Ricoh will release a new 21mm/3.5 LTM lens on 3/26/99. Like the GR
28mm/2.8, production will be limited (1,000 silver; 700 black). A
lightweight aluminum finder (much lighter than the GR 28mm finder) and
metal lens hood is included; retail price will be 110,000yen for the
silver lens and 115,000yen for the black lens.
Specs are:
Design: 9 elements/6 groups
F-stops: 3.5-22, with half-stop clicks
Aperture blades: 10
Minimum focus: 0.5m (rangefinder-coupled to 0.8m or 1.0m only,
depending on body)
Filter size: 40.5mm
Dimensions: 49.5mm x 22.5mm; 200g (roughly same size/weight as GR
28mm)
Finder: 50g (GR 28mm finder was 90g)
There is a lever threaded into the aperture ring for easier handling
MTF graphs, for whatever they're worth, look pretty good
Feels like Japan is in the midst of an LTM mini-renaissance. Nothing
wider than 28mm yet, but between Ricoh, Cosina and Minolta there are
five offerings either already on dealer shelves or soon to be
released. Adding the slightly older, but still in production, Avenon
and Kobalux lenses gives you eight wide-angles to choose from. The
15mm Cosina-Voigtlander brings ultrawide capability back to the Leica
rangefinder world, at a pretty reasonable price.
Cheers,
PB
Paul C. Brodek
Kobe, Japan
pcb@iac.co.jp