Ricoh offers limited edition GR II kit to mark 10 years of digital GR cameras

Ricoh is too conservative. It has corporate size, but niche thinking. Leica, on the other hand, is small and cannot think big in terms of production (therefore more expensive products), but!, it delivers in photographically much bigger, lasting and defining terms. Leica Q explains it all.

Oct 5, 2015*permalink

Mike FL

Leica Q is the first of this kind of camera with IS plus the best EVF second to none. It is not too expensive comparing to SONY RX1 + Add-on EVF.

But, I saw SONY RX1's grey market price is going down to $1700 which is $1000 lower than Amazon...

Oct 6, 2015*permalink

It would really be cool if there were an opening on the brief case for the lens to poke thru and a shutter button in its handle. This would please many of today's street shooters who think sneaking a shot of unsuspecting random people makes them a classic photographer. This could be their ultimate weapon in going for their less than collectible photos.

Oct 4, 2015permalink

Hell will freeze over before either Ricoh or Pentax announce anything that has 35mm FoV. Mind you, even 15 years into the digital, Pentax does not have a 35mm FoV lens. People want to switch, and ask for 35mm lens, and they always get same answer. Pentax has most crazy camera designs world has ever seen, appeals to customers with all camera body colours, patterns and gimmicks, but with a 35mm lens? No way!

Same with Ricoh. That is part of their ultra-niche thinking and the reason why original and buggy Fujifilm X100 with a 35mm FoV equivalent lens outsold APS-C GR in 8:1 ratio, despite GR being much more polished and bug-free camera.

It is obvious that market loves 35mm FoV more. I agree that a 1.5x teleconverter would make this camera 8 times more interesting, GR would sell more, and this kit would disappear in an instant.

That is why Ricoh will never deliver them. More cameras sold means more customer support, more marketing, and Ricoh, most likely, is afraid of it.

Oct 3, 2015*permalink

turvyT

Ricoh GR is a perfect niche product. Better this way. There is no point in trying to make this camera a must-have for everybody. And Ricoh people are happy with this. It's a wide prime not a zoom, has no EVF or OVF (which is perfectly fine for me, even if I sometimes miss it; although I have an external one), and its design is not retro-Leica, like Fuji. It's a subdued, humble, apparently quirky piece of machinery, but on the right hands and with the right eyes, is a real monster, able to destroy much more sophisticated and expensive pieces of equipment.

Oct 3, 2015*permalink

Leandros S

I don't know why you would pick Fujifilm and not Sigma as the example here. Sigma gives a number of options as to the FoV of its DP range. Looking at their offerings, there seems to be demand for all sorts of focal lengths.

Oct 3, 2015permalink

RidgeRunner22

Hmm, I happen to love the 28mm FOV for creating a sense of subjects in a vast space, be it mountains, cityscape, forests etc...
It's not for portrait, and actually I don't really care for it as a pure landscape FOV without a close subject.

Oct 3, 2015permalink

What a rant, and for what? Move along if you don't like this one.

Oct 4, 2015permalink

joelakeland, do not dumb down the conversation, lowering it to the lowest public denominator, which is "if you do not like, skip it". No. There is some truth beyond everything, and if you do not discuss it, you may continue living in illusion. So why don't you listen to your own advice and move along if you don't like my question?

Oct 4, 2015permalink

RidgRunner22, certainly GR is a very fine camera. It could be even more, with a little bit more thinking on Ricoh's side. Say, a 24MP sensor could deliver usable 35mm images at some 15MP! And 50mm images at ~8 MP! And 24MP sensors are as good as that already inside the GR!
With a new imager, GR II could be an excellent new upgrade, a truly new possibility camera.
So you see, if as a customer you do not provide the necessary feedback, you'll be left with what company considers its 'comfort zone' and will never try to deliver more.

Oct 4, 2015*permalink

I really don't care to get into it with you because I can readily see it would be a fool's errand to think either of our views would be changed. Besides, you can't think on my level.

