Ricoh announces CX5 compact superzoom with hybrid AF

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Ricoh has unveiled the CX5 compact superzoom with Hybrid AF. It represents the re-introduction of an AF system that combines a distance sensor with more conventional contrast detection method to offer focus times of as little as 0.2sec regardless of focal length. Beyond this, it offers the same 10MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor, 10.7x (28-300mm equiv.) zoom lens, 920k dot 3 inch LCD and 720p HD video recording as the CX4. It's not clear how the AF system differs from the one the company used up until 2007, but it is claimed to almost double the speed of the CX4. Other new features include 'Super-Resolution' context-sensitive image processing and three additional scene modes.

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Press Release:

Offering High-speed Focus with a Hybrid AF System Compact digital camera with 10.7x optical zoom (28-300 mm)

January 26, 2011 RICOH COMPANY, LTD: (helmed by president and CEO Shiro Kondo) will be releasing its newly developed CX5 digital camera model with its wide-angle, high magnification 10.7x optical zoom (28–300 mm) lens, which has a higher autofocus speed due to the use of Ricoh's new hybrid AF system.

With the new CX5 model, AF focusing times are decreased to as low as 0.2 sec. for both wide-angle 28 mm and telephoto 300 mm, up to half as short compared to the CX4, using Ricoh's unique new hybrid AF system.

This ensures that you reliably capture the image you were waiting for, never to miss another good shot again.

Using super-resolution technology, the CX5 also allows (1) recording of images with improved resolution using the "Super-resolution" setting and (2) telephoto shooting at up to 600 mm equivalent with minimal degradation in image quality using "Super-resolution Zoom."

Furthermore, in addition to the new Cooking, Fireworks, and Continuous Golf Swing scene modes, the CX5 has improved features that make shooting photographs even more fun through the use of super-resolution zoom during Zoom Macro mode shooting and other functions.

The CX5 is an even more enhanced compact digital camera that was designed based on the concept of it being "a tool that you will find yourself wanting to use every day."

Available in three colors: Black, Silver, and Pink.

Main Features of the New CX5

High-speed autofocus using the unique hybrid AF system developed by Ricoh

Equipped with Ricoh's unique new hybrid AF system in combination with a passive AF sensor that continuously measures the distance between the camera and subject using an area sensor together with Contrast AF (a system in which the imaging elements search for the peak location for contrast on the subject and focus on that location).Enables AF focusing times to be shortened to as low as 0.2 sec. for both wide-angle 28 mm and telephoto 300 mm, up to half as short compared to the CX4 model. Ensures that you capture the image you were waiting for over the entire zoom range so that you never miss another good shot again.

Improved image resolution through use of super-resolution technology

Enables amazing photographs with high resolution to be produced using the CX5's new super-resolution technology, which discerns outlines, details, and gradations in the image automatically and processes the image based on the optimal settings for each. The level of super-resolution can be set to OFF, Weak, or Strong.

Super-resolution zoom equivalent to up to 600 mm in addition to the 10.7x 28–300 mm optical zoom

Allows a wide-angle, high-magnification 10.7x optical zoom lens to fit into a compact body with a thickness of 29.4 mm using Ricoh's unique retracting lens system. Equipped with super-resolution zoom that enables magnification of up to 2.0x. Enables telephoto shooting at up to 600 mm equivalent with minimal degradation in image quality.Enables even greater magnification of the subject from super-resolution zoom with use of digital zoom. Allows photographs to be taken with ultra-telephoto zoom at up to 2880 mm.

High-quality photography that widens the range of image expression

Offering reduced loss of detail in highlights using an output pixel interpolation algorithm residing in dedicated logic circuits in the Smooth Imaging Engine IV imaging engine to allow high-contrast scenes to be reproduced more faithfully, exactly as they appear to the naked eye. Reduces noise without affecting resolution, tone characteristics, or color using a noise reduction algorithm to process the image signal as it is output from the CMOS image sensor. Enables sophisticated variance-estimation type noise reduction processing in which the sensor image data's noise variance is analyzed and the optimum processing is done for each region when the noise reduction level is set to MAX. Equipped with a back-illuminated 10.00 million-pixel CMOS sensor. Ensures that beautiful images can be captured even in dark scenes.

