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Well, I think this has to be the dumbest snake oil nonsense product I’ve seen so far this year. Being sold by the “Ding ding dong crazybtplay Store” on AliExpress, these masks claim to turn your Ricoh GR into a Hasselblad XPan.
Of course, the claim is ridiculous. But, the product aims to let you see and shoot ultra-wide format panoramic images with your Ricoh GR, GR II or GR III. It does this by placing a mask over your lens, essentially cropping at the point of capture.
It seems that Ricoh Japan has discontinued production of the HD PENTAX-DA 21mm F3.2AL Limited silver lens (buy here). The wide-angle HD PENTAX-DA 21mm F3.2AL Limited was released in 2013, as the replacement for 2006’s smc PENTAX-DA 21mm F3.2AL Limited. It was released as a compact wide prime for walkabout shooting with a small, lightweight APS-C camera setup.
At the moment, it seems that only the silver version of the lens has been discontinued. The Ricoh Japan online store lists it as “Completion of production” with limited (“only a few”) stock still available. Outside of Japan, stocks are still available at some online retailers.
Ricoh has announced two new 50mm f/1.4 lenses for Pentax K mount DSLRs. The two lenses are the HD PENTAX-FA 50mm F1.4 and smc PENTAX-FA 50mm F1.4 Classic. Although the two lenses share identical specs and appear very similar to each other, Pentax swears they are two different lenses, each with a “uniquely distinct design concept”.
The two new lenses are based on the legacy smc PENTAX-FA 50mm F1.4 lens released in 1991. This lens was chosen due to what Ricoh describes as its “distinctive image rendition at open and larger apertures” and its popularity amongst Pentax shooters.
In a recent article on Japanese outlet Newswitch, Ricoh CFO Shun Kawaguchi says that the company is looking to essentially dump some of its business in order to be able to focus its time and money on more lucrative areas of the company. There was no explicit mention of Pentax, Ricoh’s own branded cameras or the Theta series of 360° cameras, although logically, they might be some of the first up for the chopping block – and probably in that order.
Pentax’s defiance of market trends and its steadfast refusal to enter the mirrorless market could be its downfall. Who could’ve seen that one coming, huh? Pentax proclaimed in 2019 that users would start switching from mirrorless back to DSLRs within 1-2 years. Well, it’s 2022, and that hasn’t happened. In 2020, they reaffirmed their commitment to DSLRs. And just last month, they released the entirely underwhelming Pentax KF – which is basically just a K-70 with a flippy-out LCD.
Ricoh has announced the new HD Pentax-D FA Macro 100mm f/2.8ED AW (All Weather) lens. This is the first Pentax macro lens to feature all-weather dustproof and weather-resistant construction. Ricoh says that when mounted to a weather-resistant Pentax DSLR, the new lens creates “a highly dependable, durable imaging system that performs superbly in demanding shooting conditions”.
The lens features a new optical design, although Ricoh says it’s almost as compact as its Pentax-D FA Macro 100mm f/2.8 WR predecessor. And as well as new insides, it also has a new exterior. The new design includes Pentax’s Quick-Shift Focus System. This enables photographers to instantly switch from auto to manual focus after the camera’s AF system locks on.
Ricoh has reportedly sent out an email to customers informing them that they’re shutting down their EU website at Ricoh-Imaging.eu on September 5th. It seems that the singular all-encompassing website is to be replaced by a number of brand-specific websites. This will allow them to target each specific demographic rather than having a single catch-all website for all their customers across all sectors.
According to the email sent out by Pentax, they “are currently creating new exciting websites for you. Our new websites will be brand oriented and will therefore have greater value for you. The first website will be opening soon” but some users fear that this may be Ricoh’s plan to split off Pentax to make it easier to sell off. Whatever the ultimate goal, existing Ricoh customers (in all markets) need to pay attention.
Ricoh’s limited-edition GR IIIx Urban Edition camera, released in March as a kit including some matching accessories now appears to have made it into the regular lineup. Ricoh has announced that the GR IIIx Urban Edition is going to be available to purchase as a standalone edition camera for $1,049.95.
It’s $50 more expensive than the standard Ricoh GR IIIx and $50 less expensive than the limited edition GR IIIx Urban Edition kit that was released in March. And for that $50 reduction, it seems that all you’re really losing out on is the matching leather strap compared to the Urban Edition kit.
Ricoh USA is being sued again, with a class-action suit in Pennsylvania over defects in the aperture mechanism of the Pentax K-30 and K-50 DSLRs. It’s the second time a class action lawsuit has been filed against the company, with the first being filed in 2020 in New York and subsequently dismissed in just February of this year.
The new suit filed in Pennsylvania basically alleges the same as the suit filed in New York two years ago – although the original suit also included the Pentax K-70 in the list of defective models. The defect, as alleged by both suits is that there’s a problem with the aperture mechanism that produces consistently black or very underexposed images, making the cameras unfit for purpose.
Ricoh has announced their new WG-80, the latest in their line of rugged and waterproof compact cameras designed for underwater, outdoor and industrial photography. With the newest iteration, it actually sees a slight (very slight) redesign of the camera’s exterior, although the specifications remain pretty much identical to its predecessor (and its predecessor’s predecessor).
Aside from the slightly modified shell, the Ricoh WG-80 also sees a new macro LED ring light that Ricoh says is twice as bright as that found in the WG-70. They also say it has “enhanced functionality”, but it all appears to essentially be the same as the Ricoh WG-70.
Ricoh has announced a new Ricoh GR IIIx Urban Edition Special Limited Kit – bit of a mouthful. As the name suggests, it’s a new limited edition version of the GR IIIx which offers a metallic grey finish with a blue accent around the lens barrel along with some exclusive matching accessories. But it’s not just a pretty face. The GRX IIIx Urban, as we’ll call it from now on, also sports new exposure and focus modes that the standard GR IIIx does not have.
Other than the new exposure and focus modes – which will also be coming to the standard GR IIIx in a future firmware update – the specs are identical to the regular GR IIIx. And despite being a limited edition, the price difference over the standard model isn’t that bad, either. You’re only paying an extra $100 for your bragging rights.
Udi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.
Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe
Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.
John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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