GX200 is here!

[Player]

WB is one of the quickset on the mode wheel on my GRD, but your points welltaken Player

You're point well-taken too Lili , but what if you were shooting indoors under mixed lighting, and/ or the WB you or the camera chose is not optimum? Then what hell are ya gonna do?

 

[Joan]

Yes . LOL

Kidding Joan but the best quality of image will come from a Raw file since this gives YOU ultimate control. The issue with any camera and in camera jpegs is you are letting the OEM make the call with the firmware algorithms which are not always correct and not always correctable without getting into PS and making corrections Also the more corrections and saves you make with a jpeg the more you will knock the quality of the file down. So you are best to always shoot Raw and make non destructive corrections in a raw processor than save out to a Tiff as you master file . Than if you want to post,e-mail or whatever you can make a jpeg from your Master Tif file. I know it sounds like a lot of work but the results and obviously the control you gain will be worth it. Not saying you can't get nice results from jpeg, you can but your are stuck in the mud with it. Raw you have the option to reprocess it next week or next year and make more non destructive corrections to it in a different way and output a master. Also software changes and improves so this is also a benefit of Raw. For someone getting into this like you, I would rather teach you the best path than short change you and that path is Raw.

Hi Guy,
I hear you loud and clear, and I know that best practice is to shoot raw ... maybe I just need better PP skills to get my raw files to look as good as the jpegs from the 2 cameras I mentioned. I'm pretty sure you can shoot both simultaneously with the GX200, someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

I've been trying out various RAW converters and haven't settled on one yet. Aperture and Lightzone are my 2 favorites. For some reason Lightroom is difficult for me to figure out. I guess I need to save up for one of your workshops and let you teach me how to use it!

 

[Lili]

You're point well-taken too Lili , but what if you were shooting indoors under mixed lighting, and/ or the WB you or the camera chose is not optimum? Then what hell are ya gonna do?

Black and White?


Edit; Seriously; I've only just started doing RAW on a regular basis and am learning the Ropes (SIlkyPix for K100D and S7RAW for S6000fd, the GRD I have not yet done RAW yet). I have seen some very very nice results but the learning curve, she is very very steep

 

[Player]

Black and White?


Edit; Seriously; I've only just started doing RAW on a regular basis and am learning the Ropes (SIlkyPix for K100D and S7RAW for S6000fd, the GRD I have not yet done RAW yet). I have seen some very very nice results but the learning curve, she is very very steep

And it's pretty tough to argue with the quality of your photography. Great stuff!

Right, for b&w it's moot. :clap:

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Hi Guy,
I hear you loud and clear, and I know that best practice is to shoot raw ... maybe I just need better PP skills to get my raw files to look as good as the jpegs from the 2 cameras I mentioned. I'm pretty sure you can shoot both simultaneously with the GX200, someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

I've been trying out various RAW converters and haven't settled on one yet. Aperture and Lightzone are my 2 favorites. For some reason Lightroom is difficult for me to figure out. I guess I need to save up for one of your workshops and let you teach me how to use it!

Well this stuff takes time to learn , no question and honestly workshops are a great way to learn ,no promotion there but for me you learn by doing and I am self taught and I think the best way but if you can learn from others it short cuts a lot of learning. BTW love to have you at a workshop. But for now shoot both and practice. Aperture is a nice program and if you can work in that there is a lot of control. Pick one or two and stick with it than trying a bunch and not learning anything. Sorry we went OT a little , back to the GX200

 

[charlesphoto]

I urge people to think of the RAW file as their negative. The jpeg as a work print and a TIFF (or PSD) as the fine art print. Would you want to be stuck with a timeless image merely in a work print form? The RAW file allows one to make global changes without any destruction. Over the almost thirty years of darkroom printing I became much better and better, even and esp with the same neg. I'm sure the same will be true of my digital post skills. So best to have a "negative" at your disposal.

I can understand some hard pressed photo journalists in far flung places with deadlines to meet via satelitte phone shooting jpegs (usually in conjunction with RAW) but otherwise it really makes no sense.

 

[Lili]

And it's pretty tough to argue with the quality of your photography. Great stuff!

Right, for b&w it's moot. :clap:

Thanks so much Player, I AM learning RAW, for the reasons Guy and others have mentioned.
Mayhap a GX100/200 is in my future

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Just keep practicing it Lili and don't forget we are all here to help . If you want to start threads on this and anyone else in the image processing section. More than happy to see that stuff. We ARE the darkroom now.

 

[Joan]

Well this stuff takes time to learn , no question and honestly workshops are a great way to learn ,no promotion there but for me you learn by doing and I am self taught and I think the best way but if you can learn from others it short cuts a lot of learning. BTW love to have you at a workshop. But for now shoot both and practice. Aperture is a nice program and if you can work in that there is a lot of control. Pick one or two and stick with it than trying a bunch and not learning anything. Sorry we went OT a little , back to the GX200

I WILL be there for one of them, by hook or by crook. It's only my limited budget that messes up the works, otherwise I would have been to one already! Thanks Guy.

And, Lili, I agree with you about the steep learning curve. You, at least, have the TAKING great photos part down already. I am struggling with both capture and processing. Long road ahead ...

 

[praktinafan]

Joan,

I use Aperture (2.1) for some time now - and sometimes I forget that it is RAW I am working with. The dynamic range out of my GX100 is so much better.
And: even with the Leica Digilux 2 I switched from jpg to RAW. Slow - yes - but fast compared to my old SLR set (out of the 1960-70s manual winding heavy metal bodies and external exposure metering)

RAW is the best "film" Material you can achieve for your cam - and it is built in!

