Purple Flowers

GXR A12 28mm, f2.8, 1/270, ISO 400, JPG miniaturize mode

When it comes to supporting their cameras with firmware updates no one is better than Ricoh. Not only do they fix bugs but they also add a lot of new features, something other companies release a completely new product for to rip off loyal customers (Canon with the G7/G9 comes here to mind or Sigma with the neverending release of "new" DP1/DP2 cameras). So what Ricoh is doing is not really common practice so they deserve to be applauded for taking care of their loyal customers instead of forcing them to buy a new camera just to get an extra feature added.

On Monday they released a new firmware update for all GXR modules and for the GRD III, adding some fun scene modes, even more customization options and a AF tracking mode. I have been trying the new firmware update and even decided to postpone my A12 28mm review to have some more time to try out the new features added and see if and how they improve on the camera.

So far the new scene modes are a fun addtion and I appreciate them although they are more for the P10 module than any of the A12 modules. The AF tracking feature on the A12 28mm module does not seem to be all that usefull or even work properly but I will try it some more to get more time with it. More in the full review.