New Ricoh GR Digital samples on line ( with EXIF data intact )

I don't think anyone has posted a link to these yet:<br><br>

On <a href="http://it.nikkei.co.jp/pc/news/digitalcamera.aspx?i=20050913dg001dg">

http://it.nikkei.co.jp/pc/news/digitalcamera.aspx?i=20050913dg001dg </a> there are 4

new samples: <br>

ISO details are retained in the EXIF data of these original files - unfortunately ( or

indicatively ) all are at ISO 64.

<p>

" The work example photograph of the Ricoh offer (those which were photographed with

the sample machine before the mass-producing)"

</p>

<p>

upper link under thumbnail "large picture"

</p>

<p>

lower link under thumbnail "original picture"

</p>

<hr><br>

Here are direct links to the original images:

<p>

<a href="http://it.nikkei.co.jp/photo/camera/ricoh/gr/sample-ricoh/1.jpg"> A bee in

macro mode </a>

ISO 64 f/7.7

</p>

<a href="http://it.nikkei.co.jp/photo/camera/ricoh/gr/sample-ricoh/2.jpg"> A white

house front with flag and blue sky </a>

ISO 64 f/5.5

<p>

<a href="http://it.nikkei.co.jp/photo/camera/ricoh/gr/sample-ricoh/3.jpg"> A waterfall

with dark foliage and bright sky </a>

ISO 64 f/7.7

</p>

<p>

<a href="http://it.nikkei.co.jp/photo/camera/ricoh/gr/sample-ricoh/4.jpg"> A cat with

overcast sky </a>

ISO 64 f/3.4

</p>

<hr>

<p>

All are very sharp <br>

Only a little noise is visible at 100% in the shadows of all images. I don't have a DSLR to

know if this an offensive amount - but it looks acceptable to me <br>

At 100% a little purple fringing breaks into the corners of the bee and white house photos.

</p>

However these photos are far better than my current pocket camera - an Ixus i ( SD10 ) so

I'm happy to upgrade.<br> I'm getting too lazy to spend hours scanning film from holiday

pictures.

<p> HTML < EM lang="ja" > tags do not work on photo.net :-( </p>

Thanks for the link. The "concept" of the GR series is retained, but probably image quality will suffer at ISO 400 (perhaps I am lucky and wrong!).

Now, can someone combine the APS sensor of the Sony, with the low noise of the Fuji, and put it in the Ricoh package? Minolta anti-shake welcome.

Noise was very prominent in the bee shot, and that's even at ISO 64, but still, it was more film-like shadow noise that won't be a problem for most printing sizes you'd dare to use it for. Still, makes one wonder how much noise you'll get cranking up the ISO just a bit more.<p>

All in all, it doesn't look bad for a small-sensor highly pocketable camera, though, but I'm still waiting for affordable APS-C sensor size fixed lens compacts with DSLR image quality to show up.<p>

Hakon Soreide<br>

Bergen, Norway<br>

<a href="http://www.hakonsoreide.com">www.hakonsoreide.com</a>

Thanks for posting the link.

I am enthusiastic about this camera. It will not replace a DSLR/large sensor camera for low

light sensitivity, but the concept of a GR digital with a wide converter and a decent optical

viewfinder that fits in my jacket pocket is quite appealing. The photos look darn good, and

it saves in RAW format for an extra level of tonal capture and control.

I'm used to doing this with a KM A2, I just lock the ISO at 64-100 and the storage format

at RAW, and get some very nice quality out of it. In low light, one gets used to using a

tripod... ;-)

Godfrey

<p>

I can't wait for the camera to arrive - another month to go, assuming no delays.

</p>

<p>

One thing this camera launch seems to have done, is bring to the front the desire for a

street/low light variant - as a compliment to the every day standard model. <br>

It's clear, that currently, one single camera of this size and price cannot be made to both

jobs </p>

<p>

How much sensitivity could be gained if a batch of CCDs were produced without the Bayer

filter ? <br>

Would it need the combination of a 4/5 M pixel and Bayer-less CCD to hit the mark ?<br>

</p>

<p>

How many people would that tempt ? <br>

or is it going to be a case of praying the Epson R-D1 MkII will be more affordable.

</p>

I doubt the lack of a Bayer color matrix filter would buy much. Sensitivy in a sensor has to do

primarily with photosite area, and to get enough photosites for 5-8Mpixel resolution AND

enough photosite area to raise sensitivity appreciably requires a larger sensor. That, in turn,

requires a larger, heavier lens with the right design to achieve top notch imaging quality and

speed for low light work, so the end result is no longer a pocketable like the GR1 was.

Godfrey