14 different types of Scene Modes providing easy access to whole suites of photographic techniques specifically adapted to the subject

Comes with a new Cooking mode that is perfect for shooting photographs of food. The new Cooking mode setting enables the brightness and color tone of the scene to be adjusted while the subject is checked. Includes a new Fireworks mode that works great for taking shots of fireworks as they flash across the sky. Comes with a new Golf Swing Continuous mode that displays grid lines during shooting and playback. Perfect to use for checking your golf swing. Enables super-resolution zoom to be used in Zoom Macro mode, which optimizes the zoom position automatically to allow the subject to be shot even larger than with normal macro shooting. Allows the subject to be shot even larger without any degradation of image quality as with normal zoom.

Creative shooting modes that allow you to enjoy shooting creative images

Comes with six different types including Soft Focus, Cross Process, Toy Camera, and Miniaturize that can be selected to fit the subject and type of scene. Allows you to enjoy shooting images with a variety of effects.

High-definition 3.0-inch, 920,000-dot LCD monitor

Equipped with a large, high-definition LCD monitor that has a wide viewing angle and high contrast. With a fluorine coat to prevent soiling, a hard coat to prevent scratches, and an anti-reflection (AR) coat designed to protect the screen against dirt and damage and guarantee excellent visibility even outdoors in direct sunlight. Reproduces image colors vividly with sRGB comparison of 100% for the color reproduction range.

A wide variety of functions based on the concept of the CX5 being "a tool that you will find yourself wanting to use every day"

Equipped with new HDMI terminals. Allows high-definition (HD) movies with a frame size of 1280 x 720 pixels to be viewed on an HD TV using an HDMI cable (sold separately). Comes equipped with macro shooting functions that allow you to get as close to the subject as 1 cm for wide-angle and 28 cm for telephoto. Equivalent to 31 mm for 35-mm film equivalents.Enables high-speed continuous shooting at speeds of up to approx. 5 frames/sec. • Equipped with Scene Auto Mode, which automatically switches to the optimal shooting settings for the scene when the camera is merely pointed at a scene. Comes with Subject-tracking AF, which continuously tracks and focuses on the subject automatically. The CX5 is compatible with Eye-Fi cards (X2 Series), SD memory cards with built-in wireless LAN functionality, which enables captured images to be transferred wirelessly to a computer or online image sharing service automatically.  An icon will appear while an Eye-Fi card is being used to display the communications status.
Sensor• 1/2.3" Type CMOS
• 10.00 million effective pixels
• 10.60 total pixels
Image sizes• 3648 x 2736
• 3648 x 2432
• 2736 x 2736
• 3648 x 2048
• 2592 x 1944
• 2048 x 1536
• 1728 x 1296 (Multi-Picture only)
• 1280 x 960
• 640 x 480 Movie clips• 1280 x 720
• 640 x 480
• 320 x 240
File formats• JPEG (Exif v2.3)
• CIPA DC-007-2009 Multi-Picture Format
• AVI (Open DML Motion JPEG Format compliant)
• WAVE (Sound Files)Lens• 28 - 300mm (35mm equiv)
With Step Zoom set: 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 105mm, 135mm, 200mm, and 300mm
• f = 4.9-52.5mm
• 10.7x optical zoom
• F3.5-5.6
• Lens Construction: 10 elements in 7 groups (aspheric lens: 4 elements and 5 surfaces)FocusContrast AF method with AF auxiliary light
• Multi
• Spot
• Face-priority
• Multi

