Digital version of the Ricoh GR camera to be announced!

[Kin Lau]

http://www.ricoh.com/r_dc/press/release/nr_gr_digital_a.html

Originally saw this on pnet, found the Ricoh announcement of the announcement. Probably of interest to the many Ricoh GR fans here.

 

[bmattock]

Cool! Might be the 'street digicam' I've been kind of looking for!

 

[iMacfan]

Sounds interesting. I certainly love my GR1v - the pics are excellent and the camera is tiny. If they really do stick to the old brief -i.e. fixed focal length lens, quick and accurate control of apeture and fixed focus point, while improving the vague focussing - it could really be the first niche P+S digital.

If, however, they are putting the GR badge on an expensive camera with a blind zoom and an uninspiring interface, they can take a hike.

David

 

[gns]

Please, no zoom lens!

 

[bmattock]

Please, no zoom lens!

I agree! No zoom, make it fast focusing instead! Lots of digicams have zoom if people want that.

One camera that I've always been kind of sorry I passed by was the GR1V, which I could have purchased at B&H when I was visiting NYC some years ago. Came so close - then passed. Now they cost MORE used than they price new at that time. And I no longer have that kind of dosh, anyway.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[iMacfan]

I agree! No zoom, make it fast focusing instead!

Indeed. What's so good about the film GR is that it has a function to set the focus point at 1 meter, 2,3,5 or infinity. That dramatically reduces shutter lag to an RF like experience.

David

 

[Robin Harrison]

Two (possibly/probably) fake spec sheets have been posted at:


http://www18.big.or.jp/~eryu/gr1d/
http://www18.big.or.jp/~eryu/gr21d/index.html


They indicate the run-of-the-mill tiny sensors, but with 28mm/f1.8 or 21mm/f2.5 (35mm focal length equivalent) lenses, and a 10MP image with ISO 25-3200. It's this last figure that makes me suspicious! A lot of folks, me included, are hoping for a full frame (almost impossible) or 1.5x crop (unlikely) sensor. Fingers crossed.

Robin.

 

[Beniliam]

My desire is a good performance at high iso (800, 1600), very low lag please!, decent viewfinder, no EVF!!. I doubt that they can do a outstanding camera. Because the other Ricoh digicams are only good...

 

[Beniliam]

I believe that your pics are fakes 🙂

See this text in the end of the specs


Copyright 2004 Richo Company, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Richo? 😕 😎

 

[vha]

Been waiting for this for a long time, and finally it seems true, of course i will se what they presents before I´ll gets exhausted and use all the confetti...

If it is as good as they claims it should be, quote "This is a response to a request from loyal GR serices customers.", I will buy one immediately, because this is something i´v been missing, a small and good camera that gives useful images.

Now, what do i have to sell to afford this ?

Got to start working in a photostore again.

vha

 

[Tin]

From the first link that Robin posted, I saw somethihing else. (I am just guessing it, asI can't read Japanese.)

The first interesting point is that Foveon sensor. Even though it says that the effective resolution is 10 MP, it also says 3.4 MP X 3 layers. So I am not sure whether it is actually a 10 MP sensor or a sensor that is similar to Fuji's Super CCD, which consists of two different size pixels in a honeycomb formation.

The second point is that the spec sheet quotes a fast start-up time of 0.5 sec., there is also another quoted time of 0.05 sec. listed the the next line---whatever that time refers to.

More mystery to be discovered.

 

[Beniliam]

Foveon sensor is great. No moire problem, but high isos... poor performance. The super ccd sensor of fuji is quite good at high isos... Foveon I know have one Polaroid camera with his sensor

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I had seen some samples of one Fuji P&S taken at iso 1600 which had very little noise. Does anybody know what model that could be?

I hope Ricoh uses a good sensor, and stays away from Kodak's

 

[Kin Lau]

I had seen some samples of one Fuji P&S taken at iso 1600 which had very little noise. Does anybody know what model that could be?

Fuji FZ10.

 

[akalai]

Just received this info from someone on the inside...

"...have been told but unconfirmed it will be a fixed lens and quality expected like the original GR1 series...high quality lens, large Mb but no other details as there is an embargo on the full details...."

Looks like this will be my first digi camera.... 🙂 So glad Ricoh had the sense to listen to those who loved their GR1 cameras so much!!!

 

[Terence T]

My Panasonic dealer has been dropping hints about an exciting new digicam coming out in Sept. I wonder if it's this Ricoh, with a Panasonic sensor.

 

[akalai]

...I have heard that there would be a 4/3rds sensor for the GR1 digital <not sure what it will be called> and that would make sense as there is supposed to be some level of cooperation between Matsushita/Panasonic <members of the 4/3rds consortium> and Ricoh...

Will see September 13th... fingers crossed!

 

[pvdhaar]

I think a digital version of one of the better fixed lens 35mm cameras (don't care whether it's a GR1, Hexar or 35Ti) would indeed be good news.

Most present day digital compacts have excruciatingly tiny viewfinders, have lethargic autofocus through the sensor instead of through active IR, and give as much control over DOF as pinhole cameras.

So, if it's really going to be the digital version of the GR1, it'll have to have a decent viewfinder, fast AF also in low-light/low-contrast situations, and a big sensor. I'm sure it will cost $$$, but it may just be what many fo us have been waiting for..

 

[StuartR]

Two (possibly/probably) fake spec sheets have been posted at:


http://www18.big.or.jp/~eryu/gr1d/
http://www18.big.or.jp/~eryu/gr21d/index.html


They indicate the run-of-the-mill tiny sensors, but with 28mm/f1.8 or 21mm/f2.5 (35mm focal length equivalent) lenses, and a 10MP image with ISO 25-3200. It's this last figure that makes me suspicious! A lot of folks, me included, are hoping for a full frame (almost impossible) or 1.5x crop (unlikely) sensor. Fingers crossed.

Robin.

The text in red at the bottom of the page says that the page is fictional. And as someone else noted, the camera is a "Richo" not Ricoh...just some Otaku screwing around. It will be interesting to see what it actually turns out to be.

Personally though, I find it odd that they are announcing that they will be announcing the camera on the 13th...isn't that a little redundant???

 

[Laika]

Sweet, lets hope they do it right ... fixed fast lens.

I'd buy one without question if they can make a real 'digital GR' and not some rubbish sluggish digicam badged as a GR.