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Fun with the Ricoh GR III

Thorkil

Well-known member
I've been sticking this camera in my jeans pocket without a case. I found that this works well if there's no case and if I use the small strap that comes with the camera. Every other combination has been more difficult for me. I never considered the possibility that this could damage the camera. It seems solid to me.

There is new firmware that was just released
https://www.dpreview.com/news/37851...are-version-1-30-for-its-gr-iii-camera-system
:thumbup:, yes that I will do too, then, if the leathercase is too much in the way. My mind is constructed that way, if circumstances are too much uphill it kills my photolust. And its too late to tell my mind other ways to behave.
So off it go, the leathercase, if it's in the way, in any way :), just needed that the little push..:thumbup:
Yes I've tried to update but guess the battery wasn't proper full, while it refused..it's on charge..
 

Thorkil

Well-known member
just a little service-info.
Normally I always use Sandisk Extreme Pro SD while they have ever done their best to me.
But buying the GR the only available in the shop was Lexar Professional.
But formatting the Lexar in the camera and then on the PC copied the bin-update file to the root: turned it on while pressing the Menu : "The card is not formattet" - several times the same statement.
So putting a Sandisk Extreme Pro in, and it just succeeded as usual (ver. 1.30), so I wont use Lexar any more (!)
 

ggibson

Well-known member
just a consideration:
while I really do think the Ricoh GR is about the only REAL pocket-camera of high IQ-capacity, I'm considering 3 options to have with me when I absolutely don't want to drag an ordinary camera with, while not feeling in the ultimate photo-mood, or just don't care for holding the size and weight, and dont want to concentrate on the level such a committed camera ask you for to be in (even of a Z7 or X-T3 or even a X-E3), so:
1. buying a Iphone 11 pro, while it seems to take really good pictures (instead of my Samsung 8)
2. buying a Z50, even though its not a pocket-camera, but its handy and familiar with my Z7, so its like being at home
3. just putting the GR III in my pocket without any protection, so its available just as quick as a phone, and take the risk of hurting the lens-closing-mechanism - while we only live once (perhaps washing trousers with inside out in the future then:lecture:, to avoid pocket-wool then)
The option 3. seems to be the most attractive (and the most moneysaving option (before a lens-door-damage), while its just here).
Anyone doing the option 3.???
(Well silly questions one can't have enough of...:grin:)
thorkil
I'd vote for option 1-iPhone here.

I don't have a GRIII, but an RX100II is my in-between that has better IQ than my phone (currently Pixel 2 XL), but easier to carry than my Sony A7rII. Realistically these days though, I just use my phone for occasions when I don't want to lug the big camera, and the RX100ii is now pretty much only used for diving in my underwater housing. There's definitely a difference in image quality between the 1" sensor and phone, but for the usage I intend (mostly online or small prints) it is not significant enough to matter.

The software and internet connectivity is a huge plus of using a phone vs. a traditional compact camera also. The editing in smartphones these days makes the experience of enjoying my photos much smoother, and there are even features like handheld image stacking & HDR that mean I can take images I otherwise would need a tripod.

At this point, I would only consider buying a new in-between camera only if it something significantly different from my phone experience like: rugged/60m waterproof for diving, wider zoom range w/ ultrawide, or a fast prime like a 35/2 equivalent. For some people, a 28/4 equivalent is exactly what they want, and the GRIII starts to make sense. Personally though, an iPhone with 3 focal lengths at 12MP (including ultrawide now) and all of the connectivity and software feels much more appealing.
 

Thorkil

Well-known member
I'd vote for option 1-iPhone here.

I don't have a GRIII, but an RX100II is my in-between that has better IQ than my phone (currently Pixel 2 XL), but easier to carry than my Sony A7rII. Realistically these days though, I just use my phone for occasions when I don't want to lug the big camera, and the RX100ii is now pretty much only used for diving in my underwater housing. There's definitely a difference in image quality between the 1" sensor and phone, but for the usage I intend (mostly online or small prints) it is not significant enough to matter.

The software and internet connectivity is a huge plus of using a phone vs. a traditional compact camera also. The editing in smartphones these days makes the experience of enjoying my photos much smoother, and there are even features like handheld image stacking & HDR that mean I can take images I otherwise would need a tripod.

