Ricoh GR Digital

[ray_g]

I'm going on a trip to Europe in the Fall and it sound like I may not be able to bring my DSLR on the plane in any way that I feel comfortable with. I'm thinking about this camera as a replacement. It has what I have been hoping for in a compact digital for a long time, exceptional image rendering, simple but well considered controls and an aesthetic to how it handles. Many compacts take good pictures these days, but they have so many menus and complex features that get in the way of the simple operation of the camera.

Those are the main reasons I decided to get this camera, as well. Earlier this year, I traveled in europe with the M6 and GR1. On the days that I just took the Ricoh GR1 on my belt, it felt liberating.

I thought about other less impressive compacts as well, but as you said, the ergonomics and handling of this camera is quite different from the rest.

 

[andrewch]

I haven't touched the LX-1 since I got the GR digital. It has the best user interface of any digital compacts I have ever used. What impressed me most is responsiveness of Ricoh to customer's request. The fireware has been upgraded twice in 6 months to provide functions requested by customers.

 

[pstevenin]

Thanks, but I was hoping Ywenz or someone who actually knows how to do it would jump in. I couldn't find it in the instruction manual, and I doubt it would be in the product promotion webpage.

AFAIK, There is no way to adjust or turn off some kinda noise reduction parameter. I use it quite extensively for family shoot purpose (and low light measurement tool) and you can play with saturation sharpening & intensity levels but that's about all.

Philippe.

 

[ywenz]

I haven't touched the LX-1 since I got the GR digital. It has the best user interface of any digital compacts I have ever used. What impressed me most is responsiveness of Ricoh to customer's request. The fireware has been upgraded twice in 6 months to provide functions requested by customers.

But where is the Flash compentsation?

 

[pstevenin]

But where is the Flash compentsation?

Yes where is it? and with LCD far from WYSIWYG (even with LCD attenuation) the major flaw of this camre. I get rid of with manual external flash. It becomes then far from pocketable... but with managable results!

 

[ywenz]

What gets me is that the performance of the internal flash on this camera is poor, even by p&s standards.. It's either too powerful or not powerful enough.. I'd be satisfied if it finds a middle ground consistently..

 

[ray_g]

About turning off the noise reduction, I think someone here had mentioned that. Also, it came up in one of Mitch's recent GRD threads on PNet:

Kei Nakamatsu , jul 16, 2006; 01:11 p.m.
Thanks guys. D White - at high ISO's, you can turn off the noise reduction. BTW, the A4 prints came out fine. I don't see why you shouldn't be able to print beyond this either.

 

[ray_g]

Sample at iso 800. Not bad, I think.

That stuff on the fan blades is dust, not noise, btw.

 

[back alley]

you guys make a good case for this camera and the pics look impressive as well.
i just wonder if my only p&s camera and my only digital camera could be one with a wide angle (no zoom) lens?

 

[eyejockey]

Ricoh Raw, Finder, and Ricoh repair

Ricoh Raw, Finder, and Ricoh repair

I bought a Ricoh in Paris and worked with it in Morocco using an old 21 Leica external finder. I switched off the LCD and set the camera to snapshot mode. It has a great lens and a 2.4 aperture. Lots of DOF. Not too much noise at 400 asa very good indeed at 200 asa. Perfect small hide and shoot camera especially when you are unwelcome. Set to manual, it is fast as long as you use best jpeg not Raw. Using RAW is way to slow... useless in fact. I used the 21mm external finder with the 28mm built in lens and it worked fine as I didn't need to bring the finder all the way to my eye to get a general fast look. Chimping at an LCD is a dead giveaway in the Medina. The big drawback of the camera (at least mine) is that the extendable lens mechanism jammed after 6 weeks and it has been at Ricoh USA now for 4 weeks with no estimate for when it will be returned. Apparently they have to get a part from Japan and Japan is on holiday or something. Not very encouraging for an expensive camera aimed at professionals. However, I do miss it and there is nothing else like it out there until perhaps the Leica M8 comes along. Even then the M8 will be much bigger and REALLY expensive. The attached file is a 75% reduction from the original jpeg which was an 8 bit 22 meg jpeg in PShop. Hope this is helpful.

 

[ray_g]

That's a thought. I guess I can try it with my 21mm CV finder before I get the minifinder.

Joe, I'm quite used to a 28mm p&s with the GR1. The fixed lens is excellent, and I really do not like zooms, especially in a p&s. Besides, it would likely be a bigger camera if it had a zoom. As it is, it is about half an inch thick.

As had been said, for me this would be the closest thing to a digital Hexar AF (or leica) right now, and it suits my needs well.

Here's another at iso 800. I hope to do some real shooting this weekend.

 

[ray_g]

iso 400

 

[Bill58]

My problem w/ the GRD is if I got one, what the hell would I do w/ ALL my other cameras--just let them gather dust/ fungus?

 

[sirius]

There is a Flickr group of Ricoh GRD users. On the frontpage there is a discussion board and many people are talking about the lens jamming problem. This sounds like an achilles heel for this camera. Tony Rose from popflash told me that of the 100 he has sold since they first came out he has had to fix 2 with jammed lenses and he has heard of another 3 that needed fixing. If you spend a lot for a camera you hope that you will be abe to use it for a long time even if there are better ones that come out . . . Regardless, all of the user reports that I've read balance out with glowing praise for the camera.

Thanks for posting the sample photos!

 

[__--]

Achilles heal? Maybe, maybe not: it would be interesting to know the failure rate on Ricoh's GR1 camera series, which had a similarly lens retracting mechanism. As usual, the postings are from people who had the problem, as users who have not are obviously don't post on this subject. It could be that many of us are apprehensive, not having had a camera that uses micromotors to extend and retract a lens.

--Mitch/Bangkok

 

[ray_g]

Mitch, I enjoyed following your GRD threads. I have since gotten one and am loving it so far. Too bad you have deleted your PNet account. Hope to see more of your posts here, though.

 

[ray_g]

BTW, I tried the GRD with the VF of my CV21 today. Works well with the GRD - the bottom aligns perfectly, while the top is cropped just at the dashed lines (intended for parallax correction with the 21mm). The sides are cropped just at the end of the dashed line.

 

[__--]

Mitch, I enjoyed following your GRD threads. I have since gotten one and am loving it so far. Too bad you have deleted your PNet account. Hope to see more of your posts here, though.

I had posted five threads on the GR-D to which the Photonet Leica forum was generally hospitable and responsive; but, the last thread got so bad that I decided to terminate my Photonet account because I didn't want to get tempted to respond any more to the bozos that came in at the end.

On RFF, I'm don't know how to post pictures so that they show up in the posting rather than as thumnail attachments. Do you know how?

--Mitch/Bangkok

 

[IGMeanwell]

In order to attach pictures you have to click go advanced and then there will be an "manage attachments" button below the post editing window

you can upload up to three images below 1mb

 

[Simon Larbalestier]

Hi Mitch
good to see you post here i read the last Pnet thread- sad really that some members there chose to get so personal. That GRD looks a real gem i have the GR1s but sadly it's broken.

BTW for those reading this thread i saw Mitch's huge prints from the GRD a few weeks back and the quality from a small jpeg file was outstanding.

Keep shooting and posting Mitch!
I think you will be out of BKK by the time i return so see you later in the year 🙂


Simon