Ricoh is now the owner of the 3 weirdest  interchangeable camera systems currently on the market: The Pentax Q, an expensive toy CSC, the Pentax K-01, a mirrorless camera the size of a dslr minus the prisma hump and minus any means to use a viewfinder. And this, the 'interchangeable unit camera system' that marries the 2 most opposite parts of a camera system in a box: The lens, that can remain usable for decades, and the sensor that becomes obsolete in just a couple of years.

I have a soft spot for properly conducted field reports accompanied by  plenty pics, and this is on of them:

"Compared to the Fujifilm X10: the GRD IV is smaller and is much more “pocketable” and has more customization features and a significantly

"The GRD IV's understated, black appearance coupled with a fine, pebbled-texture finish covering the entire chassis gives the camera a professional feel. There's a texturized rubber padding on both the grip and thumbrest, which makes the camera grippier, offering a more secure

"One of our favorite shooting modes with any Ricoh camera is macro mode, and the GR Digital IV is no exception. Our sample image shows the camera's ability to capture up close. Taken within 2cm of the subject, our sample image is incredibly sharp, and the camera focuses unbelievably

Wow, lots of corporate cleavage here. Top pick: Canon confirms introduction of mirrorless line. FTA: 

"Canon Imaging Rong Said Canon will announce its mirrorless and high End Compacts in 2012.
 The Best part of the interview was Canon confirms Mirrorless System is coming in 2012, See more: on October 2011 we have published

FTA: "Several factors have combined to make the Beginners' class the most competitive of the Mirrorless camera market. The main one is the camera makers' belief that there is an un-tapped market of buyers who would like to get better pictures than their compact camera

The Google translation says "most historical", and we can't quite make out some of the orther stuff, but the camera models selected speak for themselves. One interesting tidbit is the medium format film camera among the 10, and also the complete lack of any Canon models. As an added bonus they list the most historical cameras of the past 10 years too:

With a fixed f2.8 28mm lens, this should be a very snappy cam. Indeed a pretender to the DMD throne: " The GR Digital II is currently the flagship Ricoh compact and occupies a unique position in the "serious compact" market. It isn't the right compact for most people, even amongst those who appreciate advanced compacts. For starters, it doesn't zoom, lacks image stabilization, and sells for $500 at the time of this