Willi

 

[Chuck A]

I completely understand the reluctance to RAW processing as it can be intimidating. But just play and have fun with it. Don't take it too seriously and realize that it will take time, like all things do, to learn. Guy is right though, a workshop really helps. Even a friend who can help is great. I don't know how many times I had to ask people how to do simple things in PS. Also, search online, there are alot of free tutorials for PS and other programs. They have helped me alot.

There are many times that using RAW can make post processing easier. Especially if you have a photo with a difficult white balance or short dynamic range. Having said that, JPG processing nowadays has gotten pretty good. Very often the JPG looks just fine. It depends on how picky you are. The biggest problem that I have with in-camera JPG processing is in the area of noise reduction. Most small sensor camera just go too heavy on the noise reduction. The GRD and the GX100 are exceptions when it comes to this. That is why I finally decided to move in that direction. I would much rather see noise/grain than smeariness. But I shoot mainly B&W so the "grain" isn't as objectionable. It appears that the new Ricoh processing engine does add some extra smeariness to the JPGs at higher ISO. Even with the adjustable noise reduction. And from what I have read Ricoh will not turn it off completely. They basically say that if you want it off just shoot RAW.

I just purchased a GX100. My budget was low and I knew that if I was going to go for the GX200 I would have to wait at least until this time next year to afford it. There should be a few used 100's at decent prices surfacing with the announcement of the GX200. A good time to try one out if you haven't yet.

The GX100 is a great little camera. Fun and very intuitive to use. It actually begs to be used. Not too many cameras have done that to me. Funny how a office machine company like Ricoh can make a tool with better photographic controls than the likes of Canon or Nikon. The G9 is nice but Ricoh just has it up on them with their intuitive controls, lens, removable VF, etc. The step zoom is a particularly genius idea. I have been working with primes for many years and it fits me perfectly.

Here is the gratuitous flower shot from my first few shots with the GX100. My clematis is looking particularly nice this year. Good luck and great shooting.

 

[Joan]

Beautiful clematis, Chuck.

I am bowing under the RAW pressure here, guys. ;-) Probably will buy Aperture soon.

 

[Chuck A]

Beautiful clematis, Chuck.

I am bowing under the RAW pressure here, guys. ;-) Probably will buy Aperture soon.

No pressure here Joan. Just have fun.

Thanks, this particular clematis is my favorite.

 

[praktinafan]

Digilux 2 . the difference

100% crop JPG

100% crop RAW
Whole picture:
Less colour spotting, better "grain", more detail. You will prefer RAW. because it is better to use than ever.

 

[VladimirV]

Dumb question does this shoot both at the same time

It does shoot both at the same time since it needs the jpg for the review and from the specs Ricoh did not seem to have changed it.

 

[PeterLeyssens]

Yes !

I ordered myself a GX-100 about three months ago, but I've broken my leg just as the camera arrived in the shop and I haven't been able to go and collect it since. I was getting a bit nervous recently, for several reasons. One is that I'm leaving on a holiday on July 26th and I would really like to test drive the camera before that, so that I'm used to it by the time I leave. Another reason was that I wasn't sure the shop actually kept my camera for these three months. Third, I was hearing stuff about a GX-200 So, I decided to give them a call.

It turns out they have still do have a GX-100 with my name on it in the shop. Then, about the GX-200. There wouldn't be any problem to replace my original order with this new camera at all :thumbs: Great service !

Now, my only worry is that the GX-200 may not be available before the middle of July. But I convinced the guy to keep my original order for the time being so that, when it gets tight, I can still go and collect the GX-100 that has my name on it.

The main reason I'd pick the GX-200 is the raw buffer and the better LCD. The new "tri-lens cap" could be a nice bonus, too. Frankly, I'm not worried about image quality. If they could find a 10mp sensor 2 years ago that was sufficient by most forum members' standards, the brand new 12mp will probably be in the same league, as technology has moved on. Also, I'll be shooting RAW+JPG all the time and decide afterwards if the JPG is good enough, so I'm not worried about the exact processing engine they're using. So as far as I'm concerned, this is a very desirable upgrade !



Peter.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

It sounds like one to me so far. This narrowed my choice for a small sensor camera. i have been just sitting on the sidelines (Rare for Me) just seeing what to get. This looks better everyday as we talk about it and learn more.

 

[VladimirV]

A review from PhotographyBLOG: http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews_ricoh_gx200.php

At the moment the GX200 seems like the better option than the GRD II. Best is to get a GRD I and the GX200 .

 

[Joan]

Digilux 2 . the difference

100% crop JPG

100% crop RAW
Whole picture:
Less colour spotting, better "grain", more detail. You will prefer RAW. because it is better to use than ever.

Thanks for the comparison, and of course you are 100% right. I went back and processed some of my raw files from NYC, and they do look great after bumping up the contrast and adjusting levels. It's nice to look at the jpegs as a reference for getting the "look" I like, but with the higher level of detail afforded by the raw files. I'll keep working at it!

So, enough hijacking here, back to the GX200!

 

[Lili]

A review from PhotographyBLOG: http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews_ricoh_gx200.php

At the moment the GX200 seems like the better option than the GRD II. Best is to get a GRD I and the GX200 .

Ahhhhh...I have the GRD I already, things like this don't help me avoid the temptation