The last GX poll was concluded last week and a total of 150 votes had been casted. Probably because our readers are fans of Ricoh cameras, the champ is Ricoh GXR, winning over 30% of the total votes or 46 aspiring buyers. The first runner-up is, again, Ricoh's very capable camera – GRDIII. The second runners-up, Samsung's EX1 and Oly's E-PL1, are a bit further down the road, closely followed by the E-P2 and Sam's NX10.
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However, recently, we have seen launches of many new cameras. So there are probably many more pent-up fancies to be tickled and a new poll, if put up, can end up with different results. Now that the so-called EVIL serious compacts are selling at cheaper prices, the rationale and temptations behind buying a smaller-sensor serious compacts, like the EX1, GRDIII and G11, with a marginally cheaper price tag and a slightly less bulky size have lost much grounds. Unless, maybe, the camera can be critically downsized to like Canon's S95.
So, if the budget is a factor, and it is, the survival of the Nikon's "mammoth" P7000 announced of late is highly questionable. That sector of the market is fast shrinking.
Sony NEX5 mounted with the new 18-200mm lens Of all the serious compacts, the NEXs seem to be perfect size-wise. And Sony is surely going to give the higher-grade NEXs a better user's interface. It is not that Sony doesn't know how, it is pretty much on the marketing roadmap to avoid the overlapping of its products, which is evidenced by the recent launches of the a55 and a33 boosting fantastic user's interface. But honestly, I have tried the NEXs and the user's interface doesn't seem to pose a big problem as it is widely suggested. It's not superb and that's is it.
The real problem of the NEX is, paradoxically, its small size which is encapsulated by using the camera with the new 18-200mm lens. Initially, the NEX cameras are pretty small for the hand of most male photographers. Now the camera weighs roughly 250g, the 18-200mm lens is double as heavy, making the camera tilting heavily forward and the waist ache when holding the combination for like 5 minutes which is not helped by the mediocre grip. This deficiency in ergonomics also renders the turning of the rings on the lens awkward.
And before closing, a few words on the GXR. So far, Ricoh has only produced one lensor with the APS-C size sensor which doesn't do well in low light focusing. The GXR unit with the VF set alone now costs HK$3,200 (about US$ 390 or £ 320). Adding on the cost of a lensor, the GXR is with so vast a price gap away from the potential competitors, which perform better and better with their 2nd generation, that its pricing strategy absolutely needs a rethink.
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