Contrast AF method
• Subject-tracking AF
• Multi-target AF

Fixed focus method
• Manual Focus
• Snap

Metering• Multi (256 segments)
• Centre Weighted Light Metering
• SpotISO sensitivity• Auto
• ISO 80
• ISO 100
• ISO 200
• ISO 400
• ISO 800
• ISO 1600
• ISO 3200Exposure compensation+/- 2EV in 1/3 stop incrementsShutter speed• 8 sec-1/1200 sec
• Movie : 1/30 - 1/2000 sec. Shooting modes • Auto
• Movie
• Scene auto
• Scene
• My Settings
• Continuous mode
• Creative shooting modes
Scene modes• Portrait
• Discreet
• Night. Portrait
• Night Landscape
• Multi-shot
• Sports
• Landscape
• Zoom Macro
• Pets
• Skew Correct
• High Sensitivity
• Text
• Fireworks
• Cooking
• Golf Swing Continuous ModeCreative shooting modes• Dynamic Range
• Double Shot
• Miniaturize
• High Contrast B&W
• Soft Focus
• Cross Process
• Toy CameraWhite balance• Auto
• Multi-Pattern
• Outdoors
• Cloudy
• Incandescent
• Incandescent 2
• Fluorescent
• Manual
• White Balance BracketFlash• Auto, Red-eye-Reduction, Flash On, Slow Synchro, Flash Off
• Range : Approx. 20 cm - 4.0 m (Wide), approx. 28 cm -3.0m (Telephoto)
• Flash Compensation (+/-2.0EV (1/3EV Steps)Connectivity• USB Hi-Speed
• Micro HDMI
• AV out (PAL / NTSC switchable) Storage• Internal memory 40MB
• SD, SDHC

View the original article here

Ricoh GXR S10 24-72 mm F2.5-4.4 VC Review

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Review based on a production Ricoh GXR body with firmware v1.05 and S10 24-72mm lens unit with firmware v1.05

This is the second of two reviews of the GXR; as each module is effectively a completely different camera we've decided to treat them as such and produce separate reviews. This review covers the GXR with the S10 24-72mm equiv (10Mp 1/1.7" sensor) module, the previous one had a look at the GXR/A12 50mm f2.5 equiv (12MP APS-C sensor) combo. The first half of both reviews is the same, covering the GXR camera body and system.

In the short, frenetic history of the digital camera it has often been the smaller, less high profile manufacturers who have taken all the risks and experimented with more unconventional designs and solutions. For despite all the technological advances in the last decade the majority of digital cameras have designs that follow the same basic blueprint as their analog predecessors: they're essentially the same cameras with a sensor in the place of film.

This is especially true in the interchangeable lens camera sector, where the big players (coincidentally those who led the market in the days of film), hampered by the need (desire) to retain compatibility with their legacy analog systems, produce digital SLRs that would feel reassuringly familiar to any photographer from the late '80s or early '90s who by choice or circumstance had missed out on the digital revolution.

Last year saw the first serious challenges to the dominance of the single lens reflex (a design that can trace it roots back over 100 years, and that hasn't changed fundamentally since the 1950s) in the interchangeable lens camera market - thanks to the introduction of Micro Four Thirds by Olympus and Panasonic. Since then Samsung has also introduced a very similar system ('NX') which is based on a larger APS-C sensor.

So when we first heard from Ricoh that they wanted to come and show us a new system camera we presumed it too was going to be variation on the 'mirrorless' design. Then we started to get hints that it was actually a totally new idea (or, as mentioned at the bottom of this page, a very old idea resurrected).

Where Micro Four Thirds and similar systems aim to cut bulk by removing the mirror box, which slims down the camera body and somewhat reduces the size of the lenses (though by how much depends on the sensor size used), they still end up pretty big once you add zoom lenses (and if we're talking about long zooms or telephotos the advantage is all but lost - large sensors require large lenses). Thus the idea that these 'hybrid' cameras can offer SLR quality and versatility combined with compact camera size is simply not possible.

