Thread: Excitement is Building for the Sony RX100. I'm Dreaming About the Ricoh GRD V.

For me the GRD was my introduction to excellent compact digicams, and my GRD 3 is my most used camera. The UI really cannot be beat. If they went to 1" sensor...

Just released....

Looks like ricoh may be skipping over the 1'' sensor. Nikon rumors just posted a ricoh lens patent for 4/3sensor 14mm f2.5

Moving the GRD up to 43's and GXR to FF would make me very happy(ofcourse they also post a new 28mm EQ Aps-C lens patent)

The latest lens patents from Ricoh and Olympus | Photo Rumors

A GRD5 with the Olympus OM-D sensor, a cracking 14mm f2.5 lens and the GRD control interface. I could go for that :)

My only two issues right now is a) lens softness, and b) price. I think I'd spend 500 USD for it. I don't think I'd spend the reported 650.

Originally Posted by Chris2500dk

A GRD5 with the Olympus OM-D sensor, a cracking 14mm f2.5 lens and the GRD control interface. I could go for that :)

That's just SOOOOOOO similar to the GXR-28, maybe a bit smaller but no doubt larger than the existing GRD3/4. Which only makes sense if Andrew is right about the end of the line for the GXR, which he may well be. So maybe the nearly identical but for sensor size GRD and GXR will both sort of go away and consolidate in the middle somewhere with either a 1" or 4/3 sensor. I'm sure it'll be a fine camera but I don't see what it offers that we can't already get. Unless of course the sensor is a vast improvement on all levels, which it very well could be give advances in sensors across the board in the past year or two.

We'll see. Probably just a bit of refinement compared to what's already available rather than any sort of game changer...

-Ray

Originally Posted by Booka

Just released....

Looks like ricoh may be skipping over the 1'' sensor. Nikon rumors just posted a ricoh lens patent for 4/3sensor 14mm f2.5

Moving the GRD up to 43's and GXR to FF would make me very happy(ofcourse they also post a new 28mm EQ Aps-C lens patent)

The latest lens patents from Ricoh and Olympus | Photo Rumors

That's pretty interesting! Hmmmm.... I know that they could develop their own proprietary 4/3-sized sensor like Canon did, but how cool would it be to have Ricoh/Pentax on the m4/3 standard? Rather than trying to go it alone with their own, proprietary, CSC lens mount, they could have Pentax primes and Ricoh bodies out for m4/3.

I wonder how far in advance patents become public. I think they first file for provisional patent, which are private, and then they go public at some point. Just wondering if this was a pre-Pentax deal.

I personally would love to see a 1" sensor in a GRD. I wouldn't welcome a larger body, though. I think the ergonomics and layout are excellent and would love to see it stay the same. Sure, an OVF would be nice, but you can always buy the one that slides into the hot shoe. I would hate for them to make the GRD bigger just to accommodate a boring little optical viewfinder with no information. Look at the G-Series Canons. Their viewfinders are garbage. I'd be worried that Ricoh would just stick one in there for the heck of it. Now, if they could incorporate some information (Shutter, Aperture, ISO) and provide framing guidelines like you see in the film point and shoots (even just a little circle or some frame lines for parallax would be excellent), that would be top-notch.

I think if I had to choose between a slight size increase to incorporate a so-so VF over no size increase and no VF, I'd choose no increase in size and no VF.

This will be interesting to follow. I would love a larger sensor GRD. I've always wanted the GXR, but I can't afford it. Even at used prices it's significantly more expensive than the GRD.

Originally Posted by Lili

For me the GRD was my introduction to excellent compact digicams, and my GRD 3 is my most used camera. The UI really cannot be beat. If they went to 1" sensor...

Me too... bought the GRD2 and was anxious about it because it was so expensive. But I've gotten more mileage out of my GRDs than any other camera and that makes them a great value in my book.

This is just an "I hope so!"

Originally Posted by matthewm

... I've always wanted the GXR, but I can't afford it. Even at used prices it's significantly more expensive than the GRD.

I've been seriously considering getting one with the basic 24-72mm 1/1.7 sensor. DWI has them for under $600 and I was sure I saw one for less, somewhere... maybe an ebay HK dealer.