Ricoh’s upcoming GXR – the compact camera that wants to be an SLR thanks to interchangeable lenses – is a pretty exciting step forward for camera tech. And it’s just been priced for Australia!
The body, which houses the LCD and processing, will set you back $699. Of course, it’s useless without one of the two launch lenses: the A12 50mm F2.5 MACRO camera unit which costs $999 or the S10 24-72mm F2.5-4.4 VC camera unit which costs $649.
Luckily, if you bundle lenses and body together, you make savings, with the body plus A12 costing $1,599, the body plus S10 costing $1,199 and the body with both lenses costing $2,099.
The camera and A12 will be available from December 18, with the S10 hitting shelves in January. A third, telephoto lens will arrive some time in the first quarter next year too.
It’s a fascinating and logical take on replaceable lenses in cameras, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it performs. If you want to test drive the camera, distributor Tasco has set up hands on areas at a series of camera dealers, whose details can be found here.