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GRD2 with 40mm Tele-converter pictures

M

Mitch Alland

Guest
As I got the 40mm EFOV tele-converter only yesterday the risk of this posting is that it's one of those "here are my first pictures" efforts...

The following picture was taken in very bright light at ISO 200 and makes me feel that for street photography a 40mm EFOV lens can be more difficult to use than a 28mm lens, but it does provide, obviously, more of a "cramped" look because of the difference of perspective, which can be useful for some expressive purposes:




The second picture, taken at ISO 800, shows that, also obviously, that the 40mm EFOV can be easier to use for portraits than the 28mm EFOV:



So far, I'm happy with the quality of this tele-converter.

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

Lili

New member
Mitch,
Nice 'first shots'!
Joke!
Actually the second is outstanding all by itself and the first is effective at illustrating your point about cramped.
IIRC HCB, Eisenstadt and others used the 50mm efl almost exclusively, at least at first, for their street work.
Their most effective shots seem to pluck and isolate vignettes from the chaos of life.
For this the longer efl is ideal.
It will be interesting to see where this longer lens leads us all.
 
M

Mitch Alland

Guest
Lili said:
...HCB, Eisenstadt and others used the 50mm efl almost exclusively, at least at first, for their street work.
Their most effective shots seem to pluck and isolate vignettes from the chaos of life.
For this the longer efl is ideal.
It will be interesting to see where this longer lens leads us all.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Lili.

When I was using the Leica M6 I started off by shooting 80% with a 35mm lens and 20% with 50mm lenses; later these proportions were reversed and I shot 80% with the 50mm lenses. And I hadn't shot more than some 20 pictures (that I printed) with 28 and 21mm lenses. When I decided to buy the GRD in July 2006, I was concerned that I might find it difficult or not congenial to shoot with a 28mm EFOV lens, but I had an open mind because I knew that my favourite photographer, Moriyama Daida, shot with the Ricoh GR1 (2mm) and GR21 (21mm) film cameras. As I started using the GRD I found that the wider lens took some getting used to, but that it was really suitable for street photography. Nevertheless, from time to time I missed a 50mm lens: that is why I got a D-Lux-3 in December 2006 and, then, the GX100 in late-August 2007, when I still did not know when the GRD2 would be released. And of course this is also the reason that I have now bought the GT1 40mm EFOV tele-converter.

The GRD2 package, with the GW1 21mm EFOV wide-converter and the GT1 40mm tele-converter, offers now great flexibility. However, many people have suggested that it would be better for Ricoh to make a GRD-40 camera because this is the focal length that interest them. I am not so sure and vacillate between the current solution of the "GRD28" (the current GRD2) camera with the two converter and the idea of three cameras: a GRD21, a GRD28 and a GRD40. The idea of carrying three of these small cameras doesn't pose a problem and obviates the need for putting on converters; on the other hand the current solution of using converters is much cheaper. I could go either way, but it seems to me that people pushing for a GRD40 are ones who haven't warmed to using a 28mm EFOV lens. I should also add that after getting the GX100 I thought that I would shoot ir mainly at 35 and 50mm, but found that some 70% of my shots were still at 28mm and a good many at 24mm — the wide-angle aesthetic can grow on you.

Finally, I should add that it's quite possible to shoot close-up portraits with a 28mm lens, but the approach has to be different thab the 40mm portrait above, which would have had too much "big nose" distortions with the 28mm lens. For comparison here are two GRD (28mm) portraits, which suggest that, with this focal length, it's best to shoot in profile or limit oneself to distortion that is still acceptable but, certainly, the type of portrait posted above could not have been made with a 28mm EFOV lens:











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

Lili

New member
Mitch,
I was in the "GR40" camp as well, although I am completely comfortable with the 28mm EFL (wide IS addicting, so very true). After having tried the GW-1 and now the GT-1 I feel rather different.
While a different efl GRD would be cool, the quality and economy of these add-on lenses are such that they are in no way a compromise.
Unlike with a tiny zoom, the max aperture stays the same and they add splendid optional versatility to Ricoh's Razor while not impairing its original mission.
I understand how your view changed with the GRD, mine moved me to more color work.
Now, oddly, as soon as the GT-1 is mounted I start to see in B&W :eek:
 
Lili

Lili

New member
ellemand said:
Hey out there.
The GRD II are just arrived to Denmark (I got one of them;-)) and the GT-1 are not available yet.
How are the prices in your country - the same as GW-1 or...???

Cheers
Ellemand
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ellemand/
Click to expand...
Ellemand,
The GW-1 run about 199$, at least mine did. The GT-1 ran about 147$US.
A bargain, really :)
Edit; they are the same price; 147USD at Pop flash. My Ricoh-Dealer-of-Choice :)
 
Last edited:
C

cam

Active member
ellemand said:
Hey out there.
The GRD II are just arrived to Denmark (I got one of them;-)) and the GT-1 are not available yet.
How are the prices in your country - the same as GW-1 or...???

