Ricoh announces GXR system with new "cartridge" interchangable lenses and sensor

That is quite fascinating. Interchangeable sensors. I never would have guessed Ricoh would have been the first to do that. I still don't like the fact that the evf is external to the camera, but I think this system has a lot of promise, although it strikes me as one of those kinds of things that flop initially and become popular later, kind of like Family Guy and the Nikon 28mm f1.4.
 
So strange that the lens is attached to the sensor. So every time you want a new lens you have to buy another sensor too?
 
What the hell?

Fascinating, but the notion that you can't buy a new lens without buying a sensor is very strange. I mean, it would seem to me to be a recipe for failure.
 
Very strange idea. I don't see a real money advantage over just buying an updated body. From Ricoh's standpoint, though, it forces you to buy their sensor/lens unit rather than third party lenses. I don't understand the point, really.
 
Merkin said:
That is quite fascinating. Interchangeable sensors. I never would have guessed Ricoh would have been the first to do that. I still don't like the fact that the evf is external to the camera, but I think this system has a lot of promise, although it strikes me as one of those kinds of things that flop initially and become popular later, kind of like Family Guy and the Nikon 28mm f1.4.
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Family Guy was always popular with the cognoscenti :)
 
It just seems like a completely backwards concept to me.

Expensive, proprietary lenses that will be rubbish if the system fails (which it is likely to).

At least with 4/3rds you can buy lenses knowing that you can upgrade the body (and even switch brands) down the road.

Maybe I'm missing something?
 
Ricoh is somehow into this lens/sensor unit idea for a while. The GRD's infamous sensor dust repair was quite expensive (at least by ricoh in japan) because they had to replace the whole lens/sensor block that came in one big unit.

Maybe someone in the company thought "then why not make this a feature?"
 
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What a waste of effort...

What a waste of effort...

With my G1 in hand and shooting every lens in my kit, WHY would I even consider this a useful approach?
 
The more I sit here and think about it, the more I think this is incredibly clever for several reasons. Instead of buying an entirely new camera every x years, you can just buy new components, from new bodies with good weather sealing and more slr like controls, to lens/sensors with full frame sensors, and eventually they might come out with sensor units that allow use of interchangeable lenses. All of this, of course, depends on the currently available parts of the system getting good reviews and good sales. If it succeeds, it could end up being like a small electronic Nikon F or Waffle House hamburger- configurable thousands of ways.

ETA- Just because I think it is clever doesn't mean I am even considering purchasing one. I know my platonic ideal of an EVIL camera is out there somewhere in the aether, it just hasn't materialized yet.
 
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This just points out the difference with this camera. I posted this in the "point and shoot" forum about an hour ago. Wasn't sure where it belongs. With the zoom lens, it belongs there. With the prime lens, it belongs here. Go Ricoh!
 
If they intend to produce sensor units with a lens mount on them, they might definitely have something here. An m4/3 module, for instance. We'll see if they have any intention of doing this, though.
 
It's still just an expensive P&S camera, though. Lens/shutter units made to fit a specific body. Body that has to be shaped to fit the lens/shutter units. Still don't get it.
 
mabelsound said:
If they intend to produce sensor units with a lens mount on them, they might definitely have something here. An m4/3 module, for instance. We'll see if they have any intention of doing this, though.
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If anything, I think they would go with non-proprietary mounts, like pentax k and/or leica M. Probably Pentax, as that is the mount Ricoh used with their old SLRs, and a marketing campaign of "with this module, you can use all of your old Ricoh lenses as well as hundreds of other old and currently manufactured lenses" would reduce the cognitive dissonance between it and their marketing of sealed lens sensor units.
 
Pickett Wilson said:
Lens/shutter units made to fit a specific body. Body that has to be shaped to fit the lens/shutter units.
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Ah, a camera system. Ages ago, some fools tried that with a camera called Contax - fortunately reason prevailed and we all settled eternally for the M39 screw mount standard... :rolleyes:
 
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