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FUN with Ricoh GR!!!

biglouis

Well-known member
For information I have written a short review of the GW-3 Wide Angle adapter for the GR and it is currently on the home page of Serious Compacts.

I would republish the whole article here but that seems a bit redundant.

LouisB
 
J

JohnW

Guest
That's a good read, Louis. Thanks. I've not seen so much written about it. I go back and forth on purchasing one. I actually wish Ricoh offered an extender of this quality, to around 50mm. Your sample photos are also excellent.

John
 
From this morning's walk downtown. I have photographed this lifeguard chair so many times, with so many cameras. But this is the first with the GR and its lovely rendering – at least to my eye – of upper gray tones. The chair keeps drawing me back season after season, year after year. Why? Who knows? Here's an old blog post about it, with perhaps as good an explanation as any, by Robert Adams.

John
John: I like the picture and particularly its framing (though I ususally don't like portrait orientation at all) and I very much appreciate your reflections in the linked blog post. Gives me food for thoughts as well. Thanks for sharing!

PS: And, I missed that one before, I also like the second one in post #405 a lot.
 
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biglouis

Well-known member
That's a good read, Louis. Thanks. I've not seen so much written about it. I go back and forth on purchasing one. I actually wish Ricoh offered an extender of this quality, to around 50mm. Your sample photos are also excellent.

John
John, thanks. And my thoughts exactly about the 50mm. I would easily pay for a GR which had a 50mm equivalent fov in the current form factor.

LouisB
 

jonoslack

Active member
John, thanks. And my thoughts exactly about the 50mm. I would easily pay for a GR which had a 50mm equivalent fov in the current form factor.

LouisB
HI Louis
I would as well - but I guess it's traditionally 28mm, so that's what they'll stick with.
Lovely picks everyone -
 

Thorkil

Well-known member
Just a little fun.

Dare I ask where you stand on that particular Sony device - from one GR fan to another? Honestly, I now look for GR-like B&W rendering in all the new cameras, and I just don't see it there. I'm considering renting a K-3 and 50 equivalent, thinking that may get me closer. No question, I'm infatuated with the character of these files.

John
John, just a Little PS. I'm not certain of the A7 is what you need as a second camera.
Perhaps it's the Nikon Df you need. While this camera do take some wonderful smooth Pictures. I think they will be fantastic in B&W too.
But, of course I'm under heavy influence of my own considerations.
I need the ability to high Iso (or fast lenses of course, or IBIS, but I think I've left the E-M1 consideration).
A Df is two stops better than a A7/A7r, 12.800 iso will be useful, only 3.200 on a A7/r, and one stop better than a D610 and D800.
I do like the colours of the Sony very much, but I do also very much like the rich, fat and yet special relaxed drawing of things from the Df. It has a special quality to me, that is not only about pure sharpness.
just some thoughts and I know you already bought the A7...so..
thorkil
ps. look at the Df thread #195
 
J

JohnW

Guest
Thanks for your thoughts, thorkil. My A7 will be going back due to an electrical problem with a faulty LCD. The files are among the nicest I've seen. Great color and BW conversions. Unlike my Nex 7, the A7 files have what I would call depth. But you're right about ISO: 3200 is about it. It's not noise but the loss of image detail at higher ISOs.

Anyway, I plan to return it next week and then mull it over a bit more. I'll check into the Df, but the price is a concern. In the meantime I'm content with the GR. As you know I'm less interested in resolution and ultimate detail than I am in the character of the files. I simply want a camera that takes a normal and short tele and offers great GR-like BW output.

John
 

Thorkil

Well-known member
Thanks for your thoughts, thorkil. My A7 will be going back due to an electrical problem with a faulty LCD. The files are among the nicest I've seen. Great color and BW conversions. Unlike my Nex 7, the A7 files have what I would call depth. But you're right about ISO: 3200 is about it. It's not noise but the loss of image detail at higher ISOs.

Anyway, I plan to return it next week and then mull it over a bit more. I'll check into the Df, but the price is a concern. In the meantime I'm content with the GR. As you know I'm less interested in resolution and ultimate detail than I am in the character of the files. I simply want a camera that takes a normal and short tele and offers great GR-like BW output.

John
Yes, the Df-price is certainly a concern for me too. But on a A7 I’m not satisfied with the thought of only relying on manual focus, and buying the fast native primes will set you back with a healthy amount too, and the slow zooms will make the iso problem even worse.
And I guess the elder Nikon lenses will AF on a Df too, that could be nice.
thorkil
 

biglouis

Well-known member
Yes, the Df-price is certainly a concern for me too. But on a A7 I’m not satisfied with the thought of only relying on manual focus, and buying the fast native primes will set you back with a healthy amount too, and the slow zooms will make the iso problem even worse.
And I guess the elder Nikon lenses will AF on a Df too, that could be nice.
thorkil
I know this discussion is OT but I agree with Thorkil.

I'm still going round and round on this. The thought of a D4 sensor in the lightest available Nikon full-frame body able to access the entire legacy of Nikon and third-party mount glass is very attractive. When are Sony going to understand that the lens line-up sells cameras? The main attraction to me of the A7 is the superb results I get with my RX1. That is a big selling feature, to me.

Decisions, decisions, eh?

