why is there so few reviews on Ricoh cameras in this site?

[mak155]

why is there so few reviews on Ricoh cameras in this site?

[JimC]

I can't speak for Steve.

But, Ricoh has an incredibly small market share, and it's virtually impossible to find anyone that even sells Ricoh cameras in the United States (no dealer thatI'm aware of carries Ricoh Digital Cameras in the US).

Ricoh doesn't even bother to include Digital Cameras in their products list on the Ricoh US website.

In other words, it doesn't look like they want to sell them here(or if they do, they need to get a new Marketing Department). ;-)

[steve]

I'll echo Jim's thoughts ... Ricoh just isn't reallypresent in the U.S. marketso we've never gone out of our way to get their cameras for review. We have more than enough to do with the companies that do cover our market ...

[pppp]

Hi,

I have expected a review of the Ricoh GR Digital...in vain. So, I bought it. I don't regret this buying. I like this little camera:

http://ricoh-grd.blogspot.com/

[markroder]

please please please, with sugar on top!* ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** *desperately hoping you'll find the time to post a review (even a really mini one) of the Ricoh GR Digital ....* or even just a rotating 3d image .. there isn't a single decent rotating image of it anywhere on the internet! * ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** *i think i'm in love, but i need to see it rotate before i buy. * ** ** ** *x

[Justinian]

What is the focal range on the Ricoh GR Digital? It begins at 28mm and goes up to ???? Thanks. It's a pricey machine at $699.00 in the USA.

[JimC]

Justinian wrote:

What is the focal range on the Ricoh GR Digital? It begins at 28mm and goes up to ???? Thanks. It's a pricey machine at $699.00 in the USA.

Begins at 28mm, ends at 28mm (equivalent focal length from an angle of view perspective, compared to a lens on 35mm camera).

It's not a zoom lens. It's using a 5.9mm f/2.4 lens with the same angle of view you'd have with a 28mm lens on 35mm camera.

It's got digital zoom if you care about that (but, digital zoom degrades quality, and you can accomplish the same thing by cropping and enlarging later with software).

Adorama has some of them now at $699.95

http://www.adorama.com/IRCGR.html

[Justinian]

Thanks JimC. Pardon my ignorance, but if there is no optical zoom, how do you shoot a macro? I have never heard of a camera with a lens fixed at 28mm and logic tells you that all your shots will be wide angle at 28mm. WHat do I need to understand about it?

[JimC]

Justinian wrote:

Thanks JimC. Pardon my ignorance, but if there is no optical zoom, how do you shoot a macro?

Move closer to your subject. ;-)

I have never heard of a camera with a lens fixed at 28mm and logic tells you that all your shots will be wide angle at 28mm. WHat do I need to understand about it?

You use your feet for zoom.

Most modern digital cameras with a permanently attached lens have optical zoom. But, there are some more models with a fixed focal length lens.

Many 35mm camera owners never used anything other than a single focal length lens (with 50mm being very common).

Many DSLR owners prefer primes (non zoom lenses), too. A lens with a single focal length is less complex, and can often give sharper photos compared to a zoom lens. Primes are often smaller and lighter compared to zoom lenses, too.

I use fixed focal length lenses often with my Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D. I've got a 28mm f/2, 50mm f/1.7, 100mm f/2 and 135mm f/2.8 I use with it, even though I also have some zoom lenses for it.

Last night, I used a 100mm f/2 with it, taking photos of a band playing in a dimly lit area in a local restaurant. You can often find brighter fixed focal length lenses compared to zooms. For example, the lens I used last night has a maximum available aperture of f/2, which is twice as bright as f/2.8 (and you can't find a zoom lens for my camera that's brighter than f/2.8 ).

Of course, with a camera like this Ricoh, you can't change the lens like you can with a DSLR, since it's permanently attached.

I don't know if anyone makes an add-on teleconverter lens that would work with it or not. I do see that Ricoh has an optional wide angle conversion lens (GW-1) that can get you a wider angle of view (equivalent to 21mm on a 35mm camera with the converter attached).

[msephton]

www.popflash.com sell Ricoh cameras in the USA (and ship internationally)