Oct 5, 2015permalink

If you don't care, why did you care to input a wholly non-constructive remark? If you are happy with whatever a corporation that thinks niche does, be happy with it. But if you take a good honest look at the camera landscape in this category, it seems only one player really thinks, and that is Leica. It came with a camera that solved all the issues of all other large-sensor, fixed-lens mirrorless cameras, by introducing a full-frame, 28mm fixed fast lens camera that is so fast, easy to use and has enough pixels one can use comfortably up to 50-60mm FoV. Ricoh, in all his corporate power, could not think of that even in the second version of the same camera, and did nothing to improve or expand the use of it.

Oct 5, 2015permalink

Park Avenue Airwolf

Don't mess with success. That's what the forum experts just don't grasp. Whatever. GR lives on as a successful brand and idea in an era where that is challenging. Going to 35mm would shred that entirely. Thanks for the marketing lesson though buddy.

Jun 16, 2020permalink

Leandros S

Difference in size and hence pocketability, Zvoni:
https://camerasize.com/compact/#849,820,ha,f

And, need I say, price.

Jul 3, 2020permalink

Sa7724473

In the traditional csmera industry; orange leather is innovation. Now gimmeallyeemooney.

Oct 2, 2015permalink

Its a wonderful camera like all the GRs. But here we have a lesson in how to take a compact camera and make it take an entire briefcase. You can say it's just for collecting but in that case 1,200 is too many. Make 300 and you have something a little exclusive.

Oct 2, 2015permalink

Leandros S

I'm guessing the 1200 figure means you'll be able to buy some of these through retailers, not just direct from Ricoh. If you only make 300, global availability becomes a problem.

Oct 3, 2015permalink

Your number is just as arbitrary as 1200. And I bet they are a better judge of the number.

Oct 4, 2015permalink

BG_CX3_DPREVIEW

Ricoh really frustrates me, i love the camera's to shoot pictures, all the rest, stop doing this; teta, limited editions,

like this set; why do they sell it in a big alu box? A Ricoh is typically very pocaktable, so i'll never ever use the box as carying case.

A Few years ago Ricoh aquired Pentax and we all had high hopes, but all we see is new Pentax stuff and complete discontinuing all Ricohs, the GRII is so good, making a 3 would be stupid, so probably this edition is like the funeral edition of Ricoh camera's..... Sad, realy sad to see this happening.

Oct 2, 2015permalink

Park Avenue Airwolf

Guess you got that one wrong eh?

Jul 8, 2020permalink

RichRMA

Nothing screams, "P&S" like no EVF and that rectangular lens hood opening.

Oct 2, 2015permalink

cam colect

i have a GRD1 and a Lumix LX-3. i use the LX-3 more But of great interest they both use the same battery and charger. Very handy. Also i use a Olympus Wide adapter CLA-7 on the LX-3 (stuck on with Gaffa tape) it turns the 24mm into about 18mm no curved lines, Nice. After reading turvyT's post i had better get the GRD1 out and shoot some pictures.

Oct 1, 2015*permalink

turvyT

Baloony that statement about the poor quality of GRD1. To begin with, there has been five previous generations of Ricoh GRDII. Four of them, with the small sensor, one with the APSC one. Unbelievably, Ricoh Grd1, with its small sensor and slow writing, is able to render brilliant images. Denser and more interesting than all the other generations --sometimes and with the right exposure. Very interesting cameras, all of them, and very misunderstood, specially by this webpage, that seems to prefer a crappy zoom than a good prime..

Oct 1, 2015*permalink

Its because a lot of the pros don't go back far enough to when there was no software correction to hide the flaws in zoom lenses.

Oct 2, 2015permalink

Nothing says point and shoot....whatever. With its singular point of view, fantastic lens and capable APS-C sensor, it beats the pants off many ILC combos, in fact, nearly all the M43 lot. Nothing says use your evf and shoot less quality photos with your m43 camera...

Oct 4, 2015permalink

BigShooter

Looks purdy but a complete and utter waste of money.

Love my GR!

