The Ricoh GR series has been loved by many street photographers. These compact cameras and their every edition aim to improve the user experience while providing photographers with various features with which to work. As the compact camera is making a return, it now appears that Ricoh is thinking of a new GR series camera with a monochrome sensor. Here’s a look at what the company has to say.
According to Asobinet, Ricoh GR was not exhibiting at the CP+ Show. However, they did speak about the future of the GR series, and the company believes they have to “evolve” from here on. One of the changes that they are looking at is the inclusion of an in-built flash, which many photographers need. Since the GR II and GR III lacked a flash, many began to rely on third-party flash for their needs. Furthermore, if they want to improve the autofocus speed, it will require a bigger batter, which will, in turn, increase the size of the camera.
In addition, the company also touched upon monochrome sensor, thanks to the positive response of the Pentax K-3 Mk III. Many phtoorapers who want a monochrome sensor are relying on Leica M9, M11 and K-3 Mk III. Howver, those who use GR, use the mono chrome filters. For instance, Daido Moriyama, who is known for his black and white images, uses GR cameras but could be relying on filters and post production to get the black and white contrasty images. And so, since Leica is the only company that caters to this demand, Ricoh has the best opportunity to get a more cost-effective variant for photographers.
Although the company is continuing its research, they have not yet revealed whether we will see a monochrome GR camera anytime soon. While we are at it, a few others things that the company can certainly improve on:
- Fast autofocus: In our review of the GR III, we noticed that the camera was somewhat slow, which can be a challenge for street photographers. A fast autofocus may be able to get people the desired result soon.
- Better ISO performance: While GR III was excellent at lower ISO, it does struggle in dimly lit areas. So those who shoot after sunset will likely to face many challenges. If this is fixed, it would make monochrome photography great.
- Weather sealing: Better weather sealing will the camera more durable and perfect for travel photography.
- Brighter lens: A lens with f1.8 or lower will certain be helpful for low light performance and better control over depth of field.
- Ergonomics changes: An electronic viewfinder, tilting LCD, and control ring, all could make the GR monochrome a more appealing model.
- Enhanced battery life: This is a must since travel and street photographers sometime have to shoot for longer durations. So increasing the battery life will be helpful to them.
- RAW file improvement: Improving this could also help photographers to get the same impressive image quality seen with JPG files.
Some of this changes may require Ricoh to change the design of the camera. However, if they are able to achieve this, they can get a more perfect device for street photographers. Until then, watch out this space for more!