We have previously reported on the "new" Ricoh GR III HDF and Ricoh GR IIIx HDF and while some members of the team thought it was nice to hear that Ricoh is actually continuing with the GR APS-C compact lineup, I was left scratching my head. Why would Ricoh put the GR on life-support rather than making a new camera which the whole community wants?
While I don't agree with these switchable filters - which are just a normal Ricoh GR III or GR IIIx with a switch in the menu – apparently there could be more on the way. That might be good news to some, but for this photographer, it leaves disappointment.
According to Japanese website Digital Camera Life, the Ricoh team is considering the possibility to develop new filters in the GR line, which to mean sound s bit of a cop-out on actually developing a new GR camera which is what the community actually wants!
Within the article it suggests that new filter will be on the way thanks to the Ricoh inkjet printing technologies that allowed the HDF filter to be produced for the new Ricoh GR compact camera line.
"By fusing optical technology and printing technology, which Ricoh has been working on for a long time since its founding, we have taken on the new idea and challenge of creating printing technology that functions within digital cameras", the article reads". By leveraging this initiative, we will consider the possibilities and development of new filters that can contribute to the culture and history of cameras and photography."
What does this mean for the future o the GR-series from Ricoh? Well, If I was to be cynical, which I sometimes am, I would say that Ricoh will continue to develop these filter on there popular GR III and GR IIIx cameras until the community stops buying them or there is a big enough voice to want a better, newer GR camera in the lineup.
To put a filter in a camera and sell it as a new one is just a very bizarre concept that I clearly can't get my head around - it's basically a GR III or GR IIIx with worse image quality!
While that might be a bit harsh I can't be the only one who read the announcement and was so disappointed that a proper new GR wasn't announced
