I believe that not a few photographers looking for serious compacts are deterred and puzzled by the GXR for its concept about the lensor module rather than its performance. That's why this field report series has been focusing on making clear of the concept. (Of course, we will go deeper into the camera body and the two lensors later. If you're wondering about the IQ, the previous A12-full-size-photo post is here.)
For that matter, following the full-size-photo post, we came close to an answer to the question "how do we position this camera" yesterday. I reasoned that we 
photographers needed cameras to be compact not just for the matter of size. More importantly, we actually need compact cameras to be convenient in all aspects of its operations. Compactness is only one of the dimensions.
Does the GXR win in all the dimensions of convenience being a compact camera?
The GXR is more compact than the GF-1, check. It benefits users with the carefree slide-in module design for on-the-move shooting -- slide in, slide out, drop it in the bag and shoot and repeat this as you wish, check. Sometimes, I've found myself keep changing the modules just for the sake of being amused by the convenience. The GXR inherits and expands the flexibility of the GRDIII shooting functions (you can check out our GRDIII review posts here), check. The shooting functions are so very customisable that I as an advanced photographers will need quite a period of time to outgrow it.
Talking about outgrowing it, I stand little chance to succeed because the GXR is an organic system. "Organic" is the answer to the question mentioned above, which was already hinted nearing the end of yesterday's post.
Why and How Organic
By the word organic, I mean a camera will grow in usability and functionality as time wears on.
That the GXR is an organic system may not be obvious to 
most of us because of the lack of choice of modules at present. Let's fast forward and imagine (well, this is not the reality yet) Ricoh materialises its promises to make more modules for the GXR. So:
What if the GXR is combined with a remote module so that the A12 can be handheld at any position to shoot in a wireless fashion like a wireless slave flash? What if the GXR is combined with a multiple-remote module so that two or more S10/ A12 units can shoot a single scene concurrently to make a 3D HDR shot? What if…?
These scenarios will be exciting. And this is my definite answer to the question "how do we position the GXR": With its highly customisable functionality and unlimited expansion possibilities, the GXR can grow with the user's photographic skills.
In this sense, the GXR is a worthy long-term investment. Time will tell.
Legitimate Doubts
But rewind to reality.
Lots of photographers have put forward some very cogent arguments against the GXR, like: How about the sensor or lens component will be wasted if either of them wears sooner than the other? I doubt whether the percentage of either the sensor or lens component wears sooner will be high in reality. Fact is, a lot of us won't live long enough to see the decease of a sensor/ lens if we use it with care.
The crux of the doubt hidden in this question is two-fold: first, the GXR system deprives the photographers the heritage of old lenses over time which stand the test of time better than the sensors -- this I agree; second, if the lens is still good but the sensor doesn't perform on a par to the newer standard, the owners have to buy a new lensor for the price of both the sensor and the lens.
For the first part, it is difficult to answer. After all, we can't have the cake and eat it. I can only say that the GXR has its own advantages in the expansion of usability and functionality in a charming compact body.
For the second part, I doubt in the end how big a difference in money term this will make. We are photographers and therefore we are spenders for new cameras or lenses. We have a budget and we spend it (if we don't have any, of course we don't and it does not have anything to do with any system). We will use up the funds anyway. Money doesn't spend on a new GXR module will be spent on a Nikkor lens, for example.
To enjoy the full advantage of the GXR system, you have to shell out the money to invest in more than one module because that's the idea behind the system. That brings us to the modules now available.
We will continue the discussion tomorrow.
Comments
I just don't see that it clearly offers any real advantage. The good points you have pointed out IMO dont balance the extra cost and problems that could be involved with having a nice lens and an out of date sensor, an out of date camera body or even the extra size involved. I know at the moment there is little extra size but in the near future their will be. The GXR could well be a dead end rather than an expanding system.
The price is a big thing but that would not matter if the camera really did offer so much more than others?
Ricoh will have to do a lot of hard work to keep this concept going as new compacts come to the market. It isn't IMO as inovative or special as the GRD series, it is going to have to go up against other large sensor interchangable and perhaps much cheaper larger sensor fixed lens compacts yet to come.
We will use up funds anyway but some have been buying Nikkor lenses for 30+ years, can you honestly see anybody buying a new GRX module in say 10 years time?
As things are at the present Ricoh have just made my 21mm & 40mm GRD conversion lenses useless in the future.
The GXR is a "new" system and I think we don't need 10 years to see how it goes. Ricoh needs to beef up the system with more modules in one or two years' time to keep the system going.
There is also a big problem with the A12 which can turn you away from the system. I am going to say about it in another post.
Well, the S10 module still accepts the conversion lenses I have for my GX200.