Ricoh's answer to this problem is, to say the least, novel. Rather than selling a camera body with a fixed sensor, the GXR system uses interchangeable lens/sensor units - every lens comes in a sealed unit complete with sensor, shutter, aperture, processing engine (there's also one in the camera body) and the motors necessary to focus the lens (and drive the zoom mechanism if present). You are, essentially, buying a new 'camera' every time you buy the lens: the GXR body is little more than a shell containing the screen, card slot, controls and flash. This radical rethink of the 'interchangeable lens' has some important consequences:

Different lens units can have different sensor sizes and technologies (CCD or CMOS, for example)By using a smaller (compact camera) sensor the GXR system can offer very small zoomsLens units can be designed for specialist applications (video optimized lens and sensor for example)The overall performance of the system is essentially defined by the lens unit, not the bodyEach lens has its own leaf shutter - which will generally be quieter, and offer faster flash sync than the focal-plane shutters used by Micro Four Thirds

The GXR body (which is like a slightly over-sized GR or GX model) can thus be anything from a high speed compact super zoom (a la Panasonic TZ series) to an APS-C compact with a fast prime lens (think Sigma DP2 or Leica X1) simply by swapping lens units. By replacing the lens unit with a compact projector, printer or high capacity storage device it could stop being a camera completely, at least that's the theory.

Unique flat sliding lens mountInterchangeable sealed lens/sensor unitsCompact Magnesium Alloy die-cast body with 'GR coating'Extensive customization options and external controls3.0" 920,000 pixel LCDBuilt-in flash and accessory shoeOptional electronic viewfinderHDMI connector

The standard components of an interchangeable lens camera are split between the GXR body and the lens unit in such a way that the performance of the camera (focus speed, image quality and so on) is to a large degree defined by the latter, with the body taking care of operational aspects and the actual process of taking the picture. Both camera and lens unit have their own Ricoh Smooth Image Engine processor (complete with RAM), though it appears the one in the lens unit is only used for capture and to get raw data off the sensor and convert it from analog to digital before it is sent to the body for processing and file creation. A fast, wide data bus connects the two halves together. To get a rough idea how the components and tasks are split see the table below (or check out the block diagram on the next page).

 JPEG processing and file creation Live view processing and display AV and PC interfaces (external I/O) Raw file processing (incl noise reduction if used) Image stabilization (gyro and sensor shifting) LCD screen and EVF (if attached)

Each lens unit contains instructions and parameters specific to its own sensor and optics, meaning that different lens units will change slightly the features, behavior and performance of the camera body when attached. Some of the lens unit dependant attributes (that we currently know of or can deduce) include:

Image processing parametersNoise reductionMenu options - lens units define what menus you seeDistortion correction (and, presumably, other lens corrections)Shutter speed and aperture rangesProgram mode parameters ('program lines')Specific features (manual focus ring, sensor-shift stabilization etc)Focus speedContinuous shooting speedBuffer (no of frames and speed)Movie capture capabilities (resolution and frame rate)

Essentially, as mentioned elsewhere, with each lens unit you're getting a completely new camera with very different capabilities. Whether this is a good thing or not is going to depend on how well Ricoh does with its stated aim of using highly optimized lens/sensor combinations, and how much it is prepared to invest in producing a range of options that's compelling enough to tempt buyers away from more conventional systems such as Micro Four Thirds.

In the first part of this review (pages 1-12) we will have a close look at the GXR's body, features and user interface. In the second part (studio and real-life tests) we focus on the GXR with the A12 50mm module. The tests with the S10 module will be published in a separate review.

If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read some of our Digital Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help you understand some of the terms used).

Conclusion / recommendation / ratings are based on the opinion of the author, we recommend that you read the entire review before making any decision. Images which can be viewed at a larger size have a small magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of them, click to display a larger image in a new window.

To navigate this article simply use the next / previous page buttons or jump to a specific page by using the drop-down list in the navigation bar at the top of the page. You can support this site by ordering through the affiliate links shown at the bottom of each page (where available).

This article is protected by Copyright and may not be reproduced in part or as a whole in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the author.

Dpreview use calibrated monitors at the PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out the difference between all of the grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally also A, B and C.