Oct 1, 2015permalink

photominion

Looks amazing!
Thumbs up for the great combination of accessories and the nice half case in a beautiful case :)

Oct 1, 2015permalink

macsmalls

Looks good, but utterly ridiculous.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

You realize that anyone who buys this (the Japanese I presume, but even they seem less interested in limited editions these days) will have to leave it in the attache case because if you get so much as a nick in the orange leather it will be tough to sell when the time comes.

If he doesn't already, the guy in Italy who makes the Leica cases can duplicate this one. It does look nice.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

sh10453

Hi Damien,
Obviously you at DPR have some advance information that may not be available to the rest of us. I couldn't find info about this kit on Ricoh's website.

Can you please try to get some more info from Ricoh on the availability of this kit in the USA (when, where)?

Thanks.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

Tungsten Nordstein

I object to this statement.

' image noise and, specifically, noise reduction, prevented the pictures from being as good as they could have been'

That's a value judgment based on a particularly narrow idea of what good pictures are. And it's not correct because at that point there was very little noise reduction applied the the GRD image. It was after reviews of the negative kind that dpreview gave the camera, that Ricoh started pursuing a more aggressive noise reduction strategy resulting in the kind of signature digital smear look that all the other companies were providing.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

RidgeRunner22

I think the main point was the Ricoh GR, is heads and shoulders above its digital predecessor, in IQ. I no longer own the camera but often look back at the files I have, I don't believe the RAW files are useing any heavy handed NR. Whatever the case may be the files are absolutely not "smeared" and have a tremendous amount of detail. Never fell in love with the UI but, nothing produces better files at this size.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

ricoh cameras have been pretty cool and pretty noisy too.

Oct 1, 2015*permalink

The reviewer's opinion is valid. Its up to the reader to look at the sample images and decide if he/she agrees.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

Tungsten Nordstein

@darngooddesign
sounds like the reviewer did not look. There was no NR in the GRDIs original files. Not sure how an uninformed opinion is valid.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

This kit would be great gift to Ricoh employees. As for consumers, it's value as a photographic tool is no better than the regular version. So, it has sentimental value and it's pretty cool if that appeals to you.

Oct 1, 2015*permalink

Raintitan

I believe the target customer for this is a current GR owner.

Really.

Some of us are so in love with the camera and sense that Ricoh will slowly fade away from cameras.

It is a tribute and collectible package with function.

People can say what they want, I've won more contest placements and published more photos from my GR than my other cameras. It works for me. Not everyone though.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

No doubt about it, it is a great little camera. I'd just hate to use a collector edition and diminish its value.

Oct 2, 2015permalink

abolit66

limited edition of what? looks like $hit polishing to me...

Oct 1, 2015permalink

I don't follow. The GR is supposed to be a very nice camera.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

bec. you only think $hit and $hit is your art bec. that's the way you always see things as $hit.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

I am intrigued by your point of view... do you have a newsletter, flyer, or zine I can subscribe to?

Oct 1, 2015permalink

JohnCarolan

would disagree with the comment regarding the noise reduction issue of the original GR Digital, the fact it had very little (if any) noise reduction meant that you could avoid that 'water colour' smudged noise reduction look that other manufacturers often apply so heavily. It gave you the option of using far more subtle noise reduction in lightroom or photoshop.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

kadardr

And I have still to wait for a FF compact: one that cheaper than Leica Q or RX1. I would be happy with a FF GR or FF X100 or a digital version of the Olympus XA, all below $2000 or lower. A7II sensor would be just fine.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

Marty4650

You could buy two of these kits for the price of one Leica X.

And in both cases you would end up with a nice compact camera, with a fixed lens and an APS-C sensor. Except Ricoh would give you a case plus accessories, and a another one as a spare.

But you must act before midnight tonight!

Oct 1, 2015permalink

http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.uk/en/GR-II-Premium-kit.html

--And being digital cameras, neither will hold their value. The Ricoh is a lovely camera; almost as nice as the film ones. But this James Bond package will end up on the cover of the KEH catalog.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

Prixnobeldefoot

I wanna buy that kit just for that aluminium case.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

Harold66

Really ? there is nothing special about that case . and it is not like you are going to use it in real life !

