News tagged with "ricoh"

Pentax Ricoh has released the first firmware update for its Q10 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. Firmware v1.01  improves operational stability and contrast AF performance. The update is available for immediate download from the company's website. Click through for the download link.

Ricoh exhibited a concept camera at CP+ that captures spherical panoramic images and sends them wirelessly to a smartphone or tablet. Apparently produced mainly to gauge market reaction, Ricoh released no technical info on the camera apart from the fact that it uses two opposed 180-degree lenses whose images it combines into one spherical panorama. Users can zoom in on the image elements and swipe to look around the sphere; they can also zoom out to a circular image. The company imagines printing images on spheres as a potential product concept, and is considering video capture as well as stills.

Pentax hasn't been idle in 2012, and just before the opening of Photokina, it refreshed its popular K-5 DSLR, releasing two new models, the K-5 II and the K-5 IIS, which lacks an anti-aliasing filter, for greater detail resolution. Barnaby Britton caught up with John Carson, Sr. Manager of Sales & Marketing at Pentax Imaging USA, and asked him about the new DSLRs, the tiny Q, and why designers love the K-01.

Photokina 2012: Pentax Ricoh has announced its latest flagship DSLRs - the K-5 II and K-5IIs. The 's' version, which costs $100 more, comes without an anti-aliasing filter, to offer higher resolution at the risk of more prominent moiré interference patterns. Both cameras feature 16MP sensors and the weather-sealed magnesium alloy build of the original K-5. The biggest difference is the latest, SAFOX X, autofocus sensor. This is designed to work in lower light than any of its rivals (down to -3EV) it will also provide greater accuracy when working with F2.8 and fast lenses. The K-5 II will be available from October at a cost of around $1350/€1099 with 18-55mm WR kit zoom. The K-5 IIs will be available, body-only for around $1300/€1249 - a $100/€250 premium over the standard version.

Photokina 2012: Pentax Ricoh has expanded its Q system with the addition of the Q10 body and adapter allowing the use of K-mount lenses. The Q10 features a slightly redesigned body and updated 12.4MP 1/2.3" back-lit CMOS sensor. Improvements include faster operation and autofocus performance, the company says. There is also a 15-45mm F2.8 fast 80-250mm equivalent telephoto zoom, the Pentax 06 Telephoto Zoom lens. There's also an adapter for mounting and manuallty focusing K-mount lenses on Q-mount bodies - where the Qs' compact-camera-sized sensors will give a roughly 5.5x crop factor, meaning a 28mm lens will give a 154mm equivalent field of view. The Q10 will cost around $700 with the 02 Standard kit zoom, with the fast zoom costing around $300 and the K-mount adapter roughly $250.

Ricoh has issued a firmware update for all the camera modules of its GXR modular camera system. Version 1.51 is supposed to improve image quality in photos taken when combining negative exposure compensation with the multi-area 'Multi-P Auto' white balance setting. There are additional big fixes when the firmware is intalled on the GXR M-mount module and the A16 zoom module. Downloads are available from Ricoh immediately.

Ricoh has prepared a firmware update for its GR Digital IV enthusiast compact camera, based on user feedback. The update includes a series of function and user-interface tweaks to improve the camera's behavior, including the ability to write copyright information to EXIF, and the ability to save the snap-focus distance to the ADJ lever, avoiding the need to delve through the menus. 

Ricoh has announced that its Pentax Ricoh Imaging (PRI) business unit will take full control of the design, development and sales of the company's cameras, worldwide. PRI was created when Ricoh bought Pentax and is the business that has been responsible for the design, manufacturing and sales of Pentax cameras. It will now absorb the consumer businesses of Ricoh's Personal Multimedia Product Company, which was responsible for the design, manufacture and sale of Ricoh cameras. The change will take effect from April 1st 2012.

Ricoh has released a 24-85mm equivalent F3.5-5.5 zoom module with a 16MP APS-C sensor for its GXR system. The latest camera unit offers a flexible focal length range that starts slightly wider than the average kit zoom, without making the camera excessively large. It's the first GXR module to be built around a 16MP sensor. Announced back in November, it is the first zoom module for the system to offer APS-C image quality. If our suspicions are correct and it uses the excellent Sony 16MP sensor, this promises a lot both in terms of image quality and focus speed (the faster readout of the sensor helps contrast-detection systems to more quickly ascertain correct focus).

Just Posted: Ricoh GR Digital IV Preview Samples Gallery. We've been using a Ricoh GR Digital IV for some time, just long enough to get a quick gallery of samples together. As usual, our 24-image gallery contains images taken at a mixture of different camera and lens settings, in a variety of different shooting conditions. As well as 'straight from the camera' JPEGs we've also included a number of images converted from raw files, using Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) and processed 'to taste'.