Cheers
Ellemand
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ellemand/
Click to expand...
you can try my guy in Paris if you're looking for somewhere slightly closer. I think list is €149, but he usually does a deal. He has the VF available as well. You can tell him that I sent you. And mention Mitch as well -- tell him it was in a photography forum. Marcel alway get in everything from Ricoh earlier than most of Europe. He speaks quite good english although it's a little more difficult over the phone.

L'INSTANTANE
40, Bd Beaumarchais
75011 PARIS

Téléphone : +33 (0) 1.43.55.02.32
Speak to Marcel
 
S

Sean_Reid

Guest
The idea of a GR40 is simply that it would complement, not replace, the GR with a 28 mm EFOV.

I'll post a couple 40 mm examples when I finish getting my computer sorted out.

Cheers,

Sean
 
M

Mitch Alland

Guest
Yes, the idea of a GRD40 is attractive for photographers that want to shoot primarily at this focal length. But for others the current solution of wide- and tele-converters for the GRD/GRD2 is quite a god solution, particularly as the same converters work for the current, and I hope, future cameras.

—Mitch/Bangkok
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10268776@N00/
 
7

7ian7

Guest
I may be in the small category of GX100 owners who uses his camera primarily on the long end of the zoom. Yes, I have complained about its sharpness at certain apertures, but I still find it way more flattering than the wide end for shooting people close up.

This past Sunday I shot 10 portraits for a series I'm making, using a bare strobe head and another head off to the side for a bit of highlight in the shadows. A Pocket Wizard in the hot shoe was used to trigger the lights. The lens was on it's 72mm (35 equiv) position all day long. Funny .. these pictures are the kind of work that could benefit (resolution-wise) from my dSLR or something even deeper, like the Hasselblad, but I truly love how having so little camera between me and my subjects changes the dynamic of the sitting. Using the Ricoh was definitely a choice.

Sooooo .... I'd really love a GRD prime model that makes more of a commitment to portraiture — anywhere from 50 to 90, or beyond — with wide-angle available in a conversion attachment lens. Sort of the reverse of the current philosophy. Or a 50 prime, with a fast, fantastic 105 conversion attachment.

Anyway, for whatever reason, these days I'm quite hopeful about our prospects for a wider array of choices from a variety of manufacturers in the not so distant future. I've heard talk of a Nikon digital rangefinder. There's the DP1. Ricoh is doing fantastic work, and is undoubtedly largely responsible for the fanaticism that may inspire its competitors to get back in to the game. It reminds me a bit of the revolution when native systems for audio and film editing became viable in the early '00s. Good times.
 
H

Hypnohare

Guest
I happened to be in Manhattan a few hours ago. And on an impulse I purchased the 40mm tele-converter and the small GV-2 viewfinder (as well as the newer model leather case). I'm not sure how much I'll use the 40mm lens. But I absolutely love the optical viewfinder, Wow.

Incidentally, I did try the older GV-1 finder and I was surprised at how well the GV-2 worked even thought it is a lot smaller than the GV-1.

My only concern is how I am going to keep from losing that little plastic plug that goes into the hot shoe, or the lens ring. Can a person purchase one of those items from Ricoh??
 
simonclivehughes

simonclivehughes

Active member
Just curious , but why be concerned about it? Very few cameras even have a hotshoe cover. The lens ring OTOH is available from Tony at PopFlash.
 
H

Hypnohare

Guest
I just figured the plastic cover would protect the contacts. But perhaps I am too concerned over nothing?

Thanks for the info on the rings!!
 
H

Hypnohare

Guest
OK, Now that a spend a day in streets of New York, with the GV-2 viewfinder, I just can't imagine using the GR II without it, especially in low light situations, when I am forced to shoot at a slower shutter speed.

So I retract my earlier statement about the plastic cover for the hot shoe contacts. I now have a permanent hot shoe cover, it is the GV-2 viewfinder!
 
H

Hypnohare

Guest
For instance, there is no way I could have held these images steady at 1/6 second (f2.4, ISO 100, 28mm) without sticking the viewfinder tightly against my eye!
 
H

Hypnohare

Guest
simonclivehughes said:
Beautiful shots, and with amazing clarity for the shutter speed. Well done!
Click to expand...
Thanks Clive!!!

Although I shot it in RAW, those posted photos are the Jpegs from the camera without post-processing. The only thing I did was reduce size of the images in order to make it easier to upload.

I must say I really, LOVE this new GR II.

And every photographer I show it to wants to purchase one, after I demonstrate the excellent manual control user interface.

Oh yes, there is one thing that I forgot to mention. Even thought I am handholding the camera, I set the self timer to 2 seconds. So hold the viewfinder to my eye and trip the shutter. Then I try to steady myself as the self-timer goes off. If I don't do this, I get a little jitter as my finger trips the shutter.
 
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