Oct 1, 2015permalink

Talley

Oct 1, 2015permalink

technocamper

Just sell the lens rings separately, for crying out loud.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

I wont..bec. I can use it as c0ck ring..

Oct 1, 2015permalink

yonsarh

where can I buy this kit lens camera ?

Oct 1, 2015permalink

GSD_ZA

Old stock, new model on the way.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

This is the new model. It is the GR II which has only just arrived in the stores. What makes you say it is old stock?

Oct 1, 2015permalink

Adamant

He's just guessing.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

GSD_ZA

Ok, maybe not old, but surplus ;-)

Oct 1, 2015permalink

Esign

Leather underwear is for German cameras...

Oct 1, 2015permalink

Marty4650

"Liederhosen?"

Oct 1, 2015permalink

No underwear is for swedish guys like you

Oct 1, 2015permalink

miles green

Lol!

Oct 4, 2015permalink

belle100

The last time it was a green marble edition, this time it is orange. Instead of all these unnecessary space waster, can we just have the EVF and filter thread built-in and a design to have the 21mm converter screw on instead. Also make the aperture and the shutter speed adjustable in movie mode. Plus weather proof. I want a GR but not this GR II. I hope that GR is not mark 10 if it ever happen.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

jadot

Or, just buy an X100T?

Oct 1, 2015permalink

captura

Or a Coolpix 'A.'

Oct 1, 2015permalink

Harold66

a screw in 21mm converter. Why ? this is a strange request

Oct 1, 2015permalink

people who buy GR II knows it's for street photography not street videography

Oct 1, 2015permalink

belle100

I misread the title and thought they offer mark 10 of GR. I wish...

Oct 1, 2015permalink

RichRMA

Collector's kits always look nice. Till you put some miles on them...

Oct 1, 2015permalink

buthurt

They are meant for show-off purposes only.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

That isn't really true Buthurt, is it? They might not be your cup of tea, but other people like them for a range of reasons.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

miles green

It's a digital camera, not an investment. The collector's kit is cheaper than the collection of its pieces. Buy it to use it. I have 70-80000 frames on my 'limited" K5.

Oct 4, 2015permalink

maxnoy

Hope they sell the orange gc-6 separately

Oct 1, 2015permalink

Regor250

Wow... why focusing on the performance of the 10 year old GR, which makes it sounds bad, whereas the current GR is an outstanding camera that is hard to beat in the APS-C format. I hope Ricoh didn't come up with this unnecessarily demeaning statement.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

The focus is very much on the new camera and kit, and you might note that I finished the piece with a reminder of how good the new GRs are. That Ricoh hasn't always made such good digital products is historical fact, and is relevant in this story as the new kit has been introduced to remember the original GR Digital camera. It isn't demeaning or unnecessary - it is context. Anyone can look up the reviews of that camera and read what was said about it at the time.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

zakaria

i also noticed that dpr used to put some negative touch to every thing about pentax-ricoh even if it woule need calling the bad history of some tools

Oct 1, 2015permalink

I don't know about that zakaria, I didn't work for DRP in those days. I only know from my own experience of the camera when I was at Amateur Photographer magazine.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

Alex Sarbu

rogerstpierre and zakaria have a point; the poor performance of the old GR Digital is completely irrelevant, but it adds a bit of negativity to the announcement.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

No negativity intended at all - just a historical note. I'm a big fan of the current GR. I even love the GXR (with APS-C sensor units), so that proves it :-)

Oct 1, 2015permalink

Alex Sarbu

I understand that; but while you're talking about intention, I'm talking about (perceived) effect.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

(unknown member)

Damien,

Relatively speaking, the original Digital GR actually had pretty darn good image quality for its class of camera at its time, and is still revered by many to have some of the nicest looking b/w Jpegs at ISO 1600 out of camera that render film like results.

