Brave compact system camera innovation from Ricoh explored

Ricoh GXR is available to pre-order from Amazon US- follow the link at the bottom of this page.

• Interchangeable lenses with their own image sensors
• Lens sensor modules range from compact to APS-C formats
• High resolution hot-shoe mount external electronic viewfinder
• Compact and slim body design
• 920,000 dot high resolution 3 inch LCD screen
• Lens module system could be expanded to include a digital projector module, or a photo storage module

Read the Press Release: Ricoh announces the GXR Interchangeable Unit Camera System

First of all, don't forget that at the bottom of this page there is a 19 image annotated gallery tour of the Ricoh GXR consisting of images of the GXR I took at the UK press launch earlier today.

One of the smallest players from Japan in the digital camera market, Ricoh doesn't even have an official presence in the US market (although Amazon will be selling the new GXR there). But Ricoh is a highly respected name in Japan and is known for its stylish cameras and innovative design. Here in Europe they are a popular choice for those who don't wish to conform by buying a big brand camera while not sacrificing on quality.

When I first heard that Ricoh was going to launch a mirror-less interchangeable lens system camera as an alternative to a DSLR, I was genuinely puzzled. I honestly felt that it was unlikely Ricoh would have resources to build a new system in the conventional sense and yet I couldn't see where they might find a partner to help develop a rival to Olympus and Panasonic's Micro Four Thirds system, or Samsung's proposed NX system, let alone rumoured alternatives from Sony and Nikon.

But here we are and Ricoh has not only produced a new compact interchangeable lens camera system in the new Ricoh GXR, but has demonstrated brave lateral thinking in its execution. The conventional wisdom of interchangeable lens digital camera design clearly segregates the camera body from the lens, using a bayonet-style lens mount system to join the two. Ricoh has rejected this and decided that the lens should have its own sensor and image processor, in an interchangeable lens module. This is what the Ricoh GXR delivers. The lens and sensor reside in a square module base that slides into GXR camera body.

To start with there are just two lens modules, each incorporating very different sensors. The 33mm f/2.5 Macro (50mm 135 format equivalent) lens module is built around a 12.3 megapixel CMOS APS-C sensor. The second lens module owes much of its origins to the Ricoh Caplio GX100/200 cameras, retaining the 3x zoom lens and a 1/1.7 inch CCD sensor, which is 8.5 times smaller in surface area. The advantage of a smaller sensor is a smaller lens and the 3x 5.1-15.3mm (24-72 equivalent) f/2.5-4.4 lens stows away when not in use much smaller than even much-vaunted pancake lenses on other compact platforms.

The highly unusual concept that Ricoh has come up with is quite a risk. In effect you are buying camera modules that fit onto a base camera. Conventional lenses have a long shelf life, while cameras come and go in a relative flicker of an eyelid as sensor and image processing technologies improve at a, sometimes, dizzying rate. Ricoh's GRX system is not budget priced and residual values for the lenses might be poor compared to conventional lenses. And will the public buy the Ricoh concept? This is something we will have to wait and see. But in the mean time, have a look at our 19 annotated pictures of the Ricoh GXR system components in our product gallery below, taken by us at the official press launch in London today:

Click on a thumbnail to see a larger version of the picture, plus notes on each image:

Ricoh GXR camera system is available to pre-order via
Amazon Germany is currently the only European Amazon outlet that supplies electronic goods like cameras, printers and scanners priced in Euros.
Each Amazon outlet can ship to most countries in the world.

Reader feedback:

Discuss this story:

Ricoh GXR hands-on preview

DPNow Ricoh GXR hands-on preview
Here is a summary or excerpt from an article that has just been published on DPNow: Ricoh has made ... (more)

Ian Re: Ricoh GXR hands-on preview
[ You can't accuse Ricoh of unimaginative design! :) It's refreshing, but is it a winner? Ian ... (more)

Patrick Re: Ricoh GXR hands-on preview
Hi Ian Didn't Canon have a similar idea a number of years ago? Very brave of Ricoh to go do... (more)

Ian Re: Ricoh GXR hands-on preview
I can't recall something similar from Canon to be honest. I did raise the point at the press event... (more)

Patrick Re: Ricoh GXR hands-on preview
As I remember the Canon idea was to be able to upgrade the sensor on a camera by fitting a new... (more)

Ian Re: Ricoh GXR hands-on preview
By all accounts the 33mm macro lens module (50mm f/2.5 equivalent) works very well, but the zoom mod... (more)

Patrick Re: Ricoh GXR hands-on preview
One of the things I find irritating about this mirror less development is not the cameras, they l... (more)

mike_j Re: Ricoh GXR hands-on preview
Is it in the interests of major manufacturers to standardise? As it is they have a semi captive purc... (more)

DTD Re: Ricoh GXR hands-on preview
Interesting and different – so very 'Ricoh' Maybe a bit too much of both? Reminds me of modular m... (more)

Ian Re: Ricoh GXR hands-on preview
One benefit if the Rocoh system is that they can use a leaf shutter instead of a focal plane shutter... (more)