Ricoh GXR A16 Zoom revealed - availability March 2012

[bertalan]

Popflash has it listed for $599.
Too bad about the size though. I mean for another 8mm you could have the equivalent of the Sigma 17-70mm f2.8-4 macro. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what the pics are like. I agree with Pavel about the limiting ISO, but I guess thats what computers are for.

[chrisa]

I'm wondering about the sensor in the new module. I don't think it's the K5/Nex5n sensor. It's a different size from the one in the Nex 5n according to dpreview for a start, and the K-01 isn't that Sony sensor either (see the camera store video preview, they state it clearly), but the K-01 sensor is the same size as the one in the Ricoh. I guess it is unlikely that Sony would give a new sensor to a relatively low volume product, so it may be from elsewhere. Aptina do a 16mp sensor, so it could be theirs... I'm wondering how that will affect autofocus speed (on the current GXR body).

[odklizec]

I'm pretty sure it uses the 16MP sensor from Sony. Ricoh is a traditional Sony customer so I seriously doubt the sensor is from elsewhere. However, judging from the crippled ISO performance, it may not be the most recent 16MP sensor with native ISO range ending at ISO12800. I rather think it uses the older one with native ISO range ending at 6400. Unfortunately (and this is my pure speculation), Ricoh probably decided the ISO6400 is not clean enough and so they decided to limit the range to just 3200. A very sad decision in my humble opinion.

BTW, there is one little thing that was not mentioned in the press release and at the official product page, which will make many folks really happy. It seems the A16 zoom Interval mode now allows 2 secs interval! Something people (hello Martin!;)) asked for a very long time.
http://translate.google.com/translate?s ... d%3D659%2F

[setvak]

BTW, there is one little thing that was not mentioned in the press release and at the official product page, which will make many folks really happy. It seems the A16 zoom Interval mode now allows 2 secs interval! Something people (hello Martin!;)) asked for a very long time.
http://translate.google.com/translate?s ... d%3D659%2F

Wow!!!!!!!!! Well, that's "THE" reason for me! Can't wait to see some better samples than those from the Ricoh Global website.

Thanks, Pavel, for mentioning this ... As I'm considering a Namibia trip for this summer (winter at the south hemisphere), I was seriously thinking about getting a camera with APS-C sensor for the trip ... well, not only for this trip, but plenty of other reasons, and this might push me in favor of GXR plus this module.

BTW, I wonder how much they might have been influenced by my 2s timelapse movies from the last year ... some of them are spectacular.

Ahoj, Martin

[setvak]

Hi Pavel (and all),

I'm pretty sure it uses the 16MP sensor from Sony. Ricoh is a traditional Sony customer so I seriously doubt the sensor is from elsewhere. However, judging from the crippled ISO performance, it may not be the most recent 16MP sensor with native ISO range ending at ISO12800. I rather think it uses the older one with native ISO range ending at 6400.

Is there any update about this - the origin and type of the A16 sensor? Most of the A16-related contributions here (in the other threads) and elsewhere address namely the lens issues, but none discusses the sensor quality - high ISO performance (at longer exposures - above 2 seconds), exposure dynamics, etc. But perhaps it is too early for this, there simply might be not enough test images available so far to make any preliminary conclusions or inferences on this...

Martin