My Dream Ricoh GXR-M camera

[Duane Pandorf]

As I'm sitting in another hotel room pursuing my hobby by reading forums, blogs, editing photos and just doing what a pilot does to not get bored to tears I thought I'd write what I think would be my dream Ricoh GXR-M camera.

I first want you to read this http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/camera_design.shtml, if you have time, before coming back to what I'm going to write below...... Won't take you too long.....I can wait.

Now that you're back and have read the above article you may begin to understand my reasoning.

First off I really do enjoy using my Ricoh cameras, mostly the GXR exclusively now, but I'm sure I'm not the only one that would like to see some changes. Plus I think Ricoh has hit a home run with their A12 Mount. Of course this is just my opinion and I have no recent (last 20 years or so since autofocus SLRs) experience shooting manual focus camera, especially one that can mount Leica type lenses.

1. I think Ricoh should take the A12 Mount and design a unified body for the mount that includes a built-in OVF/EVF on the left side that's no longer modular. It would become a stand alone model and call it the Ricoh GXR-M.

2. I would update the A12 sensor to A16. I don't think the camera requires a FF sensor and the latest 16mp Sony sensor does an incredible job especially for those that want the higher ISO capabilities.

3. By unifying the body and it not being modular, the tripod mount can be centered under the middle of the lens of the camera body.

4. I would simplify the menu system to the bare basics one needs to take a picture. I can understand the need for additional custom input settings for the different lens options but I would simplify that as much as possible.

5. I would package the camera with appropriate raw conversion software that's cross platform compatible with all the custom presets/scene modes one finds in the current hardware setup. I'd work with the people at Adobe and package a special version of Lightroom or have the presets on disk that you install with the package.

All one needs is a light tight box where you can easily adjust the aperture, shutter, iso and exposure compensation. I don't need a movie mode, I don't need a Scene HI-BW mode, etc. Many of these things can be done in PP with already designed presets that Ricoh provides.

Just a couple of my thoughts as I ponder the day away.

[streetshooter]

Duane, I'm with ya on much of it but...
I still see the GXR as a modular system.
A redesigned body with an EVF with at least 16 mp is cool. We doin need no stinking OVF.
This way any lens could mount and use the EVF.
The camera could still use the lensors and it would not require 2 bodies or 2 systems.

Other things could be cool but you and the others can figure that out.
Me, I'm too busy with my 28 to even think about that stuff...
Next beer is on me .... Don

[Duane Pandorf]

I'm just hotel dreaming Don! I've got round 2 & 3 covered.

[AlbertTRAL]

Well, I do not know if is the collateral effect of the age, but I start to feel as if it is pretty healthy a sort of "back to basics"...once achieved, it becomes as if you have unloaded a big weight!
What do you think of having the option, as we had, of shooting with different films that gave different renders...obviously I think of having different sensors in different modules (only way of approaching film change analogy), for example, a module with a Foveon sensor (will never have fantastic high iso, but OMG, unmatched low ones). Another achromatic high DR sensor...etc
Well I will keep it very short, loads of things in the hat...but I really think that future has no mirrors and no glass in the VF...
Take it easy Duane. I'll pay for the one following Don's round!

[Duane Pandorf]

Thanks Albert for your thoughts. We may have to order a bigger table as I think there's a bunch of us on here that would like to share Don's first round!!!

[Cristian78]

for example, a module with a Foveon sensor (will never have fantastic high iso, but OMG, unmatched low ones). Another achromatic high DR sensor...etc

This would be really cool!

Even though I do not come from film world and have started couple of years back with a DSLR, I think the Ricoh GXR is a truly a great concept (and mirror less in general) and it allowed me to try the rangefinder lenses, zone focusing, thinking twice before making a shot, etc. Downside is that I now drool over which lens to buy next (just got yesterday a Voigtlander 75mm 2.5 - love it), perhaps an addiction from my Pentax era...

While I have not had the chance to try a Leica Digilux 2, I read a lot of reviews and I think I would be happy if the next Ricoh would follow the concept - a vario Leica fixed lens + OVF + sensor without AA filter, all in a nice Ricoh small build outfit

[streetshooter]

I think we have the makings of a new board of directors, design team, entertainment committee and we even have our own Airline delivery.

Anyway, there's a few things that must happen before things can go forward. We can't and must not forget the A12 units. So, if a new sensor gets introduced at say 16-24 mp, there has to be a way to upgrade the A12 units with the new sensor. This should be a very easy procedure but must be cost effective also. Personally, regardless of what we or Ricoh do, I'll never give up my Lensors. I have sold more work in the last year because of the freedom my buyers see in my images made with the A12 units.

I hate to say this but the body everybody wants just about exist in the Nex 7 . It's true, the EVF is great, the sensor is almost as good as the GXR but should be much better and of course the wonderful Nex interface....

So, maybe Ricoh will come thru and make the dream camera. Maybe they will make some new lensors and maybe just maybe, I'll be interested enough to leave the 28 at home and not use it .....nah.... let's not get carried away.

[thelps]

Duane, it took me a while to weigh in with your thoughts. I for one would like to see more inbuilt EVFs. Lighting can be hard in my part of the world and an EVF or OVF are sometimes the only thing to frame an image when you have LCD whiteout. As far as the OS, I'd like to see an option to boot either a full OS or as you suggested a cut down one. That way we have be best of both worlds.