It was the GR II and GX200 that had very lousy sensors, bad processors, and overall exceedingly poor image quality all around. Relativity is important- and nobody made anything like the original Digital GR when it was introduced.

I'd say Ricoh practically started the serious compact digital camera segment based on features and controls alone- never mind the awesome menu systems. :)

Oct 2, 2015*permalink

bernardf12

"Let's have one guy work on the FF DSLR, none on mirrorless and hundreds on all kinds of unnecessary sh!t" - Minutes of Ricoh board meeting. :-)

Oct 1, 2015permalink

billyf

Bull's eye!!!

Oct 1, 2015permalink

John Gellings

Huh?

Oct 1, 2015permalink

Tom Caldwell

Bang goes pocketablity.

But seriously .... only those that don't know the camera are going to be dismissive.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

thelps

You don't have to carry the whole brief case about. You can take the camera out of the case and carry just that!!! ;-)

What they are offering is a kit of components as a group at a special price. Seems fine offer to me.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

DFPanno

Desperation ?

Oct 1, 2015permalink

are you depressed? maybe you need to go out and shoot...

Oct 1, 2015permalink

DFPanno

I have lots of images up. You don't. Full stop.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

miles green

No, Christmas wrapping!

Oct 5, 2015permalink

Tapper123

Anemic update of a good camera. If they'd maybe added a built-in EVF.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

eilivk

What I thought RX10 would be, what I hope Coolpix B will be!

Oct 1, 2015permalink

steve0017

Whenever they get around to to a Coolpix B.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

winkalman

More like "IF" they get around to a Coolpix B...

Oct 1, 2015permalink

how come it is good anemic? Oxymoron I say.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

thelps

Want it but don't need it. The bit "somewhat less than the normal retail price of the combined components" makes it tempting.

I kinda wonder if this is it for their limited versions.
There is usually a different coloured body version. The Green GR and the Blue Angles versions etc

Oct 1, 2015*permalink

zakaria

Tempting to get. Nice camera already.

Sep 30, 2015permalink

technocamper

A fine collector's kit. If only digital cameras were half as reliable as film cameras, they might be worth collecting.

Sep 30, 2015*permalink

technocamper

Well, there are always exceptions to broadly generalized statements. Congrats on your cameras.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

Tom Caldwell

Best idea is to buy this special edition and lock it away for 20 years and then it will indeed be something special. Buy a regular issue one off the helf if you simply want to use one.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

davidrm

Actuallly Mike Penn is quite correct about the fragility of the GR film cameras. This is well documented on the web. I had 3, 2 of which died completely, 1 of those had a complete, out of warranty, lens assembly change, and the remaining one I still have. It barely works and suffers from the common GR LCD failure. The film advance mechanism was also very fragile. Actually the GR-Ds were not a lot better. Again, the lens retract mechanism is very failure-prone.

The APS-C GR, on the other hand, has been 100% reliable for me so far.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

Joel Benford

Instead of an adapter to take it from "too wide but I guess that helps keep the size down" to "even wider", could we maybe have a x1.5 converter to make it a standard lens?

Sep 30, 2015*permalink

The Davinator

If it was a 35 or 40 equivelent, I'd snap it up

Oct 1, 2015permalink

belle100

Use built-in crop modes instead. I know - less res, but by the time the converter is in place, the subject is gone.

Oct 1, 2015*permalink

Harold66

I think a GR "N" ( for normal ?" with a 2/40mm ( 35mm equivalent) a no-alias filter 24MP aps Sony sensor ( with 50mm crop) and a 2x adapter would sell in much higher numbers than the 28mm version and would be bought also by most current GR users

Oct 1, 2015permalink

Belle, do the crop modes change the focal length, or do they just crop?

Oct 1, 2015permalink

Ocolon

@darngooddesign

They just crop, but you get the exact same image as you would get when changing the focal length (except for the lower pixel count). Or to put it differently, crop mode changes the equivalent focal length without changing the focal length.

Oct 1, 2015permalink

You don't get the same image since the perspective and depth of field do not change.

Oct 1, 2015permalink