View the original article here

Ricoh GXR A12 50 mm F2.5 Macro Preview

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Review based on a production Ricoh GXR body with firmware v1.05 and A12 50mm lens unit with firmware v1.05

This is the first of two reviews of the GXR; as each module is effectively a completely different camera we've decided to treat them as such and produce separate reviews. This review covers the GXR with the A12 50mm equiv f2.5 (12MP APS-C sensor) module, the next will cover the GXR/S10 24-70mm equiv (10Mp 1/1.7" sensor) combo. The first half of both reviews is the same, covering the GXR camera body and system.

In the short, frenetic history of the digital camera it has often been the smaller, less high profile manufacturers who have taken all the risks and experimented with more unconventional designs and solutions. For despite all the technological advances in the last decade the majority of digital cameras have designs that follow the same basic blueprint as their analog predecessors: they're essentially the same cameras with a sensor in the place of film.

This is especially true in the interchangeable lens camera sector, where the big players (coincidentally those who led the market in the days of film), hampered by the need (desire) to retain compatibility with their legacy analog systems, produce digital SLRs that would feel reassuringly familiar to any photographer from the late '80s or early '90s who by choice or circumstance had missed out on the digital revolution.

Last year saw the first serious challenges to the dominance of the single lens reflex (a design that can trace it roots back over 100 years, and that hasn't changed fundamentally since the 1950s) in the interchangeable lens camera market - thanks to the introduction of Micro Four Thirds by Olympus and Panasonic. Since then Samsung has also introduced a very similar system ('NX') which is based on a larger APS-C sensor.

So when we first heard from Ricoh that they wanted to come and show us a new system camera we presumed it too was going to be variation on the 'mirrorless' design. Then we started to get hints that it was actually a totally new idea (or, as mentioned at the bottom of this page, a very old idea resurrected).

Where Micro Four Thirds and similar systems aim to cut bulk by removing the mirror box, which slims down the camera body and somewhat reduces the size of the lenses (though by how much depends on the sensor size used), they still end up pretty big once you add zoom lenses (and if we're talking about long zooms or telephotos the advantage is all but lost - large sensors require large lenses). Thus the idea that these 'hybrid' cameras can offer SLR quality and versatility combined with compact camera size is simply not possible.

Ricoh's answer to this problem is, to say the least, novel. Rather than selling a camera body with a fixed sensor, the GXR system uses interchangeable lens/sensor units - every lens comes in a sealed unit complete with sensor, shutter, aperture, processing engine (there's also one in the camera body) and the motors necessary to focus the lens (and drive the zoom mechanism if present). You are, essentially, buying a new 'camera' every time you buy the lens: the GXR body is little more than a shell containing the screen, card slot, controls and flash. This radical rethink of the 'interchangeable lens' has some important consequences:

Different lens units can have different sensor sizes and technologies (CCD or CMOS, for example)By using a smaller (compact camera) sensor the GXR system can offer very small zoomsLens units can be designed for specialist applications (video optimized lens and sensor for example)The overall performance of the system is essentially defined by the lens unit, not the bodyEach lens has its own leaf shutter - which will generally be quieter, and offer faster flash sync than the focal-plane shutters used by Micro Four Thirds

The GXR body (which is like a slightly over-sized GR or GX model) can thus be anything from a high speed compact super zoom (a la Panasonic TZ series) to an APS-C compact with a fast prime lens (think Sigma DP2 or Leica X1) simply by swapping lens units. By replacing the lens unit with a compact projector, printer or high capacity storage device it could stop being a camera completely, at least that's the theory.

Unique flat sliding lens mountInterchangeable sealed lens/sensor unitsCompact Magnesium Alloy die-cast body with 'GR coating'Extensive customization options and external controls3.0" 920,000 pixel LCDBuilt-in flash and accessory shoeOptional electronic viewfinderHDMI connector

The standard components of an interchangeable lens camera are split between the GXR body and the lens unit in such a way that the performance of the camera (focus speed, image quality and so on) is to a large degree defined by the latter, with the body taking care of operational aspects and the actual process of taking the picture. Both camera and lens unit have their own Ricoh Smooth Image Engine processor (complete with RAM), though it appears the one in the lens unit is only used for capture and to get raw data off the sensor and convert it from analog to digital before it is sent to the body for processing and file creation. A fast, wide data bus connects the two halves together. To get a rough idea how the components and tasks are split see the table below (or check out the block diagram on the next page).

