Ricoh will “fill the gap”
Marketing Magazine (via Rice High via Noisycamera) interviewed the Ricoh UK marketing director said that Ricoh will “fill the gap” in 2012. Of course he didn’t unveil what Ricoh means with the word “gap”. But it’s easy to guess that we are talking about a new high end module, probably with full frame sensor? Would be nice! My dreams about a cheap Leica M9 could become true! 
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Comment from Randall: I second what Huggs asked. Looking for i...
Comment from Huggs: Did they ever fill that gap?...
Comment from Sam Waldron: New M mount module with 1.3 crop, and 18...
Comment from Agnius: Ricoh has always had interesting product...
Frosti7
7 months ago |IMHO as of today, there is only one, but MAJOR gap, and that is the fullframe CSC (fullframe mirrorless),
Soon Fuji X will probably try to enter that segment, i can only pray that Ricoh\pentax would follow
Dummy00001
7 months ago |> IMHO as of today, there is only one, but MAJOR gap, and that is the fullframe CSC (fullframe mirrorless),
IMHO people thinking that the camera would be compact or cheap are going to be greatly disappointed. Imagine the D700 without a mirror box. That would be about it – because you can’t cut on the batteries, which still have to be large to move the large chunks of the FF glass. And the FF sensor would keep the cameras relatively expensive.
I personally see no sense in FF mirrorless. But I guess it is important to people who already own bunch of old legacy FF glass.
Zarkon
7 months ago |It can be a lot more compact than a D700 (which is a beast of a camera to carry around all day). Take a Leica M9 (which has a 35mm frame sensor) minus out all the rangefinder bits then add in live view – voila a compact 35mm frame camera. Plus add all Japanese engineering and miniaturization expertise/magic (ala GXR and Pentax k5) and you will have a small mirrorless 35mm frame camera. Ricoh is willing to play in the boutique marketplace (much like Fuji does with the X100 and the future X ILC), why let Leica have all the fun.
weird
7 months ago |voila…! lol
Current FF sensors have to be moved by a mechanical shutter unlike current mirrorless sensor which have electronic shutter.
Moreover, a FF sensor is just twice as big as an APSC sensor. It is not as “easy” as you think to make a FF sensor fit a small body like a M9…how could be easy to make it to fit in a tiny body? M9 is already tiny…
Zarkon
7 months ago |The typical camera measures about 135mm by 101mm (Width and Height). How exactly is it hard to fit a sensor measuring 36mm by 24mm within that? An aps sensor is 24mm by 18mm (ie exactly 12mm narrower and 6mm shorter). Pick up a metric ruler and see how small the difference is between the dimensions of a 35mm sensor and an aps sensor.
MJr
7 months ago |yes, but Zarkon is right, most of the top part is the very complex and expensive rangefinder system it could do without, with live-view.
and without a reflex mirror, the FF/APS difference is not THAT big
Matt
7 months ago |Hahaha.
Have you ever opened up a rangefinder? It’s a very simple standard mechanism that doesn’t take much space up at all. Also, a bigger sensor needs a lot more circuitry, a shutter, all the stuff for the shutter, etc etc etc. The smaller it will be, as I’m sure it could be made at a decent size, the more EXPENSIVE it will be. The exact sensor size isn’t what limits the camera size.
Fants
7 months ago |Yes an affordable FF mirrorless is a gap…but as Dummy said, not an easy one to fill. And by “affordable” it would likely mean “It’s only $2800. Hey, that’s cheaper than an M9, right?” I just don’t think the confluence of compact, full-frame, and autofocus is going to happen any time soon. Manual focus maybe, but I suppose we’ll have to wait to see how the GXR-M does saleswise before we start really hoping that someone will take that kind of niche leap.
(And nobody bring up Contax G…that system is wonderful and compact, but didn’t have to cope with the angle of incidence problems inherent in digital sensors.)
