Ricoh GR-D

[andersju]

Thanks for the compliments! 🙂

When shooting at ISO 800/1600 I use contrast +2 & intensity -2, as described above. I'm certainly no Photoshop wizard, but for b&w conversion I found the simple method described on http://www.markushartel.com/tutorials/archives/2006/08/color_to_bw_con.html to give satisfying results (it's just channel mixer+contrast curve).

 

[marbrink]

I also have the 28/35 mini-finder, and even with the finder on the GRD fits nicely in my jeans pocket (and I'm just your regular tall, thin computer geek so the jeans are by all means normal! 🙂).

The GRD has made shooting very enjoyable again, not the least since it's so small (so I can always have it with me) and quiet (more so than ANY Leica, even my Hexar (not counting the film advance of analog cameras!) -- but I suppose that's true for most digital compacts).

I usually set focus to "snap" (2,5m), turn off the lcd screen and start shooting. The ccd is a tiny chip, so depth of field is massive. According to dofmaster.com, in snap mode (2.5m) at f/2.4 (widest) it's 1.24m-infinity.

I've taken all the pics at http://2038.cc/ with the GRD. Excellent for candids. I believe all the subway pics are 1/60, f/3.2, IS0 800, no noise reduction.

Nice to see a swede here! Very good images!

 

[gelmir]

I'm still hesitating between the Voigtlander metal viewfinder and the minfinder...

 

[Lonely Driver]

The GRD is so seductive - it's like having a portable 28mm lens in your pocket. But the high price and lackluster sharpness turned me off of it (*please note that there is more to a camera than just sharpness and all the manual overrides for the GRD is so nice, but I couldn't justify the cost). I ended up just getting a Canon SD600 as a walk around camera. Looking at 100% images posted on the net, the SD600 seemed to me to be sharper.

 

[ywenz]

Driver: check out the image I posted that shows the close up of the face. Now that is sharp. Does the SD600 have a hot shoe? I find that a great advantage of the GRD is that for a camera of its size. It's very hard to find a camera with a hot shoe. The GRD opens us up to the whole world of photography with wireless studio strobes or flash heads.

 

[Lonely Driver]

Driver: check out the image I posted that shows the close up of the face. Now that is sharp. Does the SD600 have a hot shoe? I find that a great advantage of the GRD is that for a camera of its size. It's very hard to find a camera with a hot shoe. The GRD opens us up to the whole world of photography with wireless studio strobes or flash heads.

Yeah they look great - but they're reduced in size. At 100% it just isn't as sharp - I have to stress that in the real world, this sharpness makes no difference in the quality of the image. I'm sure the GRD is a great camera, and I want one, I just honestly cannot afford one, nor can I justify the cost over the SD600.

I've always been a natural light kinda guy and being on a RF forum, I imagine a lot of people here are also. So the flash function of the hot shoe dones't really intrest me. The nice 28mm GRD lens and f/2.8 aperature do.


Here's a 100% image straight from my SD600 without any processing or resizing.

http://takeuchi.bol.ucla.edu/IMG_0782.jpg

Same image at your 800 pixel size:

Awesomely sharp and contrasty. Man I love Canon.

 

[ywenz]

Some ISO 800 shots from the GRD.. just love this camera:

 

[Johnmcd]

GRD and Macros

GRD and Macros

I love my GRD but is not the answer to everything. Closest thing to a RF other than an RD1 or M8 in my opinion. Mostly use it in B/W mode and for quick and easy macros.

Can other P&S do macros like this? In comes the milky bokeh and shallow depth of field...

Cheers,


John

 

[Kyle]

I've been drooling over the GR-D for months. Last month I read the review on dpreview.com and it pretty much relieved me of my GAS. However, as someone else mentioned before, I continued to see stunning results from this camera so I still wanted one. A couple days ago I was browsing Popflash's site and saw they had a demo unit with a case and 1g card for $527. I called them up to ask about the warranty and such and Tony told me that the warranty with the demo unit was exactly the same as a new one. Well, I went ahead and bought it. It arrived today and I can't tell it from new. I've been toying with it all day, messing with the settings and everything. The RAW write time is a little annoying, but I don't think I'll run into any situations in the real world where I'm really going to need to fire off a bunch of shots. I'm going to have fun with this!

 

[__--]

...I've been drooling over the GR-D for months. Last month I read the review on dpreview.com and it pretty much relieved me of my GAS. However, as someone else mentioned before, I continued to see stunning results from this camera so I still wanted one...

