14 DAY TRIAL // Half a year ago, Japanese camera and optics manufacturer Ricoh has patented a new high speed lens designed to work with compact cameras that incorporate a 1/1.7'' sensor.
Japanese website Egami, has discovered a new patent for the same 4.6-18mm f/1.8-2.8 lens that this time comes with a slightly changed optical formula which includes 10 elements (11 previously) in 8 groups.
The Ricoh 4.6-18mm f/1.8-2.8 lens has a 35mm equivalent focal range of 21mm to 84mm and will probably be used for a new GR-series high-end compact camera.
Besides that, Ricoh also manufactures the only mirrorless interchangeable lens camera on the market that features a 1/1.7'' sensor, the Pentax Q7. This means that the lens could as well be designed for this type of camera as a replacement for the current Pentax 02 Standard Zoom 5-15mm (23-70mm equiv.) f/2.8-4.5 lens. If this lens will reach production or not remains to be seen.