Should I go for this GRD?

[ludoo]

I found a Ricoh GRD locally for 120 euros, shipping will be about 10. It seems to be in v good condition and comes with battery, charger, 2Gb and 512Mb cards.

I don't really need it, there are lots of other (analog) cameras I'm having my eye on, and I should not spend any more money on cameras for a while, but it looks too good a chance to pass it up, and the GRD is one of the cameras I've been lusting after (top of the list are a Canon RF and Vitessa with Ultron lens).

Is this a good price like I think it is, do you think I should go for it?

 

[kully]

Will it be 120 Euros for something that you buy, play with for a bit then put in the cupboard?

How about putting 120 Euros in a jar for a holiday / photo expenses / lots of grappa?

 

[ludoo]

Will it be 120 Euros for something that you buy, play with for a bit then put in the cupboard?

Uhm, no. The plan is to keep it always in my pocket (I had the same plan for every 35mm folder I bought, strangely).

 

[kully]

🙂 That is a co-incidence, I have had the same thought with many cameras too. I also ended up selling them all.

As the price of the GRD is good, I'm sure you can sell it for what you paid for it.

 

[ludoo]

🙂 That is a co-incidence, I have had the same thought with many cameras too. I also ended up selling them all.

I did that with audio gear for some time, and after countless trades I finally settled on what was best for me and my budget. But somehow the same thing does not work with cameras, I cannot bear to sell them except for really rare exceptions (the digitals I had, the XA, and the Ricoh 500RF and Leica mini II I have up on ebay now).

As the price of the GRD is good, I'm sure you can sell it for what you paid for it.

Yes, that too. It's a digital PS so I will have no scruples. 🙂

 

[Bobfrance]

I rate the GRD highly and that is a good price.
I presume you're comfortable working without a viewfinder? If not then it will probably cost you the price of the camera again to buy one.

 

[ludoo]

I rate the GRD highly and that is a good price.
I presume you're comfortable working without a viewfinder? If not then it will probably cost you the price of the camera again to buy one.

Actually I much prefer a viewfinder, and part of the appeal of the GRD for me is to be able to use one. I have a cheap Helios viewfinder which shows approximately a 28mm view outside of the 35/80/135 framelines, and can wait patiently for a GV-1 to surface at a decent price on ebay.

 

[kully]

http://www.photodesignstudio.co.uk/ (in England) sell a Pasoptik 28mm finder (new) for £45 - much cheaper than the Ricoh or Cosina ones.

 

[ludoo]

Nice tip Kully, thanks. 🙂

 

[btgc]

If not then it will probably cost you the price of the camera again to buy one.

What's the problem with finders they are so expensive? Are they complex optical pieces made from expensive materials? I haven't used any external VF so I can't judge how much they differ from P&S finders (well, viewing area has to be larger) and why PRC isn't supplying nice cheap replacements 🙂

 

[schaki]

The GRD is a fine camera for B&W. In fact, the noise when I didnt shoot B&W didnt make any real harm imo, as it shows up randomly in the pictures.
The AWB in color-mode is though a joke. Sometimes I like to take nice against-sun pictures with my old Coopix 700. 2mp, something that it manages to handle very well imo.
This can hardly be done with the GRD as even the matrix-metering acts very center-weight. The result is that highlights often gets blown / smeared out, even though I dial in -2.0 EV.

I think that going with the GRD is a good choice though, even though it didn't really suit me. Also, I found that 35mm works better for me.
The Coolpix 700 does B&W well too, if you uses equivalent Iso 200, at iso 400, there may sometimes show up some weird sort of vertical banding on both of my copies.

 

[Avotius]

do it, I love mine, I have used it until the black paint is all but gone, now my GRD is grey 🙂

 

[ludoo]

Seems that after a few days' wait, the GRD will be shipped today and might get here before the end of the week. I am a bit ashamed to admit it, but I'm really looking forward to having it (a digital camera!) in my hands.

And just to confirm the convential wisdom ("when it rains, it pours") I found a mint boxed Bessa R for 130 euro, and I could go pick it up today as it's 10 min from where I live. A pity I already squandered much more than I should have lately, but the Vitessa L with Ultron which should be here in a matter of days will hopefully make me forget the Bessa... 🙂

 

[mangamonster]

Haha, grats on the buy!! The GRD is the most used camera in my arsenal. The BW jpeg shots are just crazy awesome...closest look to film imho.

Enjoy it!

 

[dufffader]

Maybe this post is a little late, but do check on the thumb wheel click button. I think its a common problem, batch issue or not, for the whole GRD to freeze when you click on the button after a few years of use. I have this issue on mine and a search on the web tells me that I'm not the only one. Maybe your GRD is one of the good sample.

It doesn't not affect the photo, of course, the GRD still remains my primary point & shoot, but a nuisance as I use the clickwheel shortcuts a lot.

 

[ludoo]

Well, I got the GRD last night. It has seen some use, but is in overall nice condition and seems to work great. Together with it I got a sturdy cigarette leather case, which seems to have been tailored made to the GRD dimensions and protects it nicely when it rides in my pocket.

I updated the firmware and the ADJ wheel seems to work ok, I have to admit I was a bit scared after reading of so many people having problems with theirs.

First impressions are great: it's really what you all have been saying, and then some. The only downside to it is that my film cameras will see much less use, especially for casual shooting.

 

[VladimirV]

Maybe this post is a little late, but do check on the thumb wheel click button. I think its a common problem, batch issue or not, for the whole GRD to freeze when you click on the button after a few years of use. I have this issue on mine and a search on the web tells me that I'm not the only one. Maybe your GRD is one of the good sample.

It doesn't not affect the photo, of course, the GRD still remains my primary point & shoot, but a nuisance as I use the clickwheel shortcuts a lot.

This is a problem with most GRDs but I have discovered that it goes away if the camera gets a bit hot by sitting in the sun or being used for a while.

Still, the GRD I is in my opinion the best digital camera so far and the b&w JPGs are fantastic and print very well.

 

[ludoo]

On a side note, do any of you use an external viewfinder, and if so which one?

Oh, and very nice blog Vladimir. 🙂

 

[VladimirV]

Thanks Ludoo, glad you like my blog.

I use the Ricoh GV-1 external OVF with 28mm and 21mm framelines. It works reasonable well but I much prefer framing with the LCD because it is more accurate and more important shows me the view in b&w if I want. The GV-1 is quite big however so if you want something more pocketable you should have a look for the GV-2 OVF because it is smaller although not as bright.
The Ricoh OVFs are built by Voigtländer so are of the same high quality but cost a lot less. If you need a OVF I can only recommend both of them although my vote would go to the GV-1 because it is so much brighter.