Ricoh releases 4th function-enhancing FW update for GXR

Pavel Kudrys

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Tokyo, Japan, August 30, 2011—Ricoh Co., Ltd. (President and CEO: Shiro Kondo) today announced the August 31, 2011 (Wed.) release of the fourth function-enhancing firmware update for the GXR, a high-image-quality compact digital camera launched in December 2009.

The GXR is a revolutionary interchangeable unit camera system in which lenses are changed by using a slide-in mount system to attach camera units to the body. The lens, image sensor, and image processing engine are integrated into the camera units so the body itself does not contain an image sensor.

Function-enhancing firmware updates are developed in response to opinions and requests received from a large number of customers via surveys submitted at customer registration time and other channels. These updates enable customers who already own a GXR to update it to include the latest functions.

This fourth firmware release expands photo-expression possibilities and enhances usability by adding new functions.

The function-enhancing firmware and instructions for using these functions can be downloaded free of charge from the Ricoh website.

Enhanced functions for all camera units

1. Greater focusing precision now possible.


·In order to increase the precision of manual focusing, the focus assist function has been added. Two modes can be selected, with the focus being checked by strengthening outlines or contrast.

·It is possible to magnify the image while shooting to make it easier to focus. In addition to magnifying the central part of the image, it is possible to display the magnified area across the entire screen. The image quality for 4x and 8x magnification has also been further enhanced, and the area to be magnified can be moved with the directional pad.

·A setting can be made to automatically eliminate the display magnification after the picture is taken.

2. Aspect ratio choices added for auto resize zoom.
Auto resize zoom can now be used with aspect ratios 1:1, 3:2, and 16:9.

3. Flash firing now possible when making the white balance manual setting.

When setting the white balance manually in the actual shooting environment, it is now possible to make the setting while firing the flash.

4. When making ISO AUTO-HI settings, it is now possible to define the shutter speed for changing ISO sensitivity at the same time as specifying the ISO maximum sensitivity. *

5. The electronic level can now be displayed when shooting with the self-timer.

6. For the vignetting setting for shooting with the cross process and toy camera options, it is now possible to select from the weak, strong, and off settings.
When the firmware update is done, the vignetting setting is initialized as shown below.
Cross process: Off
Toy camera: Weak

7. ISO sensitivity settings are now more detailed.

In addition to the previous settings, it is now possible to select ISO-LO*, ISO 250, ISO 320, ISO 500, ISO 640, ISO 1000, ISO 1250, ISO 2000, and ISO 2500.

This added setting is only for the GR LENS A12 28mm and GR LENS A12 50mm camera units

Enhanced functions only for the GR LENS A12 28mm and GR LENS A12 50mm camera units

8. Bulb and time can now be selected.


B (bulb) and T (time) can now be selected as the shutter speed in manual exposure mode. With “B,” the exposure continues while the shutter release button is pressed, and with “T,” the shutter release button is pressed to start and end the exposure. For both, the exposure is forcibly ended when 180 seconds have elapsed.

--
Ricoh Film & Digital Forum
http://www.ricohforum.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7597032@N05/
 
Excellent. This gives me a chance to try focus assist function i.e. focusing via the LCD before receiving the mount unit.
Tokyo, Japan, August 30, 2011—Ricoh Co., Ltd. (President and CEO: Shiro Kondo) today announced the August 31, 2011 (Wed.) release of the fourth function-enhancing firmware update for the GXR, a high-image-quality compact digital camera launched in December 2009.

The GXR is a revolutionary interchangeable unit camera system in which lenses are changed by using a slide-in mount system to attach camera units to the body. The lens, image sensor, and image processing engine are integrated into the camera units so the body itself does not contain an image sensor.

Function-enhancing firmware updates are developed in response to opinions and requests received from a large number of customers via surveys submitted at customer registration time and other channels. These updates enable customers who already own a GXR to update it to include the latest functions.

This fourth firmware release expands photo-expression possibilities and enhances usability by adding new functions.

The function-enhancing firmware and instructions for using these functions can be downloaded free of charge from the Ricoh website.

Enhanced functions for all camera units

1. Greater focusing precision now possible.


·In order to increase the precision of manual focusing, the focus assist function has been added. Two modes can be selected, with the focus being checked by strengthening outlines or contrast.

·It is possible to magnify the image while shooting to make it easier to focus. In addition to magnifying the central part of the image, it is possible to display the magnified area across the entire screen. The image quality for 4x and 8x magnification has also been further enhanced, and the area to be magnified can be moved with the directional pad.

·A setting can be made to automatically eliminate the display magnification after the picture is taken.

2. Aspect ratio choices added for auto resize zoom.
Auto resize zoom can now be used with aspect ratios 1:1, 3:2, and 16:9.

3. Flash firing now possible when making the white balance manual setting.

When setting the white balance manually in the actual shooting environment, it is now possible to make the setting while firing the flash.

4. When making ISO AUTO-HI settings, it is now possible to define the shutter speed for changing ISO sensitivity at the same time as specifying the ISO maximum sensitivity. *

5. The electronic level can now be displayed when shooting with the self-timer.

6. For the vignetting setting for shooting with the cross process and toy camera options, it is now possible to select from the weak, strong, and off settings.
When the firmware update is done, the vignetting setting is initialized as shown below.
Cross process: Off
Toy camera: Weak

7. ISO sensitivity settings are now more detailed.

In addition to the previous settings, it is now possible to select ISO-LO*, ISO 250, ISO 320, ISO 500, ISO 640, ISO 1000, ISO 1250, ISO 2000, and ISO 2500.