IMO the real “gap” in the market isn’t a gap at all, but the lack of a system that does everything well. M4/3 has some good cameras and some good glass, but is hobbled on several fronts by the small sensor. Sony has decent cameras with great sensors, but all but one of their cameras is heavily simplified and their lens lineup is big and awful. Samsung has decent cameras and a great lens lineup, but sensors that are several years behind the times in terms of noise performance. Oh yeah, and then there’s Pentax Q and Nikon 1. All of those systems present several positives but some serious tradeoffs. (And two of them are just plain ridiculous.)
Sooo… give me a system with two body options (one like the E-P3 and one like the NEX-7), Samsung’s lens lineup, and the NEX-5n sensor. Gap filled!
Miserere
7 months ago |[snip] Sooo… give me a system with two body options (one like the E-P3 and one like the NEX-7), Samsung’s lens lineup, and the NEX-5n sensor. Gap filled!
Those are exactly my thoughts too. So much so, that I’m considering suing you for thought pattern infringement!
The ball is in Samsung’s court at the moment; their defining sink or swim moment is going to be the NX20. Sadly, their new sensor doesn’t seem to be amazing judging by the few samples on the DPR NX200 preview page, but it could be good enough if the rest of the NX20 package comes together (and they beef up its firmware compared to the NX10).
Miroslav
7 months ago |+1 @dummy @fants
Technology has improved in previous decade. No need for FF camera to make great pictures. With current Sony sensor tech, Nikon PDAF on sensor and quality that some m4/3 lenses have, one could be pro with a camera with 4/3-sized sensor and lenses. It’s just a question of a manufacturer putting it all together.
ras
7 months ago |i’m guessing pentax will make an aps-c milc or compact full frame dslr.
there is not as strong an argument for aps-c dslrs and full frame mirrorless, imo. at least they are not as cool.
Lynn
7 months ago |a bw sensor module is another gap waiting to be filled..
Matt
7 months ago |With a niche of about 10 people, worldwide. However, IF someone would do it, it’s Ricoh.
Zarkon
7 months ago |Who said anything about cheap? Boutique/niche cameras are by definition expensive. A 35mm sensor will always cost significantly more than an aps sensor. Just like a 645 medium format sensor will cost significantly more than a 35mm sensor. If you want a Walmart camera then go buy a Canon Rebel and Nikon equivalent. If you want 35mm frame or medium format then be prepared to pay up – it will always cost core. Grow up!
santela
7 months ago |The biggest gap for me is a FF M-mount GXR module, aka poorman’s M9. Dosn’t have to be super cheap, in the same price range of the D700 would be pretty reasonable.
Matt
7 months ago |A live-view full frame camera? Who would want to use live-view that actually cares so much about the quality that it has to be full frame?
santela
7 months ago |Personally I’d be using the EVF. I just want a digital solution for my M-mount lenses and don’t cost an arm or a leg. The APS-C sensors are nice, but I hate the crop factor, I’m a wide angle junkie.
Low Budget Dave
7 months ago |Ricoh: There are dozens of gaps to be filled. If you pick any two of them, I will buy your stuff.
1. Full frame sensor for your GXR.
2. Video module for your GXR.
3. Combination flash/viewfinder for your GXR.
4. Projector module for your GXR.
5. Wifi / iPhone module for your GXR.
The list goes on and on. Ricoh has one of the most creative ideas in photography in the last 10 years, and they have used it to make a series of outdated cameras.
It is like having the fastest laptop in the world, and using it to play “angry birds”.
Agnius
7 months ago |Ricoh has always had interesting products – I remember a camera with built in browser a while back. That was cool.
GXR-M is cool too, and it works as promised. And if they come up with GXR-M-FF module, I would buy that too.
Outdated cameras? That’s Leica with their optical range finders. If anyone misses “good old days”, I sure don’t.
Dream camera? M mount with full frame three layer sensor with live view and high resolution viewfinder. Ricoh, are you listening?
Sam Waldron
6 months ago |New M mount module with 1.3 crop, and 18MP.
And a new higher resolution EVF.
Would have my $2000 tomorrow.
Huggs
4 months ago |Did they ever fill that gap?
Randall
4 months ago |I second what Huggs asked. Looking for info on this and it’s not yet found. Thanks