Ricoh GXR turns camera world on its head
The Ricoh GXR – crazy, but it might just work
Ricoh has announced a new digital camera that could revolutionise how cameras are actually made.
That’s because the Ricoh GXR’s body contains just a flash, battery and screen, with the sensor and image processor moving to a new range of slide-and-lock lenses.
From a design point of view, the chief benefit is the potential for a smaller camera body – with unofficial leaks suggesting the GXR is smaller even than Micro Four Thirds systems from Olympus and Panasonic.
The second – more significant – benefit is that moving the brains of the camera into the lens allows them to be sealed in a closed system, removing the threat of dust entering the system while the lens mount is exposed.
Of course, this means that no existing lenses will work with the GXR, and at present there is a choice of just two: a 50mm f/2.5 unit containing a 12.3-megapixel sensor and a 24-72mm zoom lens with a 10-megapixel CMOS sensor.
The GXR is expected to go on sale next month, with the body likely to cost £420, with the fixed lens coming in at £600 and the zoom lens £300.
User comments (2)
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Ian Meechan 16 November 2009
Interesting idea however thing the costs of the lenses might hold it back and modern day lenses are used to rough and tumble of working day whether the lenses will be able to withstand day to day uses will remain to be seen. Still good on Ricoh for trying something different.
Report as inappropriaterob_ellis06 January 2010
I think this camera is a great idea, especially due to the no dust being able to get to the sensor! price is a bit of a bummer though :(
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