Ricoh Do not know if this good or bad news for the GXR

I was wondering the same thing when I saw the press. My initial reaction is that this is might be bad news for the GXR specifically, especially if Pentax has another larger sensor CSC in the works. I remember reading rumors about this, but maybe they were talking about the K-01?

I am not trying to bash on the GXR - love my 28mm and dig the stuff people are doing with the M Module. I am just guessing, though, that the GXR system has not quite caught on enough that the Ricoh product people would be able to defend to Pentax.

It seems like the product lineup would be something like:

GRD (supercompacts) --- (new) CSC --- DSLR/pro


GRD could include the GXR if they think it can grow, or they could just have larger sensor versions of the GRD.
 
In the days of film - Pentax did make some great lens and their SLR's were really good

In fact I still have an almost unused all boxed up ME Super and 50mm f1.7 - one roll of film thru it
The ME Super was termed the Leica SLR

not kept up since but I had a K100D DSLR and it was really good

Here is one of my favourite shots with the K100D

cow_pentax.jpg
 
I doubt anything Ricoh will go away. They are huge in Japan. And I'll bet money that most or all of the Ricoh camera division staff are part of that team. Ricoh did not buy Pentax just to allow Pentax to close down the Ricoh brand. This announcement probably just makes official what has already happened anyway. For accounting and management structure purposes. Plus, the whole point was consolidation anyway, no? Consolidate design, manufacturing and marketing to be both more effective and more efficient.
 
Pentax makes good lenses and has good engineers but no sense of style or marketing at all. Ricoh needs to shake stuff up with Pentax. Hopefully, the K-01 is not typical of those efforts.:)
 
Hmm... GXR module that takes Pentax lenses? Now thats something I *would* be interested in. No idea if its even possible though.

Me too. I have a GXR which I bought primarily to use with my Leica lenses but I am a longstanding Pentax user and still have a K-5 DSLR and a fair number of lenses including some of the very compact but high quality DA Limited lenses.

A Pentax KA2 mount module would be quite difficult and expensive to make if it provided AF with both screw drive and SDM but as Ricoh now own Pentax they have access to all the Pentax technology and patents so it should be possible. It would at a stroke provide the GXR with a full range of compact primes (the Limited series) and also zooms though they might look rather incongruously large in relation to the compact GXR body.
 
Me too. I have a GXR which I bought primarily to use with my Leica lenses but I am a longstanding Pentax user and still have a K-5 DSLR and a fair number of lenses including some of the very compact but high quality DA Limited lenses.

A Pentax KA2 mount module would be quite difficult and expensive to make if it provided AF with both screw drive and SDM but as Ricoh now own Pentax they have access to all the Pentax technology and patents so it should be possible. It would at a stroke provide the GXR with a full range of compact primes (the Limited series) and also zooms though they might look rather incongruously large in relation to the compact GXR body.

MMmmmm... GXR with a Kmount module and the 21/40/70mm pancakes. Nice. Likely? Probably not :(
 
Just saw in amateur photographer magazine this week that ricoh/pentax are bringing out a pentax module for the ricoh GXR . I would definitly be interested as I have a lot of pentax lenses which I used on my GF1 and they were sharper than the panasonic lenses.:)
 
So far I'm very pleased with my new M Mount and Leica Summicron-C 40mm lens combo. Granted, most on here, want and need auto focus, but I'm finding the manual focus is forcing me even more to concentrate on my framing and "seeing" better. I'm enjoying the experience so far and haven't had any issues using either Mode 1 or Mode 2 peaking options.

I did get to meet with the Ricoh people this week in Tokyo and they were mum about new product development. But then, only one in the group spoke English and she was not in a position to divulge much. Plus their CES event was happening two day after our meeting (CP+). And I was not going to ruin our get together by asking questions I knew they couldn't or wouldn't answer.

So back to the GXR. I'm in the mindset now to look at another body and M Mount as backups. My future investment in M mount lens can be used on other bodies if need be and the current sensor in the GXR is just fine for my work, or should say hobby.
 
Just saw in amateur photographer magazine this week that ricoh/pentax are bringing out a pentax module for the ricoh GXR . I would definitly be interested as I have a lot of pentax lenses which I used on my GF1 and they were sharper than the panasonic lenses.:)

Is that definite??? I would buy a GXR in a heartbeat if it were. I love my GRD3, and I love how much flexibility of setup it has, I imagine the GXR is much the same. I've even been considering selling the XZ (oh horror and after I have waxed so lyrical about it) and the GRD3, in favour of a GXR with the 24-72mm 1/1.7 sensor module. That, plus a K-mount module... wow.
 
Back
Top