I'm glad you didn't pay attention to that review: while these types of reveiws are accurate in many ways, and are ususally complete in terms of describing camera features, they are oriented to typical P&S users, who typically are looking for a zoom lens and are obsessed about "image quality", the latter being judged by the amount of noise as various ISOs. The GR-D does not fare well in such reviews because it does have noise — but the noise looks like film grain, which is exactly what I want. Also, these reviews concentrate on JPGs while I prefer using RAW files. Another camera that is penalized because of its JPGs is the Panasonic LX2/Leica D-Lux 3 because, not only is there noise, but the JPGs are over-smoothed and have a smeared look. But the RAW files are great: in fact I like the grain in the D-Lux 3 ISO400 and 800 RAW files. The slow RAW write speed of the GR-D is unfortunate, but is something that I have gotten used, so that it doesn't affect my photography. You can see both GR-D and D-Lux 3 pictures here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10268776@N00/

—Mitch/Bangkok

 

[Terao]

My take:

Like others I was put off by the very high high ISO noise (and its even there at ISO64 in the sky). But I finally ended up buying one because I think it will suit my father (that remains to be seen!)

Went out experimenting with it at lunch today, shooting B&W:

Minuses:

RAW unusable, and I miss it (I shoot RAW all the time on my R-D1). I miss it mostly because I like to decide after the shot sometimes whether I want it colour or B&W.

No image parameters for B&W mode. I'd like to be able to tweak it like I can the colour mode on camera

Noise, yep, its there even at ISO64 on a sunny day. As others have said though, its nice noise at low ISOs, particularly in B&W

Took me a while to get used to how the settings worked (particularly preserving them past powerdown. I guess I should have RTFM 🙂

28mm lens means very limited DoF control unless you're very close to your subject

Less dynamic range than my R-D1

Worse chromatic abberation than I was expecting

Pluses:

Snap and infinity focus modes - great for street shooting

Minimal shutter lag and fast shot to shot performance, fast overall when you've switched off AF with one of the above settings

Ergonomics, Particularly after the firmware update - just fantastic direct control of the key photography variables, particularly like being able to assign exposure comp to the zoom button

Stunning macro mode

Reasonably stealthy

Option for hotshoe finder (the primary reason I bought this camera as Dad doesn't get on with LCD screens

Easy to see focus indicator when not in snap or infinity mode

Portability - if I didn't have this camera there is no way I would have considered taking my R-D1 with me today, and even if I had I would have missed a few shots

Great detail in the shots straight out of the camera

Nicely controlled distortion from what I can see

To summarise: On a sunny day its fabulous as a street-shooter. Stick it on B&W, stick it on snap of infinity focus, make sure you shoot jpg, and fire away

You have to be the right person to like this camera, its like a close friend who just happens to have some bad habits. Until the Sigma DP1 surfaces (early May I hear) this is the king (if only because its unique!)

 

[Terao]

My favourite from today:

I need to crop it somewhere, just can't find the crop. The subjects are sharp and detailed but the photo only makes sense in the context around it (Tower Bridge in London).

I would have missed this with the R-D1 and for that reason the GR-D has a convert here 🙂

 

[ywenz]

Terao, it really is unfair to compare the dynamic range of the GRD to the RD1

 

[Terao]

Terao, it really is unfair to compare the dynamic range of the GRD to the RD1

I agree, I wasn't expecting anything else to be honest, although it was interesting to see the difference between a big sensor and a small sensor in reality. I actually quite like it, gives the pictures a retro look, particularly in black and white...

 

[ikiru]

Anyone know if the grd preflashes? with an optical slave two of my flashes don't sync up...my 285 works fine though.... It is just too darn big!

 

[marmar17]

I see same arguments about GR-D everywhere.

The important fact about GR-D is that this camera is POINT-N-SHOOT camera.
It's still pricey but if you consider it's a kind of a special edition for a memory of the legendary (I would like to say) Ricoh GR film camera.
The result from the single zoom lens is surely powerful than most of any other POINT-N-SHOOT cameras.
I have this camera for my secondary equip for everyday.
It is true that this doesn't have an optic viewfinder but it has more powerful things in the small body.
If a person who plays the camera with the completely manual setup, the person soon knows what I am trying to say.
All the buttons and jog dials are working logically with my point of view.

 

[Dr E]

I'm now the proud owner of a GRD and viewfinder. All I can say is Wow I love it.

Small, descreet, silent and above all takes great black and white.

Can't ask for much more.

 

[nksyoon]

I just bought a secondhand GR Digital with the full set of accessories and a pol filter for about 1/3 of retail for a new set. Looks like the previous owner traded it in for a GX100.

So keep checking those camera store secondhand shelves - you may be pleasantly surprised!

 

[MadMan2k]

I think I'm going to replace the M3 with a GR-D soon. Well, I might use the money for a flash and another lens for my 1D, but eventually I'll probably end up with a GR-D.

Film is fun, but I think I'll enjoy using a Spotmatic almost as much as I would the Leica, and they cost a lot less.

 

[Bill58]

I just bought a secondhand GR Digital with the full set of accessories and a pol filter for about 1/3 of retail for a new set. Looks like the previous owner traded it in for a GX100.

So keep checking those camera store secondhand shelves - you may be pleasantly surprised!

For what it's worth, I went into a camera shop in Seoul (Korea) yesterday and they had a ton of GRDs and GX100s. I asked the salesman which he preferred and he said the GX100. They were both the same price-$600.

Bill