This added setting is only for the GR LENS A12 28mm and GR LENS A12 50mm camera units

Enhanced functions only for the GR LENS A12 28mm and GR LENS A12 50mm camera units

8. Bulb and time can now be selected.


B (bulb) and T (time) can now be selected as the shutter speed in manual exposure mode. With “B,” the exposure continues while the shutter release button is pressed, and with “T,” the shutter release button is pressed to start and end the exposure. For both, the exposure is forcibly ended when 180 seconds have elapsed.

--
Ricoh Film & Digital Forum
http://www.ricohforum.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7597032@N05/
 
Thanks for the good news on the firmware update for GXR.

Do you have a download link or version number please? The latest I found was 1.37 which I already have.

Edit: I see that the release date is not until tomorrow 31 August 2011.

--
David
 
Yep. Looks like we have to wait until tomorrow.

Tokyo, Japan, August 30, 2011—Ricoh Co., Ltd. (President and CEO: Shiro Kondo) today announced the August 31, 2011 (Wed.) release of the fourth function-enhancing firmware update for the GXR, a high-image-quality compact digital camera launched in December 2009.
 
4. When making ISO AUTO-HI settings, it is now possible to define the shutter speed for changing ISO sensitivity at the same time as specifying the ISO maximum sensitivity. *

This is the one I've been waiting for. Finally able to use ISO AUTO-HI with my choice of minimum shutter speed.
--
Carl
Website: http://www.schophoto.com/gallery/
TheDailySnap: http://www.blipfoto.com/SchoPhoto
 
Excellent!

I didn't have much time to explore all these additions while using the A12 Camera Mount yesterday, but adding the new focus assist and focus magnification modes for use with the other A12 camera units was something I wanted immediately.

Ricoh is a class act. This is without a doubt the best supported camera in the class when it comes to firmware updates adding features that matter for a photographer.
--
Godfrey
http://godfreydigiorgi.posterous.com
 
Couldn't agree more.

As Carl mentioned, #4 is long on my list. Pity, if it's really only for the A modules - here i see no reason, why the others shouldn't benefit by this...

Karl
 
Pavel,

thx - i just reread the announcement on the Ricoh site and also found that i had read to hastily - only the "Bulb and time can now be selected" seems to be restricted to the "big" modules.
Great - i really love Ricoh!

And, i'm curious what the "Iso-Lo" (seemingly also only for the A12) in reality means ;-)

Interesting times. Especially, as i just signed for a combined sailing-fotography week in october - btw, anyone with good hints, how to protect the cam?

Karl
 
Function-enhancing firmware updates are developed in response to opinions and requests received from a large number of customers via surveys submitted at customer registration time and other channels.
They ask for feature requests at registration time before they even have a chance to use the camera and get to know it? Obviously 'other channels' isn't this forum then as I see my continuous requests for manual control in vdieo mode continues to go unheeded.

Another feature I would like is an option for RAW-only shooting, no JPG. But alas I've already owned a GXR for a while now so haven't the opportunity to be asked for my continued input at purchase/registration time. ;)
The image quality for 4x and 8x magnification has also been further enhanced, and the area to be magnified can be moved with the directional pad.
This is good. The enlarged image was so digital-zoomed pixelated it was virtually useless before to judge a sharp edge or not.

Don't know if I need ISO third-stops now myself as it's just more clicks to get to the full number I want so I hope there's an option for 1/2 or full stops.

Bulb and TIme on the A12 50 and 28mms now is good too. Is there a reason not for the other units though?
 
And, i'm curious what the "Iso-Lo" (seemingly also only for the A12) in reality means ;-)
Karl, the ISO-LO is just a digital version of the PULL process known from the film days. Basically, it means that the photo taken with ISO200 is slightly overexposed (by 1EV) and then narrowed. This is why there is warning about lower dynamic range in case of ISO-LO photos.

I personally would rather like to see the ISO-HI, which would enable us the ISO6400 via the PUSH process. The photo taken at ISO3200 is slightly underexposed (by 1EV) and then narrowed. The result is ISO6400-like photo with slightly more noise than you would get from a sensor with native ISO6400 support.

Both ISO-LO/ISO-HI could already be done manually (via processing the JPEG/DNG files). But you know, it's always nice to have an in-camera solution for lazy dogs ;)

--
Ricoh Film & Digital Forum
http://www.ricohforum.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7597032@N05/
 
They ask for feature requests at registration time before they even have a chance to use the camera and get to know it? Obviously 'other channels' isn't this forum then as I see my continuous requests for manual control in vdieo mode continues to go unheeded.
You can always drop them an email. The more emails they will get with the same feature request, the bigger chance it will be added at some point of time. The problem is that not everything people ask for is always doable or make sense ;) The problem with enabling manual controls in the video mode is that all zooming/focusing noises would be recorded in the video.
Another feature I would like is an option for RAW-only shooting, no JPG. But alas I've already owned a GXR for a while now so haven't the opportunity to be asked for my continued input at purchase/registration time. ;)
This is another example of "currently not doable" feature request. Not with current implementation of preview, DNG and/or HW limitation. The problem is that DNG contains only very...very tiny JPEG preview and the camera requires high-res JPEG for DNG preview. If you delete the JPEG manually, the RAW preview displays super-tiny pixelated JPEG thumbnail stored in DNG. Previewing directly DNG would most probably require much more powerful HW and battery.
Bulb and TIme on the A12 50 and 28mms now is good too. Is there a reason not for the other units though?
Most probably something sensor related?

--
Ricoh Film & Digital Forum
http://www.ricohforum.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7597032@N05/
 
This will be great. If it works like I think it should, this is a feature I have wanted (and ask for something similar) for some time. It will be nice to now be able to specify when the camera should change ISO.

Thanks Ricoh!!!!!!!
--
What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? (unknown)
 

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