I wonder if it were possible to design a simple but zoomable OVF that could be built in camera. Even if was viewfinder only with no data in there. It could then match your focal length but be with you always. Maybe too hard a ask.

[Tom Caldwell]

As I'm sitting in another hotel room pursuing my hobby by reading forums, blogs, editing photos and just doing what a pilot does to not get bored to tears I thought I'd write what I think would be my dream Ricoh GXR-M camera.

Duane, you can probably handle the shooting opportunities thrown your way, but I don't know if I can handle the hotel rooms

1. I think Ricoh should take the A12 Mount and design a unified body for the mount that includes a built-in OVF/EVF on the left side that's no longer modular. It would become a stand alone model and call it the Ricoh GXR-M.

The modular system is good, but take away the "walls" around each module and the package could be smaller, however I do prefer the way the modular system is coming together.

2. I would update the A12 sensor to A16. I don't think the camera requires a FF sensor and the latest 16mp Sony sensor does an incredible job especially for those that want the higher ISO capabilities.

I am happy with the A12 for quite some time to come. To introduce another sensor so soon is to cannibalise the market for the existing one both past and future.

3. By unifying the body and it not being modular, the tripod mount can be centered under the middle of the lens of the camera body.

Good point, but a rather large re-design for the sake of a centered tripod mount. A centered tripod mount is not universal on all cameras and is only useful in some occasions.

4. I would simplify the menu system to the bare basics one needs to take a picture. I can understand the need for additional custom input settings for the different lens options but I would simplify that as much as possible.

The existing menu system can be largely ignored and the camera used in the very basic way you suggest without altering anything. Are you suggesting that most of the Ricoh firmware designers hard work be scrapped?

5. I would package the camera with appropriate raw conversion software that's cross platform compatible with all the custom presets/scene modes one finds in the current hardware setup. I'd work with the people at Adobe and package a special version of Lightroom or have the presets on disk that you install with the package.

I don't like Lightroom and much prefer Capture One. To lock users into Lightroom might make Adobe happy but variety is the spice of life.

All one needs is a light tight box where you can easily adjust the aperture, shutter, iso and exposure compensation. I don't need a movie mode, I don't need a Scene HI-BW mode, etc. Many of these things can be done in PP with already designed presets that Ricoh provides.

I think that Ricoh already does this, it can be as simple or as complicated as any user might chose. Things like movie mode and other quite useful occasional things like skew correction are not in your face but harmlessly tucked away in Scene mode.

Just a couple of my thoughts as I ponder the day away.

Keep the thoughts coming, they add to the debate.

TomC

[Tom Caldwell]

Duane, it took me a while to weigh in with your thoughts. I for one would like to see more inbuilt EVFs. Lighting can be hard in my part of the world and an EVF or OVF are sometimes the only thing to frame an image when you have LCD whiteout. As far as the OS, I'd like to see an option to boot either a full OS or as you suggested a cut down one. That way we have be best of both worlds.

I wonder if it were possible to design a simple but zoomable OVF that could be built in camera. Even if was viewfinder only with no data in there. It could then match your focal length but be with you always. Maybe too hard a ask.

Tim

I think if there was an inbuilt evf back then there would be an inevitable debate between the flush to toplate idea like the NEX or the raised faux pentaprism look like the OM-D.

A lot depends on how you see your GXR as a device

- either an updated to the minute rangefinder with only the very best of dedicated RF lenses on board. In which case the flush top plate evf would not only be a direct competitor of the present body and compete for the same market but would have to be physically larger and also make compromises such as sacrificing the built in flash unit.

- or a camera capable of handling larger lenses with a comfortable grip with the faux dslr style. Of course this appeals to a different market and will not get much traction from those steeped in the RF style of camera. This would perhaps be less directly competitive to the current GXR back coupled to clip on evf.

I see it more as "both" the above but it might be a very hard choice on which style to produce.

The other possibility continues the modular principle by making a flush fitting fixed demountable evf to fit as the present evf does. Looking at the mount it might not be much smaller than the present articulated VF2 but of course might have snagging edges removed and made as flush fitting and robust as possible. The idea being that it might be more condusive to being left on semi-permanently. This would give instant dslr-style without needing another GXR back style.

As far as firmware is concerned it should be only a firmware switch to lock out detail from the menu. But I hardly see the need as surely the way it is you only use as much as you need. If the top mode dial covers your needs then there is little need to delve into menus.

By pet bonnet bee is a separate lens database. I have already explained the details of how I think it should work in practice many times. Certainly taking 10 RF lenses abroad recently would have taxed the present system of lens exif recording to its limits. As it was I was able to play with the PASM mode adjustments (as suggested for simple RF style use) but also use the three my modes for fairly wide ranging shooting starting positions.

Sometimes I wonder whether everyone realises that modes can be set up to run in any of the PASM modes directly from any my mode. Surely this is obvious? However talk of a simplified firmware solution using only a dial makes me wonder.

If we are getting back to basics in camera back design then perhaps all that would be needed is "A" and "M" setting - this is patently over simplification.

Of course if we are really going retro then perhaps an allusion to the film GR body in a new inbuilt evf body style

TomC