember that the GXR was new in 2009 and here we are approaching 2013.

One may assume the GXR is no more. But I'm not sure about that. As it stands now it is Pentax/Ricoh's only APS mirrorless offering (the standard for the format - the Q is great but not the same). The K-01 is an odd bird (though people seem to like it), and any true mirrorless system will use non-DSLR lens mounts. As far as anyone knows Pentax does not yet have a true mirrorless option in the works. Ricoh is ahead of the game there.

The GRD is due for a regular interval refresh (18 months) around the middle of next year. If we reach that point and Ricoh is still silent then we can call it what it is. However, a Ricoh camera company without a GRD is like Leica without an M.

I like shooting with my Ricoh cameras more than any other. I hope they continue to live on. At any rate, it takes time for companies to merge and by mid-2013 we should start seeing the results of joint Ricoh/Pentax efforts. If Ricoh as a unique brand does not live on its genes surely will.

 

[Godfrey]

three cheers for the positive! btw, i know many yearn for in body vf, but i posit that for street work, the ability to use vf as a 'waist level finder' renders it unobtrusive and thus more useful than typical vf setup. i know for me there are many many shots ive only gotten because i was looking 'down' vs 'at' subjects. an invaluable street tool.
tony

I don't use it that way for street photography*ordinarily, although it does make getting a lower angle than normal easy. But the articulated EVF is certainly very very useful for copy work ... no need to strain to get my eye on a viewfinder, or get over the camera to look at the LCD.

If only the Ricoh EVF didn't tend to catch on everything when I'm jamming the camera in and out of a bag. The Olympus VF-2 EVF (used for the Leica X2) is trimmer and somehow doesn't seem to get in the way quite as much. It's a small thing but a real annoyance sometimes: it makes the camera much larger to deal with than it is physically.