At this point, I would only consider buying a new in-between camera only if it something significantly different from my phone experience like: rugged/60m waterproof for diving, wider zoom range w/ ultrawide, or a fast prime like a 35/2 equivalent. For some people, a 28/4 equivalent is exactly what they want, and the GRIII starts to make sense. Personally though, an iPhone with 3 focal lengths at 12MP (including ultrawide now) and all of the connectivity and software feels much more appealing.

thanks a lot for your input Graham!
I have to admit I'm a bit reactionary and old fashioned. And dealing with phonephotos on the internet isn't my strongest side, apart from doing mms'es to our children etc.
I have the prejudice about cell phones that they make a copymachine-copy of reality, and not a real photo.
Yes the Iphone 11 really seems to be in the same league as many good compact cameras and even better cameras. But computerwise I'm a windows-computer guy and the relation between my phone and computer are via USB-cabel (sigh..)
But I can't let go of the feeling of a "cheap" pseudo-photo when using my phone. I'm not reasonable at that point :) (even though envy can grow upon me seeing those really fine Iphone-shots...but still...the prejudices)
So after Adam told me he was just sticking his GR directly into his pocket, without ever thinking about the delicate lens-closing mechanism could end up in a serious pocket wool crisis - then with greater peace of mind I will just put my GR in my pants pocket from now on, and put the concerns aside (mental freedom..), and I am delighted by the thought of, having the very competent GR camera right there in my pocket.
I have also had several wonderful GR years, so I owe it a great deal of goodwill and solidarity.
:)
KR thorkil
 

Thorkil

Well-known member
well with the GR III just naked in the pocket, easy to pull out by the strap...





Ricoh GR III iso320 1/40 f5 through C1pro12win



thorkil
 

biglouis

Well-known member
just a little service-info.
Normally I always use Sandisk Extreme Pro SD while they have ever done their best to me.
But buying the GR the only available in the shop was Lexar Professional.
But formatting the Lexar in the camera and then on the PC copied the bin-update file to the root: turned it on while pressing the Menu : "The card is not formattet" - several times the same statement.
So putting a Sandisk Extreme Pro in, and it just succeeded as usual (ver. 1.30), so I wont use Lexar any more (!)
Thorkil, because my Sandisk cards regularly failed I gave up using them many years ago. I've used Lexar ever since without any problems and at present I have one of the last Lexar 32GB 2000x high speed cards in my GRIII and have used it with no problem. I always format my cards in the camera, btw. I wonder what you were sold because Lexar pulled out of the SD card business a couple of years ago and via a management buy-out the successor cards are marketed as ProGrade and I have two 128GB cards in my X-T3. Perhaps it was a knock-off because I can thoroughly recommend Lexar and the successor brand ProGrade.

LouisB
 

biglouis

Well-known member
I've been sticking this camera in my jeans pocket without a case. I found that this works well if there's no case and if I use the small strap that comes with the camera. Every other combination has been more difficult for me. I never considered the possibility that this could damage the camera. It seems solid to me.

There is new firmware that was just released
https://www.dpreview.com/news/37851...are-version-1-30-for-its-gr-iii-camera-system
I do the same. It sits in the coat pockets of various items I own as naked as the day it was born. I do have an screen protector on the LCD. At home I put it into the leather case I have for it, which now I think about is perverse!

LouisB
 

biglouis

Well-known member
thanks a lot for your input Graham!
I have to admit I'm a bit reactionary and old fashioned. And dealing with phonephotos on the internet isn't my strongest side, apart from doing mms'es to our children etc.
I have the prejudice about cell phones that they make a copymachine-copy of reality, and not a real photo.
Yes the Iphone 11 really seems to be in the same league as many good compact cameras and even better cameras. But computerwise I'm a windows-computer guy and the relation between my phone and computer are via USB-cabel (sigh..)
But I can't let go of the feeling of a "cheap" pseudo-photo when using my phone. I'm not reasonable at that point :) (even though envy can grow upon me seeing those really fine Iphone-shots...but still...the prejudices)
So after Adam told me he was just sticking his GR directly into his pocket, without ever thinking about the delicate lens-closing mechanism could end up in a serious pocket wool crisis - then with greater peace of mind I will just put my GR in my pants pocket from now on, and put the concerns aside (mental freedom..), and I am delighted by the thought of, having the very competent GR camera right there in my pocket.
I have also had several wonderful GR years, so I owe it a great deal of goodwill and solidarity.
:)
KR thorkil
I'm with Thorkil. I have a Huawei P20 Pro and the black and white sensor is fantastic but I have never achieved a satisfactory colour photo in the same way I have with my GR before and now my GRIII from a smart phone, to date. In post processing there really is no comparison, imho. It all depends on what you want to do.

