Everyone’s using a digital SLR these days, even your hermit uncle Thomas carries a Nikon. Are you ready to try a different kind of camera?

Ricoh is introducing an unconventional camera design called the Ricoh GXR. It is the World’s first “interchangeable unit camera system”.

It’s interesting to try Ricoh GXR because it’s a totally different system to the widely used digital single lens reflex (SLR) cameras.

You see, the digital SLR’s set-up is that you have a camera body with a fixed image sensor. You then collect different kind of lenses that can be mounted on that digital SLR camera body.

Ricoh GXR has a totally different system.  The GXR enables you to change lens and image sensor which are combined into a single interchangeable unit.  So basically, instead of buying the body and collecting the lens like in digital SLRS, the Ricoh GXR makes you buy the lens which comes with its own sensor, shutter, aperture, processing engine. Fundamentally the GXR body is little more than a shell containing the screen, card slot, controls, flash and 3.0 inch LCD.  The camera measures 114 x 70 x 29mm (4.5 x 2.7 x 1.1 in) and weighs 160g (5.6 oz).

SO, WHAT’S THE POINT?

You’re thinking, so what does Ricoh’s new camera system mean to me, as a photographer?

Ricoh answered in its press release:

*Lens, image sensor, and image processing engine comprise an integrated unit which can be changed to match the scene being photographed.

*World’s smallest and lightest* digital camera with interchangeable lenses

*System potential expanded through use of interchangeable units

So, you have a lighter camera, the GXR is way slimmer than traditional DSLRs.

Ricoh GXR is the camera which can full fill your different photography needs. Since the GXR has different image sensor for every lens, it’s exciting to see the kind of picture you’ll be taking with the various lenses.

The innovative Ricoh GXR, unfortunately has a high price premium, costing £419 for the body while the lens unit can make a £330 to £600 budget damage.

The GXR is simply fun to use for any photographer who wants full control over their camera, with proven handling and a seemingly infinite level of customisation.

KNOW MORE ABOUT THE 4 RICOH LENSES

S10 LENS

* This camera unit uses a 10.00 megapixel 1/1.7-inch CCD sensor boasting high-sensitivity capabilities enhanced through the adoption of an new process. In combination with advanced image processing engine Smooth Imaging Engine IV, it achieves high-image-quality photography with high definition and low noise.
*The lens is a 24 mm to 72 mm high-performance 3x wide-angle zoom with superior usability. Utilizing a 7-group, 11-element configuration (aspherical lens: 4 elements, 4 surfaces) that includes special low-dispersion lenses, this lens achieves high dimensions of both compactness and imaging power.
*A camera shake correction function (image-sensor-shift type) is used to reduce hand- motion blur.
*The self-retaining lens cap has been a popular GX series option, and a GXR version is available as option LC-2.

A12 LENS

*This camera unit uses a 23.6 mm×15.7 mm (APS-C size) CMOS sensor with approximately 12.30 megapixels. In combination with image processing engine GR ENGINE III, it achieves high-image-quality photography with high definition, low noise, and smooth tonal gradations.

*A newly developed GR LENS with an 8-group, 9-element configuration (aspherical lens: 1 element, two surfaces) is featured. Representing a further advancement in the GR tradition of high image quality, the lens thoroughly corrects for various types of aberrations. Despite the compact size, it is also a full-fledged macro lens with a floating lens structure. At shooting distances from infinity down to the 1/2x maximum magnification macro range, it achieves strong imaging power all the way to the edge of the frame. In addition, the low level of vignetting means that the photographer can enjoy rich and genuine bokeh effects.

*The manual focus ring is perfect for use in macro photography as it makes highly precise focusing possible. It can also be used to make fine manual adjustments to the focus after autofocus is done.

P10 28-300 mm F3.5-5.6 VC

*With an original Ricoh noise reduction function and a back-illuminated CMOS sensor, this camera unit expands the photographer’s range of expression by making it possible to shoot high-quality images in scenes ranging from low light to bright light.

*Featuring a high-magnification 10.7x (28-300 mm) optical wide-angle zoom, this unit has 120 frame/second high-speed continuous shooting ability plus a wide range of other functional capabilities such as RAW image recording, image settings adjustable to nine levels, multi-target AF, and much more.

*Start of sales planned for the summer of 2010.

GR LENS A12 28 mm F2.5 (name tentative)*2

*Featuring a newly developed 28 mm fixed-focal-length GR LENS, this camera unit achieves high resolution and high imaging power.

*A 23.6 mm × 15.7 mm (APS-C size) CMOS sensor is used. The combination of this sensor with the GR ENGINE Ⅲ image processing engine enables the camera unit to shoot high-quality images with smooth tone gradations as well as high definition and low noise.

*There is a manual focus ring that can be used for precise focus adjustments.

*Start of sales planned for the winter of 2010.

Check http://www.ricoh.com for the press release

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