LouisB
 
J

JohnW

Guest
I know this discussion is OT but I agree with Thorkil.

I'm still going round and round on this. The thought of a D4 sensor in the lightest available Nikon full-frame body able to access the entire legacy of Nikon and third-party mount glass is very attractive. When are Sony going to understand that the lens line-up sells cameras? The main attraction to me of the A7 is the superb results I get with my RX1. That is a big selling feature, to me.

Decisions, decisions, eh?

LouisB
I always figure if I can't decide, then it's best to wait, so that's what I'll do for now. Thorkil, you're right; even the A7 with a couple native lenses puts you in the $4K range. It's very difficult for me to justify that. Certainly the a7/R is a step up from the Nex 7, but sometimes good enough is good enough.

Louis, I'm curious how do you decide on any given day between using the RX1 and GR.

I hope to make 2014 a year of deeper personal expression through photography. That's where the reward comes from for me. As much as I love cameras and technology, all this gear focus has been quite a distraction from that intention.

John
 

Thorkil

Well-known member
just...when I use the GR I'm not the patient type that succeed in careful framing and focusing, and the camera inspire me, not to.
Then I often miss the effective Nikon feeling, quickly framing and fire away (and see what you exactly get)...but there is a trap to fall into: it can become way too easy to fire away, and the trap is, what is easy available and too easy to get, you don't appreciate in the sufficient way...and you get bored too, and you loose the inspiration from the camera, and you are in risk of loosing some carefulness. That's why a M is nice to use, there is an Automatic filter "builded ind", you become more careful, alone by the focus-way, and the framing is a free thing to follow.
But a Df might inspire you to do compromises (against a D800/600/D3 etc), a bit more carefulness (at least for my part), although, and even if, you might end up with digital settings like is was a D610, but even though, I think it’s an important issue (+ it gives this solid and trusty feeling).
I think it’s this issue that made someone like Steve Huff buy the Df although he from principle don't like DSLR's
thorkil
but yes John, I agree upon, keep it simple, for heavens sake (but then there will only be a GR and a Df :) )
 

woodmancy

Subscriber Member
. . . . As you know I'm less interested in resolution and ultimate detail than I am in the character of the files. I simply want a camera that takes a normal and short tele and offers great GR-like BW output. . . .

John
A cheap experiment would be to get a GXR with M-Mount, if you don't have one already.

The way I resisted all this hoopla about the A7 and Nikon retro was to go out and buy a used Sony a850. It works - haven't got it yet but I'm already excited. I get to see all my Minolta glass just the way it should look. And the A900/850 are partially "genuine" retro.

Keith
 

biglouis

Well-known member
Louis, I'm curious how do you decide on any given day between using the RX1 and GR.

John
It's worse than that! I also have to decide between the RX1, GR, DP2M and DP3M. Owning four compacts is what comes of not having a camera system, especially now I have sold my Hasselblad (film) and most of my Panasonic m43ds gear.

If I am going to work, then it is a no-brainer at present: the GR because it fits snugly into my pocket.

If am going out photographing then I will take a combination of all cameras depending on how may I can fit into my small Crumpler camera bag. I can get the RX1, one of the Sigma's (often the DP3M) and since purchasing it recently I can normally slip the GR into the front pocket of the camera bag.

The RX1 is my 100% dependable camera. If the lighting conditions are in any way in doubt, that is what I will use because up to 6400 you really do not even have to worry about what iso you select.

If I am doing landscape then it is hard to choose between the RX1 and DP2M - both produce excellent results.

I must say I am to some extent following John's advice which is to wait and see - the only thing I have against four compacts (well three, as the Sigma's have the same file format) is the processing chain. A single camera system makes that a lot easier.

LouisB
 

Thorkil

Well-known member
A cheap experiment would be to get a GXR with M-Mount, if you don't have one already.

The way I resisted all this hoopla about the A7 and Nikon retro was to go out and buy a used Sony a850. It works - haven't got it yet but I'm already excited. I get to see all my Minolta glass just the way it should look. And the A900/850 are partially "genuine" retro.

Keith
ha, ha Keith...new game...if I only had some usefull glasses like you, only some Nikkor (and M's), and then for my part I would have to buy these expensives 16-35 and 24-70 F-zooms, and that I can't afford (or in other Words would end up in the Df region including a 14 Samyang and a 35/1.4 Sigma...hhmm)
thorkil
 

Thorkil

Well-known member
PS, but Keith, it looks like the A850/900 only do a clean job up til 1600 iso(?), and the A99 looks like being 1½-2 stops behind the Df.
But 1.600 would be far to slow for me, even though I could get one at a tempting Price and Minolta glasses seems to be in low prices too.
thorkil
 

woodmancy

Subscriber Member
Thorkil, yes the A850 isn't much good above iso 800, but my lightroom stats say I rarely go up there. But my "collector" side says that this is the last true DSLR from Sony and the viewfinder is awesome.
But I also have a Leica Digilux 1 arriving soon and will get a kick out of trying to do something with just 4 MP. To me digital cameras are getting a bit like lenses, they all have distinct signatures. I think constraint from the camera itself extracts more out of the photographer.
Doesn't alter the fact that either the GR or the GRiv are always with me when I'm out taking pictures. Hey that's a segue back to the GR

Keith
 
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