I have been Ricoh GX8 user for 18 months, and it was on the basis of getting used to that that I came to choose the R1 as my 'bigger sensor wide angle camera'
This newest Ricoh offering is exciting me greatly but I have not a lot of confidence in that 10 megapixel sensor UNTIL I see examples.
Now 'replacement for the R1' ...
IMO .. NO
Two cents is this.
GX8 and R1 will get the shots which more cumbersome systems will not get. Both are single lens zooms with OK wide to medium zoom range. They will be taken out when heavy camera bags won't.
GX8 gets taken out ALL the time, and R1 when I am more officially orienting my outing for photography.
GX8 comes back with many pics the R1 would miss.
Some of them I can get because what I learn with the GX helps me develop my next outing's agenda.
The two work fantastically together for my way of working.
Th new Ricoh will IMO be able to do this ... and indeed a lot better than the GX8. The image stabilization is exactly what need for my quickdraw street shots. The 24 mm will match it even closer to the R1 [in any event I do more at wide than at long]. Raw will also be just what I have been waiting for.
The new Ricoh will have an add on EVF, which will give SOME of the flexibility that the flip and swivel R1 screen gives. But will require the photographer to have eye close to it ... until some tiny add on is developed. One is already being thought up by a member of the Ricoh Talk forum.
In PP, I prefer the quality of the noise in the Ricoh to that of the R1, but with the R1, at lower isos, the quality of the image is so good that I can go further and further in when cropping without anything like the loss of quality that happens with the Ricoh ....
Actually, I'll share post I did on the Ricoh forum in which I went into verbose full flow comparing and contrasting the Noise of R1 and GX8 ... just in case your interested ....
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1013&thread=22648970
My post is the 6th one.
I am incredibly excited to see and to hold Ricohs latest. I would never be able to call it an R1 equivalent, gifven that I have learnt in my experience that the GX8 and R1 are Complementary.
I am hoping the IQ will be bad enough for me to discount it. I do not want to be tempted .. especially because i am gettign ready to stuggle iwth my conscience about sertisouly considering getting and R9 .. .which, if IQ is ok, will be the 'other' complementary camera to the R1 for my purposes.
Best wishes
Glyn
