Leitz Ur-Leica versus Ricoh GR
Roughly a century of technological development separate the Ur-Leica and the Ricoh GR. The former was finished in March 1914, while the latter was presented to the public in April 2013. The Ur-Leica was the first camera to use 24x36mm film, whereas the GR is build around a 16.1MP APS-C digital imaging sensor.
Body comparison: Ur-Leica vs Ricoh GR
An illustration of the physical dimensions and weight of the Leitz Ur-Leica and the Ricoh GR is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.
If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Ricoh GR is notably smaller (17 percent) than the Leitz Ur-Leica. Moreover, the GR is substantially lighter (43 percent) than the Ur-Leica. It is worth noting that both cameras have built-in lenses.
Evidently, the GR is the more powerful imaging tool, providing an image quality and picture-processing capability that Oskar Barnack, the creator of the Ur-Leica, probably could not have envisioned. However, there are two aspects where the Ur-Leica has an edge over the GR. The first one is power supply. The Ur-Leica is a fully mechanical camera, so that there is no risk of running out of juice during a shooting session...
The second advantage of the Ur-Leica is, well, its resale value. The camera is a museum piece, resting safely at Leica’s headquarters in Wetzlar/Germany. Collectors would probably be willing to pay several million US dollars if it were put up for sale. In contrast, the Ricoh GR, while surely being the better, more modern camera, just lacks the scarcity and historical importance that foster "auction madness" and drive vintage camera prices into six or seven-figure territory.
Other comparisons
Any interest in exploring another side-by-side comparison? Just enter your cameras of choice in the search box below and you will be taken to a corresponding display. Alternatively, you can also follow any of the links further down for comparisons that others pursued.
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