LouisB
 

biglouis

Well-known member
A beautiful GR cipher (George VIth) post box, in front of an up-to-date electronic bus, on a road near Parliament Hill in north London.

I love my GRIII!

 

ggibson

Well-known member
I'm with Thorkil. I have a Huawei P20 Pro and the black and white sensor is fantastic but I have never achieved a satisfactory colour photo in the same way I have with my GR before and now my GRIII from a smart phone, to date. In post processing there really is no comparison, imho. It all depends on what you want to do.

LouisB
Absolutely, it all depends on your uses and needs.

By the way, I found this super-relevant iPhone 11 Pro vs. GRIII vs. RX100v comparison yesterday!

https://shootingstills.co.uk/iphone-11-pro-image-quality-test-part2/

TLDR summary he provides:

- The iPhone 11 Pro for photography enthusiats or professionals is a superb tool that can deliver great results in all conditions, with ease
- The iPhone 11 Pro for non photography enthusiats or those that just like posting on social media, replaces the need for a compact camera
- For the best quality work that holds up under scrutiny, be it in print or high resolution images online, a ‘real’ camera is still required
- Deep Fusion and Night Mode are both fantastic additions to the iPhone, without them and Smart HDR, it would struggle against the larger sensor cameras
 

Thorkil

Well-known member
I've just got a crack on my screen of my Samsung S8.
Then I perhaps could consider the iphone 11 pro, wait for the Samsung S11, or...just replace my S8 screen, which might be more climatefriendly, and we ought to cut down consumption in general...:shocked:
 

Sapphie

Member
A beautiful GR cipher (George VIth) post box, in front of an up-to-date electronic bus, on a road near Parliament Hill in north London.

I love my GRIII!

Lovely shots, as always, Louis.

I took my GRIII on holiday to Cornwall last month and it was the only camera I used. I am beginning to wonder if I really need any of my Fuji kit (X100, X-Pro1, XT3) any more ... for landscape and seascape shots it worked perfectly and there's none of that wacky rendering of fine detail like foliage that still occurs in X-trans files. I just slip it in an old belt case for a Sekonic light meter and it's so easy to carry and keep protected.

I make extensive use of the in-camera crop facility for composition, knowing that the full 18mm FOV can always be recovered in the DNG via the LR plugin.

I do wish I 'knew' more about the strengths of the GRIII, i.e. any special settings, 'tricks of the trade' etc and why those 'film effect' settings are mostly non-zero by default.

Also, is anyone using the GW-4 wide angle lens?

Lee
 

biglouis

Well-known member
Lovely shots, as always, Louis.

I took my GRIII on holiday to Cornwall last month and it was the only camera I used. I am beginning to wonder if I really need any of my Fuji kit (X100, X-Pro1, XT3) any more ... for landscape and seascape shots
Thanks for the comment on the photo. The GRIII like the GR before it is a tiny pocket powerhouse. Like you I've experienced better results in landscape than using my X-T3 (but you may have picked up on the saga that I have gone back to using a Fuji MF camera in the shape of the GFX50R which does outshine the GRIII).

I believe the main strength of the GRIII is the sensor. It seems to be so malleable in post. You can recover a lot shadow and control highlights. The raw images can be further enhanced in the NIK effex suite that I use without breaking down (I have a number of recipes I use - which I used for the post box to enhance the lovely 'pillarbox red' paintwork and that of the bus).

In terms of settings I just use the most straightforward, e.g. I set the aperture to f5.6 and the speed to 1/160 and let the iso float. To date, I have always been able to modify the photo in post with only a few exceptions when the EV is really totally out of whack. Recently, I have been experimenting with the new antishake capability of the GRIII down to 1/30 and it works very well.

When I went on what may well be the trip of a lifetime to Seoul in South Korea a couple of years ago I only took the GR and the WA adapter, plus my trusty Olympus XA film camera. The GR created some of my favourite photographs and Facebook reminded me of this one, today, of two lovely young women in traditional Hanbok costume - taken with the GR and the WA adapter:

 

biglouis

Well-known member
The Ricoh GRIII - the landscape camera I like to carry with me when I don't want to carry a landscape camera...





 
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