Ricoh GXR A12 50mm f/2.5 macro review

The A12 50mm macro lens is not a true macro lens as its maximum magnification is only 0.5x, meaning that the image projected onto the sensor is half actual size rather than full size. Don't let this, or the A12's fixed focal length put you off because it's a very sharp lens and, at its maximum F/2.5 aperture, produces beautiful background blur (or bokeh). You'll definitely be able to use its shallow depth of field to unleash your creative juices, providing the fixed focal length suits your style.

Chromatic aberration is well controlled on the A12 and there's very little distortion, while the sensor's dynamic range is very good with smooth highlight gradations. ISO performance is also very good, as you'd expect from an APS-C sensor - it manages to retain good levels of detail with relatively low noise levels in poor lighting conditions.

The body itself has a magnesium alloy shell and is extremely well built, but it's not as compact as Ricoh would have you believe. Handling is exceptional, thanks to the GXR's intuitive and flexible button layout - users can easily customise the camera's controls to suit their needs through the simple, but powerful menu system. The 3.0in 920k dot LCD screen is also very good, although images do look overly sharp when you're reviewing them on the screen.

On the top of the camera, there's a hot shoe for mounting Ricoh's optional high resolution electronic viewfinder, but that's an extra £220. For those who want more than the GXR's pop up flash, there's a dedicated flash gun that also attaches to the hot shoe and offers full through-the-lens metering but, again, it's an expensive upgrade at £240.

This, in essence, sums up the GXR's biggest problem: price. At £900 for the GXR body and A12 50mm F/2.5 macro lens, there's no denying this is a very expensive camera. But it's also a very capable camera, with image quality that surpasses anything else as compact as this, including both the Panasonic GF1 and Olympus E-P1.

Unfortunately, the GXR is at a disadvantage in high-speed scenarios such as action, sports or wildlife photography - not only because of the hit-and-miss auto-focus performance, but also due to the noticeable shutter lag. Also, the choice of lenses in comparison to the micro four thirds cameras it's arguably competing against is pitiful: there are only two available, with the promise of two more. Both the Panasonic and Olympus cameras support over 600 lenses if you buy a third party adapter - something you're unlikely to ever be able to do with the GXR.

With all of that said, we applaud Ricoh's efforts here - the GXR is one of the most interesting developments in the world of digital cameras for a long time. If we were only judging the GXR with its A12 50mm F/2.5 macro lens attached on its image quality, we would be heaping praise on it - in that regard, it's a stunning compact camera. Unfortunately, we also have to look beyond just the quality of those pictures and, when we do, we quickly realise that it's not only very expensive, but there are also a number of problems that limit its potential.