 JPEG processing and file creation Live view processing and display AV and PC interfaces (external I/O) Raw file processing (incl noise reduction if used) Image stabilization (gyro and sensor shifting) LCD screen and EVF (if attached)

Each lens unit contains instructions and parameters specific to its own sensor and optics, meaning that different lens units will change slightly the features, behavior and performance of the camera body when attached. Some of the lens unit dependant attributes (that we currently know of or can deduce) include:

Image processing parametersNoise reductionMenu options - lens units define what menus you seeDistortion correction (and, presumably, other lens corrections)Shutter speed and aperture rangesProgram mode parameters ('program lines')Specific features (manual focus ring, sensor-shift stabilization etc)Focus speedContinuous shooting speedBuffer (no of frames and speed)Movie capture capabilities (resolution and frame rate)

Essentially, as mentioned elsewhere, with each lens unit you're getting a completely new camera with very different capabilities. Whether this is a good thing or not is going to depend on how well Ricoh does with its stated aim of using highly optimized lens/sensor combinations, and how much it is prepared to invest in producing a range of options that's compelling enough to tempt buyers away from more conventional systems such as Micro Four Thirds.

In the first part of this review (pages 1-12) we will have a close look at the GXR's body, features and user interface. In the second part (studio and real-life tests) we focus on the GXR with the A12 50mm module. The tests with the S10 module will be published in a separate review.

If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read some of our Digital Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help you understand some of the terms used).

Conclusion / recommendation / ratings are based on the opinion of the author, we recommend that you read the entire review before making any decision. Images which can be viewed at a larger size have a small magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of them, click to display a larger image in a new window.

To navigate this article simply use the next / previous page buttons or jump to a specific page by using the drop-down list in the navigation bar at the top of the page. You can support this site by ordering through the affiliate links shown at the bottom of each page (where available).

This article is protected by Copyright and may not be reproduced in part or as a whole in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the author.

Dpreview use calibrated monitors at the PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out the difference between all of the grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally also A, B and C.

View the original article here

Ricoh GXR P10 28-300 mm F3.5-5.6 VC Review

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Review based on a production Ricoh GXR body with firmware v1.18 and P10 28-300 mm lens unit with v1.1.3 firmware 18 This room has been reviewed using our ' Quick Review ' format which we use for cameras that are in terms of operation and/or image quality very close to either their predecessors table or other models in the line that we already treated to a full review. For a fuller view of the camera's functionalities and qualities we therefore recommend you not only read this Quick Review, but also the full review of the Ricoh GXR with the S10 24-72 mm module.When Ricoh announced the GXR interchangeable camera module system in 2009, with its sealed lens/sensor units it was certainly one of the more extravagant room innovations of recent years. However, as most completely new systems, the GXR initially only offered little choice to potential users. You could slide either the S10 24-72 mm module with 10 megapixel 1/1.7 sensor or the A12 50 mm module with 12 megapixel APS-C sensor into the GXR body. Now Ricoh GXR users has given some more choice by launching the P10 28-300 F3.5-5.6 VC module (there's also a A12 28 mm unit currently under development). With this new module images are captured on a 1/2.3 "back-illuminated CMOS sensor. The image-stabilized unit also includes features such as RAW capture, HD video recording and 5 fps continuous shooting (up to 120 fps at VGA resolution). Ricoh says the optical formula of the lens is the same as that of their room but the CX3 compact lens construction has been changed and the design ' optimized ' to offer higher quality images. Unique sliding lens, flat mountInterchangeable sealed lens/sensor unitsCompact Magnesium Alloy die-cast body with ' GR coating ' Extensive customization options and external controls3.0? 920,000 pixels LCDBuilt-in flash and accessory shoeOptional electronic viewfinderHDMI connectorBack-illuminated 10 MP CMOS sensor10.7 x (28-300 mm equiv.) zoom lensRAW captureHigh speed continuous shooting (up to 5 fps in RAW mode) Ultra high speed continuous shooting of up to 120 fps at reduced captureWhere resolution720p HD video Micro Four Thirds and similar systems aim to cut bulk by removing the mirror box, which slims down the camera body and somewhat reduces the size of the lenses (though by how much depends on the sensor size used), they still end up pretty big once you add zoom lenses (and if we're talking about long zooms or telephotos the advantage is all but lost-large sensors require large lenses). The fact is that with current technology, you can't get the image quality of a DSLR and the versatilty of a superzoom compact camera into the same sized package.Ricoh's answer to this problem is novel, to say the least. Rather than selling a camera body with a fixed sensor, the GXR system uses interchangeable lens/sensor units every lens comes in a sealed unit complete with sensor, shutter, aperture, processing engine (there's also one in the camera body) and the motors necessary to focus the lens (and drive the zoom mechanism if present). You are, essentially, buying a new ' room ' every time you buy the lens: the GXR body is little more than a shell containing the screen, card slots, controls and flash. This radical rethink of the ' interchangeable lens ' has some important consequences: Different lens units can have different sensor sizes and technologies (CCD or CMOS, for example) By using a smaller (compact camera) sensor the GXR system can offer very small zoomsLens units can be designed for specialist applications (video optimized lens and sensor for example) The overall performance of the system is essentially defined by the lens unit, not the bodyEach lens has its own leaf shutter-which will generally be quieter, and offer faster flash sync than the focal-plane shutters used by Micro Four Thirds The GXR lens unit slides into the body and clicks into place

