Ricoh (Patent Rumor) New Ricoh Compacts with Prime Lenses?

[agentlossing]

New: Ricoh 23mm and 28mm f/2.8 APS-C lens patent for a compact camera (new Ricoh GR maybe?). - Pentax & Ricoh Rumors

Ricoh has a new patent for a 23mm and 28mm f/2.8 APS-C lenses designed for a compact camera (new Ricoh GR maybe?): Embodiment 1: f = 25.99 mm,F = 2.86,ω = 28.3 Embodiment 7: f = 23.42 mm,F = 2.88,ω = 30.9 Other Embodiments: 2: f = 26.05,F = 2.87,ω = 28.3 3: f = […]

pentaxrumors.com

This is exciting to me. Regardless of whether it's released under the GR name or as a Pentax or whatever, I'm always for more fixed lens prime compact options. These would be around ~35mm and ~42mm, seems like rather close focal lengths to choose for an APS-C compact, but I'd go for the longer one. A 40mm GR-type camera would be heavenly. We will see what comes out of this.

 

[MoonMind]

New: Ricoh 23mm and 28mm f/2.8 APS-C lens patent for a compact camera (new Ricoh GR maybe?). - Pentax & Ricoh Rumors

Ricoh has a new patent for a 23mm and 28mm f/2.8 APS-C lenses designed for a compact camera (new Ricoh GR maybe?): Embodiment 1: f = 25.99 mm,F = 2.86,ω = 28.3 Embodiment 7: f = 23.42 mm,F = 2.88,ω = 30.9 Other Embodiments: 2: f = 26.05,F = 2.87,ω = 28.3 3: f = […]

pentaxrumors.com

This is exciting to me. Regardless of whether it's released under the GR name or as a Pentax or whatever, I'm always for more fixed lens prime compact options. These would be around ~35mm and ~42mm, seems like rather close focal lengths to choose for an APS-C compact, but I'd go for the longer one. A 40mm GR-type camera would be heavenly. We will see what comes out of this.

Completely agree ... though a patent doesn't not a product make ...

M.

 

[agentlossing]

You're quite right. I remember an interview with Ricoh where they seemed to hint they would be open to more APS-C taking cues from the GR III, given its success. I assumed it would be a system camera, but if it ends up being fixed lens compacts, so much the better. It does seem like something they've been ruminating on for some time.

 

[Lightmancer]

You know what I think? They are going to revisit the GXR concept, but without the evolutionary blind alley of the "lensor" approach. The GXR system is the only one I have bought into three times. The drawbacks - the aforementioned lensor cost/bulk/built-in obsolescence and the lack of a built-in viewfinder were killers every time.

Thus I hope for a "GXR II" - it will look, as the GXR did, like a GR on steroids. It will launch with a compact three high quality lens set (mild wide, wide standard and mild tele) in a weatherproof body. Manual focus will be implemented, but only in fly-by-wire form which will nark the purists but work well. Snap focus will be there, of course. No built in flash, but a high quality built in EVF. It will be targeted uncompromisingly at a street and travel demographic and would have an always-on WiFi connection to your mobile, uploading to a secure cloud. It will retail for somewhere just North of £1200 with one lens of your choice and additional lenses will retail around £700 each.

Possibly...

 

[drd1135]

You know what I think? They are going to revisit the GXR concept, but without the evolutionary blind alley of the "lensor" approach. The GXR system is the only one I have bought into three times. The drawbacks - the aforementioned lensor cost/bulk/built-in obsolescence and the lack of a built-in viewfinder were killers every time.

Thus I hope for a "GXR II" - it will look, as the GXR did, like a GR on steroids. It will launch with a compact three high quality lens set (mild wide, wide standard and mild tele) in a weatherproof body. Manual focus will be implemented, but only in fly-by-wire form which will nark the purists but work well. Snap focus will be there, of course. No built in flash, but a high quality built in EVF. It will be targeted uncompromisingly at a street and travel demographic and would have an always-on WiFi connection to your mobile, uploading to a secure cloud. It will retail for somewhere just North of £1200 with one lens of your choice and additional lenses will retail around £700 each.

Possibly...

Bill, you’re still alive!