The Ricoh GXR, released on Nov 10, 2009, is touted as the world’s smallest and lightest interchangeable lens digital camera system.
Photos of the GXR
Ricoh GXR product images at Pocket Lint
Ricoh GXR — 29 hands-on images at Pocket Lint
Excellent collection of official Ricoh GXR product photos at Eleven Eight’s Flickr gallery
Ricoh GXR press release and product images at PhotographyBlog
This photo of a guy holding up the Ricoh GXR + VF-2 External Viewfinder + A12 50mm f/2.5 Macro GR LENS with APS-C 12.3MP CMOS Sensor combination to his face shows how small the new GXR system is.
Previews / Reviews
Ricoh GXR digital camera — First Look review at Pocket Lint
Chris Hall says:
The Ricoh GXR seemed easy enough to use, however the focusing did seem a little slow in our tests with the 24-72mm lens. The camera is happy enough to snap away indoors without resorting to the flash, with acceptable results in Auto mode in the few test shoots we took. We’ve included a test shot below shot using the teleconversion kit and hood, handheld at F/2.5, 1/30sec exposure, ISO 400 and there seems to be a good deal of punch to blues on the bottles, and sharp reflection detail.
Ricoh GXR Preview at DPReview, October 2009
Simon Joinson writes:
Ricoh’s answer to this problem is, to say the least, novel. Rather than selling a camera body with a fixed sensor, the GXR system uses interchangeable lens/sensor units — every lens comes in a sealed unit complete with sensor, shutter, aperture, processing engine (there’s also one in the camera body) and the motors necessary to focus the lens (and drive the zoom mechanism if present). You are, essentially, buying a new ‘camera’ every time you buy the lens: the GXR body is little more than a shell containing the screen, card slot, controls and flash. This radical rethink of the ‘interchangeable lens’ has some important consequences:
- Different lens units can have different sensor sizes and technologies (CCD or CMOS, for example)
- By using a smaller (compact camera) sensor the GXR system can offer very small zooms
- Lens units can be designed for specialist applications (video optimized lens and sensor for example)
- The overall performance of the system is essentially defined by the lens unit, not the body
- Each lens has its own shutter
Technical Information
Understanding the Ricoh GXR at Pocket Lint — There’s a block diagram and a brief explanation about how the two initial lens / sensor offerings — GR Lens A12 50mm F2.5 Macro and the Ricoh Lens S10 24-72mm F2.5-4.4 VC (vibration compensation) — integrates with the camera body.
Official Ricoh GXR Web Sites
Ricoh GXR Special Site (Japanese)
Press releases
DPReview — Ricoh announces the GXR interchangeable unit camera system.
Ricoh Japan press release (Google’s English translation). Expected availability is early December, 2009.