The GXR body (which is like a slightly over-sized G or GX model) can thus be anything from a high speed compact super zoom (at the Panasonic TZ series) to an APS-C compact with a fast prime lens (think Sigma DP2 or Leica X 1) simply by swapping lens units. By replacing the lens unit with a compact projector, printer or high capacity storage device it could stop being a room completely, at least that's the theory.

You can find the P10 28-300 mm module's specifications in the table below. Please have a look at our GXR S10 24-72 mm/review for the specs of the GXR body.

Price: $ 500/? 470 as a kit with the GXR body
$ 300/? 250 module onlyConstruction10 elements in 7 groups (4 aspherical lens elements) Focus range • Approx. 30 cm-?
• Macro: 1cmImage Sensor • 1/2.3 "CMOS
• Total pixels: 10.6 Million
• Max file size: 3648 ? 2736Focus • Contrast detect AF
• Manual • Stills focusShutter speeds: 30 sec-1/2000
• Movies: 1/30 sec-1/2000Sensitivity • Auto
• Auto-Hi
• ISO 100-3200Continuous Shooting • 5 fps (RAW)
• 30 fps
• 120 fps
• Raw buffer: 3 or 4 framesFile types • JPEG (3 levels)
• Raw (DNG) Files Sizes3648 ? 2736, 3648 ? 2432, 3648 ? 2736 x 2736, 2048, 3264 x 1840, 3264 ? 2448, 3264 ? 2176, 2448 x 2448, 2592 x 1944, 2048 ? 1536, 1280 ? 960, 640 ? 480Movie mode • 1280 x 720
• 640 x 480
• 320 x 240
• 30 fps
• Motion JPEG AVIDimensions114mm ? 58 mm ? 50 mm
(when mounted on the GXR body)

If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read some of our Digital Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help you understand some of the terms used).

Conclusion/recommendation/ratings are based on the opinion of the author, we recommend that you read the entire review before making any decision. Images which can be viewed at a larger size have a small magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of them, click to display a larger image in a new window.

To navigate this article simply use the next/previous page buttons or jump to a specific page by using the drop-down list in the navigation bar at the top of the page. You can support this site by ordering through the affiliate links shown at the bottom of each page (where available).

This article is protected by Copyright and may not be reproduced in part or as a whole in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the author.

Dpreview use calibrated monitors at the PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out the difference between all of the grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X, Y and Z and ideally also A, B and c.

View the original article here