Ricoh Adds Wide-Angle A12 28 mm Module to its GXR System

Although it was first announced a while back, Ricoh finally unveiled the new A12 28 mm module for its GXR system at Photokina last week.  As the name implies, it pairs a 12 Megapixel APS sensor with a 28 mm f/2.5 lens.

The GXR camera itself only includes the battery, screen, controls and connections for other devices.  To make a functional camera, users can add different modules according to their needs:

• the A12 50 mm has a 12 Megapixel APS CMOS sensor with a macro lens with an equivalent focal of 50 mm
• the S10 24-72 mm has a 10 Megapixel 1/1.7'' CCD sensor with the same 3x 24-72 mm lens as the GX200
• the P10 28-300 mm takes the same CMOS sensor and 28-300 mm zoom as the CX3.

The fourth member of the family is the A12 28 mm, meaning it includes the 12 Megapixel APS format sensor, but now includes a wide-angle lens with a n equivalent focal of 28 mm, and at f/2.5, it's pretty fast too.

Ricoh has emphasised the speed of its autofocus, but the brand's 'snap' modes always mean you can eliminate delays entirely by focussing at pre-defined distance.  Like the first version of the A12, the new module can shoot 720p HD video at 24 fps.

The latest update is much smaller than its predecessor, and the assembled camera measures 56 mm, rather than the 77 mm of the large macro lens.  With this set-up, a GXR takes up about as much room as a compact with interchangeable lenses using a fixed pancake lens.

The Future

Ricoh's roadmap for the GXR system includes a new module next year, featuring an APS sensor and a zoom in the region of 24-85 mm.

We're also expecting something that we've been hoping for since the launch of the GXR system: a module with just a sensor and a lenses mount meaning we can use any lens we like.  That's excellent news, so we can only hope that the mount will be adaptable enough to work with a wide range of lenses.


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