We’ve always been big fans of Ricoh’s approach to compact cameras, and their fixed lens GR Digital compact remains one of our favourite cameras ever.
A while ago Ricoh pulled something even more innovative out of the bag with their revolutionary GXR camera system, touted as the world’s first “interchangeable unit camera system.”
Ricoh has just announced the launch of the CX3, a 10MP digital compact camera featuring a ‘back-illuminated’ CMOS sensor promising better low light performance, a HD Movie Mode and a 3in (920,000 pixels) LCD screen.
The CX3 inherits the generous 10.7x (28-300 mm equivalent, f3.5 – f5.6) optical wide-angle zoom lens from its predecessor, and comes with a nippy 5 frames per second continuous shooting mode, backed by auto focus (AF) functions which automatically respond to subject movement.
Ricoh’s GR range of compact, high-end street shooting cameras is now up to version III, but we fell in love with the camera back in 2006 when the first model came out.
We reviewed the camera not long after it was released, but seeing as we’re still using it, we thought you may be interested in both the original review and our long term opinion after three eyars with the camera.
Many of the comments equally apply to the GRD III, which shares a lot of features with the original camera, although several key areas have been much improved.
Ricoh has whisked out a firmware update for its high end ‘street shooting’ GR Digital III digital compact.
A lovely – if pricey - little camera, the GR Digital comes with a fixed, wide angle 28mm (equiv) f1.7 lens, set in a rugged, pocketable package that offers a host of manual controls for the ‘hands on’ photographer.
The latest firmware update serves up additional features and improvements, including compatibility with the GF-1 external flashgun, the addition of 1.5m snap focus distance and improved playback functions.
The firmware will be available for download from December 1, 2009 from Ricoh’s website.
Billed as the world’s first “interchangeable unit camera system,” Ricoh’s new compact camera system puts the lens, image sensor, and image processing engine into a integrated camera unit, so – unlike conventional DSLRs – the camera body itself does not contain an image sensor.
It’s a curious concept, with the camera units sliding into the GXR body, letting Ricoh squeeze the size down enough for it to claim the title of the, ‘World’s smallest and lightest digital camera with interchangeable lenses’.
Reviewing high end Ricoh digital cameras is turning out to be an expensive business for us. The first time we took a look at one – their fixed lens Ricoh GR compact – we ended up liking the camera so much we went straight out and bought the ruddy thing (but only after Ricoh had prised the review model out of our cold, snapping hands).
What got our apertures flapping about the Ricoh GR was its SLR-like controls, full manual exposure options, old school fast fixed lens and no-frills looks that made it a street shooters dream.
Recent Comments