Smaller companies often take a different and braver route in satisfying demand for digital cameras. This particular bunch of boxes is Ricoh’s answer to the need for more compact, versatile, yet more powerful digital capture devices.
Described as ‘the world’s smallest and lightest interchangeable lens camera system’ the Ricoh GXR unit integrates lens, image sensor and image processing engine into a single interchangeable unit: when you change the lens, you also change the sensor, shutter, aperture, processing engine plus the motors to drive auto focus and zoom (if needed).
The basic unit holds little more than the LCD screen, card slot, camera controls and flash.
A different lens module can have a different sensor size and type (CCD or CMOS?). The whole structure is dictated by the lens, not the body. A true interchangeable system.
The review package included the die cast magnesium body, the A12 module — an f2.5/33mm lens — and the VF-2 electronic viewfinder.
Set Up
Taking the GXR body in my left hand I slid the A12 module leftwards across the camera body to attach it. The VF-2 viewfinder (AUD299) simply slid into the accessory shoe. I then had a faux DSLR with two viewing options.
The A12 is a 33mm lens, equivalent to 50mm in 35 SLR terms, imaging to a 23.6×15.7mm CMOS with 12.3 million pixels. Apparently a highly corrected optic, it protrudes from the body by 45mm … a pancake lens it’s not! But it could well serve as a portrait or macro lens with the latter benefiting from its manual focus capability.
Summary
Reviewer
Barrie Smith
Review Date
Reviewed Item
Ricoh GXR
Author Rating
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