News tagged with "ricoh"

Ricoh has released firmware v2.03 for its GR enthusiast compact. The list of updated features includes support for Raw file transfer via Eye-Fi card, the ability to use 1/2500 sec shutter speed with maximum aperture and a 47mm-equivalent crop mode. Also new is a 'Maximum Aperture Priority' setting available in Program and Manual exposure modes. Click through for a link to download the latest firmware version.

Ricoh has announced the Ricoh HZ15, a 15x compact superzoom that will only be sold in Europe. Though it isn't sold under the Pentax name, it bears a striking resemblance to Optio compacts of recent years. It features a 16 megapixel CCD sensor, 24-360mm equivalent zoom lens, 720p HD video and sensor-shift 'SR' shake reduction (terminology definitely borrowed from Pentax cameras). Click through for more details.

Ricoh Imaging has announced an updated set of Pentax DA Limited primes, with improved lens coatings and circular aperture diaphragms. Based on the existing 15mm F4, 21mm F3.2, 35mm F2.8 Macro, 40mm F2.8 and 70mm F2.4 designs, the 'HD' versions gain Pentax's multi-layer HD (High Definition) coating, promising reduced flare and ghosting, and include diaphragms that are completely rounded at large aperture settings to give attractive background blur. The lenses will all available in September 2013, in a choice of silver or black. Click through for more details, including pricing.

Ricoh has announced the AF540FGZ II and AF360FGZ II Pentax-branded flash units. Both are updates to existing models, now boasting weather-sealed construction to match Pentax's line of weatherized DSLRs. The new flash units also feature built-in LED lights, intended for video recording. The AF540FGZ II offers a guide number of 54 at ISO 100/ft (178 ft) and the AF360FGZ II has a guide number of 36 at ISO 100/m (118 ft). Click through for the full press release.

Ricoh has released firmware v2.30 for its GR Digital IV enthusiast compact. The latest update is the fifth for the GRD IV, and adds a couple of features, slightly modifies the camera's behavior and fixes some minor bugs. The latest update brings the white balance options of the GRD IV into line with the more recent, large sensor, GR model, for which Ricoh has also said it will provide function-enhancing firmware.

Hot on the heels of Carl Zeiss's decision to become simply Zeiss, Pentax Ricoh has decided that from August 1st it will be known simply as Ricoh. It's not all bad news for Pentax fans though - the brand name will continue to be used on the company's SLRs and interchangeable lens cameras. Meanwhile the Ricoh name will be used for compact cameras and, cryptically, 'new technological innovations'.

Just Posted: Our review of the Ricoh GR, compared with the Nikon Coolpix A. We've already reviewed the conceptually similar Nikon Coolpix A and concluded that in some respects it was it out-gunned by the Ricoh, so what does that mean for the GR? We've delved into the Ricoh's menus to get to grips with what it's capable of and explored a range of its interesting features. Read our comparative review to see how it performs.

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.