For two years or so, we have seen a flux of digital cameras ostensibly modelled after the vintage design. From Oly’s MFT series to Fujifilm’s X100, a new passion for vintage-camera lookalikes has been ushered in among photography enthusiasts. This is all well and good, but precisely because we are huge fans of such digital-and-vintage hybrids, it pains us to say that these models are felt as vintage cameras in appearance more than in spirit – factors contributing to this impression include the plastic feel of some flimsy camera bodies and lenses. We have no qualms with what all these commendable cameras can proudly do. But it is arguably that the GXR M-mount module brings users the real and rare choice to experience the fun of full manual functions with top quality manual lenses, most importantly without the prohibitively expensive outlay.
Recently at the Ricoh Hong Kong Meetup, users shared with great gusto their experience in using on the GXR M-mount module a dozen of manual lenses from Russian to Nikkor and to Leica lenses. At the same time, they lamented that the emergence of the M-mount module has resulted in a shortage, hence inflated prices, of mounts for manual lenses. This certainly speak volumes for the success of Ricoh’s move with this module.
Body and UI
The GXR body is sturdy, with a well-thought out button layout and a well-balanced weight distribution (i.e. when the heavy Nokton lens is dismounted; but not all manual lenses are as bulky). Everything feels perfect about the camera body ergonomics-wise, except for the body’s imperfection of featuring the wheel-and-rocker control combination, rather than a twin-wheel system. This is not terrible, just less than ideal.
(Direct-screen menu for making adjustments direct)
The user’s interface of the GXR body is still arguably a head and shoulders above the competitors. Users seldom need to dive into the menu system, thanks to the GXR body’s highly customisable Fn keys, one-press quick menu and memory slots, as well as the Direct-screen menu. These are very beneficial to doing manual operations on the M-mount module. For example, the Fn keys help speed up the focusing process when work with the focus assist function and focus magnification. For doing manual focus swiftly, a tip is to customise Focus Assist and focus magnification into the two Fn keys on the directional dial, which has proved to work well during the review. Previous discussions on the UI of the GXR body can be found here and here.
Focusing Modes
| Mode 1 simulated | Mode 2 simulated | final image |
On the note of focusing, it should be mentioned that no matter how high a resolution the LCD display boasts, the focus magnification is done digitally. In other words, in Mode 1 (subject in focus displayed in glittering dots), the magnified image may not be satisfactory in clarity for focus confirmation under some situations – for example, when the subjects are delicately patterned or the near background is cluttered with similarly coloured objects.
(Mode 2 simulated)
However, some users have pointed out that Mode 2 (scene displayed in embossment-style grey colour with the focus highlighted by a white border) gives a much clearer indication for focus confirmation. So, for Mode 2, the above issue of magnified images is non-existent. 
But I still have two concerns concerning Mode 2: first, the actual scene can only be seen when half-pressing the shutter release; second, as shown to me, the grey colour makes it doubtful if a scene is underexposed or overexposed as intended. On the second point, I must say that the demonstration was done for extreme exposure values. In real-life photography, the same may rarely happen, if it will happen at all. After all, one can always view the histogram or half-press the shutter release to check it out. Of course, this is a matter of workflow and may not just suit everyone.
Suggested Improvements
Suggested Mode 1  | Suggested Mode 2  |
If I were asked, in addition to the Focus Assist function which facilitates visual focus confirmation, something can be done to improve the focus confirmation: for Mode 1, an on-screen indication to highlight the focused area in specific colours; or an addition of a presently technically wishful thinking – as there is no communication between the lens and the camera body – a sectional indicator a la some battery level indicator whereby the clearer the focus is, the more sections will be lighted up in the indicator. As for Mode 2, the scene can be displayed in normal colour (or in black and white when doing such shots) while the focused area is displayed in grey with highlighted border.
That said, at the Ricoh Hong Kong Meetup, some folks using the M-mount module revealed that they had shown it to their retired grandpas who regrettably could no longer focus with their Leicas owing to deteriorated eyesight and shaky hands. What happened next was that those grandpas became GXR M-mount owners since its focus confirmation modes work well for them. Also, the M–mount module is a much affordable option to resurrect the Leica lenses according to these now happy grandpas.
Fun and IQ
(high contrast mode)
Ricoh puts in some unique functions like the adjustable Peripheral Illumination Correction and a high-contrast black-and-white mode which I recommend users to experiment with. For the other regular scene functions, the M-mount module simply does them as good; they are useful but I am not big fans of them.
original image  | 100% crop  |
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On image quality, with the advantage of supreme manual lenses and the omission of the low-pass filter, the M-mount module gives lots of juice in the images it produces. I am gobsmacked to see the sharpness, solid colours and a distinct sense of depth in the final images. In addition to the superb optical performance of the lens, the omission of the low-pass filter in the module has much bearing on such great results.
Last Note
Frankly, Ricoh is not a mainstream brand. But with the GXR system, it is creating another market of its own after the mirror-less cameras ate into its previous niche market with fast-wide-angle-lens, small-sized cameras like the GX and GRD series. If the sales of the GXR system has been sluggish, the M-mount module can said to be giving it a new lease of life. 
The new module helps the system reach out to the market of interchangeable lens. The M-mount module offers a tailor-made body with truly manual operations to use premium, legendary lenses. Of course, the M-mount module is not a Leica in terms of specifications, operations, prestige and value. But this plebeian version against the much more expensive Leicas does not disappoint. For old-timers and traditionalists, it is worth every penny of the admission price. For younger photographers without any experience in manual focus lens, it is advisable to first figure out what to expect when doing mostly manual 
operations with a camera. If possible, get your hands on the M-mount module to see if it suits you. The operations on the GXR are easy to get familiar with, and once you are used to it, you will be glad to have made the choice because the M-mount module with the premium lenses will return you with razor-sharp images. Whether they are good images is, without doubt, a matter of talent, practice and taste. That is another story.
Price: HK$6,000（GXR M-mount module）；HK$7,800（with GXR body）
Image Sensor：23.6 mm × 15.7 mm CMOS (12.3MP effective)
Mount：GXR、M、M39
Display：3 inches TFT LCD at 920KP
ISO：ISO 200 to 3,200
Weight：370g（with GXR body）
(Kudos to Laikok for lending GX Garnerings the camera unit and the lens)
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