GRD II review

[Chuck A]

Here is a question regarding the 1:1 aspect. Sean doesn't cover much about this in either review. From what I can understand the GRDII will do a RAW 1:1 along with a jpg. How does this work with the GX100? I don't think that it does RAW 1:1 like the GRDII. If I shoot RAW with the GX100 can I do a 1:1 jpg at the best quality? I can always crop the RAW file to match later.

I am very interested in the 1:1 aspect. My Yashicamat died and I love that square format.

 

[wbrandsma]

Unfortunately not Chuck. You can apply image settings on the GX100 (and still shoot raw), but changing the aspect is also changing the saving format

 

[stnami]

The grain/noise caper all depends on how much PP work one really wants to do. A lot of it stems from trying to get away from the smeared plastic look of most small sensor digitals
Increasing sensor size will give one greater scope with the graduations within the dynamic range. A landscape image ( storm weather is not really serene) as posted is easier to cope with, the situation is a lot harder when it comes to people and fine detail is needed. A lower iso leads to slower speeds something that becomes a problem with moving subjects as we all know.
Nothing wrong with working within the ricoh's limitations, but they cannot be applied to all situations,ie an entomologist would be pretty frustrated when it comes to fine detail.

 

[Sean_Reid]

Here is a question regarding the 1:1 aspect. Sean doesn't cover much about this in either review. From what I can understand the GRDII will do a RAW 1:1 along with a jpg. How does this work with the GX100? I don't think that it does RAW 1:1 like the GRDII. If I shoot RAW with the GX100 can I do a 1:1 jpg at the best quality? I can always crop the RAW file to match later.

I am very interested in the 1:1 aspect. My Yashicamat died and I love that square format.

Either review? The feature is only included on the GR2 and its pretty simple. Make a menu selection and the camera can record a square picture as a JPEG or RAW file. The GV-2 has slight markings to indicate a square frame. That's about all there is to tell.

Cheers,

Sean

 

[7ian7]

Yet another beautiful image, Wouter. In general, I also leave my GX100 on 80, but am finding that the noise at 200 can be appealing too, and without sacrificing too much resolution.

I believe it is possible to attain exposures with the depth of your landscapes — which impressively sidestep the limited DR of the GX100 sensor — and still find ways of capitalizing on the appealing noise characteristics of this camera in smaller doses. For instance, in your image an additional curves layer might be used to massage and enhance the grain/noise of the cloud/shadow areas without sacrificing the overall DR, which would look incredible, especially enlarged on paper. Not that it needs that.

1. Reduce the noise in the lower tones
2. Increase the noise overall
3. Add grain, digitally, to even things out

Sean, upon revisiting your earlier post;

My favorite natural-occurring film grain (especially in people-photography) tends to appear in the transitions from the highlights to the deep blacks, for instance at the junction where a bold cheek-bone shadow gives way to a white cheek. Therefore, instead of even-ing things out in my Ricoh files, I take the blacks even blacker (solving a bit of that underexposure noise, which I don't like), and sort of celebrate the highlights. Then I experiment with yet another curves adjustment layer in order to amplify those speckled (noisy) transition points between the two. To my eye, it ends up looking more like slightly-pushed Tri-X — or even Tri-X shot normal, but in a contrasty situation — which I prefer to "automatic" grain, such as the TMAX 3200 look.

I find that adding noise in PhotoShop is best saved for areas that have been substantially retouched, which often need that grain boost in order to sit more naturally in context to the surrounding original image.

That said Sean, as you (and anyone else here) continues to experiment further with adding noise in your pictures, I'd be interested in reading about your impressions and discoveries and results.

Ok — that's two massive posts I've made today (this must mean I am proCRAStinating getting to work!). I hope these aren't too long-winded. I get so much free inspiration here that I feel obliged to share my impressions every now and again.

Cheers,
Ian

 

[helenhill]

Wouter
Beautiful shot
Your work with the GX100 is pure magic......
Cheers :clap: Helen

 

[Lili]

Helen is right, Wouters work rocks!
I fav'd some of his flickr shots

 

[Mitch Alland]

High vs low ISO

Wouter,that's another masterly shot!

I tend to shoot landscapes at low ISO speeds, as in my GX100 Chartres and chateaux of the Loire series on my flickr site, but not always. Sometimes I like to shoot in the harsh midday light of the tropics to show the brightness, the deep shadows and the heat. The following GRD2 picture was shot at ISO400 because I thought the grain would add to the feeling I wanted from the picture, and I must say that the 23x31 inch (58x78cm) print looks much better than the — the tones look richer and the grain more attractive in the print:

—Mitch/Bangkok
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10268776@N00/

 

[Mitch Alland]

Adding grain vs accentuating noise

Earlier in thread I wrote about the reasons for my preference for trying to accentuate noise rather than to add film grain. Another reason is that grain looks quite different on the computer monitor — certainly at 100% but even at 50% — than it does on a print, which makes is very difficult to make judgments. In this situation I feel more comfortable working with what's in the file already.

—Mitch/Bangkok
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10268776@N00/

 

[cjlacz]

Sean,

Thanks for the great review on the GRDII. I subscribed to your site a few weeks ago and agonized over the GX100 or GRDII and went with the latter for some rather silly reasons. I've been really enjoying the camera. I've fairly new to the world of photography, but shooting with a fixed lens and in B&W has been a lot of fun. It's gotten even better since I went out and picked up the OVF the other day. I learned more about the GRDII after your review and I think I picked the right camera for me at this time.

I'd also like to thank everyone else here and on the dpreview forums. I know many of you post both places. I thought I needed to get a (D)SLR to be serious about photography, but I've learned that isn't case. I know I wouldn't carry it around due to the bulk, although I still have some hope for Olympus. Down the road I've love to get a digital rangefinder, but they are a little expensive right now. I'm going to enjoy learning all I can about the GRDII.

Charles

 

[Sean_Reid]

Glad to hear it Charles - enjoy.

Cheers,

Sean

 

[Lili]

Sean,
I am really enjoying reading the reviews and articles at your site!
In particular there many insights to be gained by reading the review of even the GRD.
Some things you disliked have been addressed by the latest firmware (ie the Synchro Monitor mode no longer displays an image on the LCD, we now have contrast control in B&W, etc.).
Your tips about prefocusing and swithching to manual focus as a work-round for scale focusing is clever!

 

[Sean_Reid]

Sean,
I am really enjoying reading the reviews and articles at your site!
In particular there many insights to be gained by reading the review of even the GRD.
Some things you disliked have been addressed by the latest firmware (ie the Synchro Monitor mode no longer displays an image on the LCD, we now have contrast control in B&W, etc.).
Your tips about prefocusing and swithching to manual focus as a work-round for scale focusing is clever!

Hi Lili,

I'm very glad to hear it, thank you.

Cheers,

Sean