Ricoh has added a 24-85mm equivalent zoom camera unit, based around an APS-C sized CMOS sensor, to its product roadmap. The roadmap on the company's Japanese site shows the module, scheduled for an 'Early 2012' launch, will be built around a 16MP APS-C CMOS sensor. Given the company's use of 12MP Sony sensors in its A12 modules, it seems likely this zoom module will be built around a version of Sony's impressive 16MP chip that underpins several recent Sony, Nikon and Pentax models. No details are given on price or aperture range. (via DC Watch)

Ricoh has announced the CX6, the latest in its line of compact superzoom cameras. It features a 10MP back-lit CMOS sensor and the familiar 10.7x 28-300mm equivalent image stabilized zoom lens. The latest model features improved processing and hardware to offer faster focusing (with claimed AF times as fast as 0.1 sec), as well as a dedicated movie shooting button. It also gains Aperture and Shutter Priority exposure modes and the Sony WhiteMagic 1.23M dot VGA LCD screen.

Ricoh has announced it will update the firmware of its GRD III enthusiast compact camera. The update, due in mid October, is the fifth feature-adding revision for the high-end model and includes several additional features that have come from its GXR and GRD IV cameras. These include the ability to assign an additional option to the 'Adj.' lever and the locking of the power button if the optional new GL-1 metal lens cap is fitted. The company says this will be the final update for the GRD III.

Just Posted: Ricoh GR Digital IV hands-on preview. We've been loaned a pre-production GRD 4, which we've closely examined to see what this latest model offers. Although the core specification (28mm equiv. lens and 10MP CCD sensor) appear unchanged, there have been plenty of updates. These include the addition of image stabilization, 'Hybrid AF' and the first application we've seen of Sony's 'WhiteMagic' RGBW high-res LCD. Click here to find out how Ricoh has refreshed its high-end enthusiast compact.

Ricoh has unveiled the Ricoh GR Digital IV - the latest in its series of high-end, fixed focal-length compacts. The GRD IV is still built around a 10MP 1/1.7" CCD sensor but gains sensor-shift image stabilization. It also adds 'Hybrid AF' that uses twin CMOS AF sensors allowing the camera to assess focus distance and bring focus times down to 0.2 sec (twice the speed of the GRD III). This, combined with the camera's distinctly photographer-focused interface and compact size, prompts the company to tout the GR Digital IV as a street-shooting tool. The camera also gains a high-resolution RGBW 1.23M dot LCD. There will also be a limited-edition white version for the first time.

Ricoh has announced a firmware update for its GXR camera units, increasing the available range of features and functions. The updates bring many of the advances made in the recently-announced M-mount module, including improved manual focus magnification. There are also a number of small additions and corrections to other features, including the ability to specify both the ISO limits and minimum shutter speed limit for Auto ISO. The A12 units also gain Bulb and Time exposure modes. The updates can be downloaded from the company's website.

Ricoh has announced a Leica M-mount unit for its modular GXR camera system. The GXR Mount A12 features a 12MP APS-C CMOS sensor with the ability to fit a wide range of M-mount lenses or a still wider choice if used in combination with an adapter. And, unlike the majority of digital cameras, it features no low-pass (anti-aliasing) filter. The Mount A12 module includes all the usual GXR features (such as toy camera and miniature processing modes), but also gains a silent electronic shutter mode, several manual focus assist options and a series of lens correction parameters. The module will be available from early September, at an MSRP of $649. We've been using a pre-production Mount A12 module for the past few days and have prepared an hands-on preview with real-world samples.

Ricoh and Panasonic have announced firmware updates for their cameras. Ricoh has released firmware v1.37 for its GXR module, while Panasonic promises improved GPS accuracy for several of its recent cameras. Installing firmware version 1.2 should increase the positioning accuracy of the DMC-ZS10/TZ20, TZ22 and FT3/TS3. Meanwhile, v1.37 for the GXR modules corrects a minor error with focus mode reporting, and a glitch in manual mode for the S10 module.

Ricoh has announced the PX rugged, waterproof compact. It combines a 16MP stabilized CCD sensor and 2.7" LCD with conventional camera styling. Despite its appearance, it can withstand a drop from up to 1.5m and being submerged to a depth of 3m for 60 minutes. Along with the camera, Ricoh has launched a range of silicone covers that help make the camera still-more durable. We've had access to a pre-production PX and have prepared a brief preview and 20-image samples gallery.

Ricoh has posted a firmware update for its GXR system, covering the A12 28mm, 50mm macro, P10 28-300mm and S10 24-72mm equiv. zoom lens units. Version 1.36 rectifies a minor bug related to the Cross Process scene mode in all units. The update also rectifies additional minor bugs for the A12 28mm and 50mm equiv. units. The single firmware file will make appropriate changes for each unit and is available for immediate download from Ricoh's website.