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Gx100/Gx200

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wbrandsma

Guest
Welcome hear. That is a tough question indeed. I liked the results of the GX100 a lot, and I love the improved handling and speed of the GX200. I use(d) both cameras without the VF1 and never felt the need to buy one. The G10 looks amazing too, but is quite large as you mention.

If I would currently be in the same position to buy a serious compact camera I would opt for the Panasonic LX3 instead. To me it seems this camera has improved dynamic range, better low light performance, and a great looking dynamic B&W in-camera preset. Only the user interface can't be compared with those of the Ricohs. Ricoh has some of the best user interface in any compact camera in my opinion.

Good luck :thumbup:
 
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RMR2416

Guest
Thank you all so much for helping me ,
I have sone a lot of research, as I am not very familiar with digital photograpy. I believe the ideal camera would be the GRD II; no zoom to worry about, so composition is number one (thank you Lili for reminding me of that), (I remember her K1000 just had the 35mm (or close ot it), and she never got around to really loving the 28-200 I had gotten her...) However, that little camera is slightly out of my price range (plus, Viewfinder is an added option, when I believe she would like to have the VF, if only for certain uses.)

I like the deal with the GX100 + EVF; I have read the problems with stuck lenses and dust in the lens and sensor with that camera. Is it really a big issue, or just a few unlucky ones?

I also like the LX3, but I played with it and find the joystick difficult to use. It is however a beautiful object with what looks to be an awesome lens. I also love Pansonic's electronics in general (they always seem to get in that sweet spot of affordability vs quality and innovation).

I was supposed to play with the Ricohs, but the friend in question had to vanish out of the country for a job...)
 
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RMR2416

Guest
By the way, Wouter;
I have spent timeon your website and I want to thank you for the long term review of the GX100/200. I also have great respect for your opnion, as your work is simply outstanding. However, you could probably take a great picture with baby powder, a light bulb and a lens made out of a water plastic bottle. :)
 
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RMR2416

Guest
Wouter,

I had an epiphany during my deep sleep last night. I purchased the wife the G10; many reviewers seemed disapointed with the G10, but many users seem to just love the thing, and the pics tend to prove them right. I also love the feel and design of it; I know my wife likes chunky and clickety dials over a little joystick, and the weight is actually a good thing; that way, you should notice when you forgot it someplace or if it fell out of a pocket. Finally, I tested a Lumix FX37 (25mm wide anlge digicam, and I found the difference in the wide angle fairly marginal to the 28mm of the G10(please don't tear me apart on this, it's just my store experience, I wasn't allowed to take the cameras outside and take landscape shots). I also tested a Canon SX10IS with a 20x optical zom, and found the 5x zoom of the G10 to be much more usable on a quick shot (it's much easier to find the target at 5x than 20x, which is like shooting a fly in the open with a sewing needle (again from my personal experience). I also was very impressed with the start up time of the G10 (I picked it up, and raised it toward the subject while turning it on, and every time it was ready to shoot before I was... so it's fast enough for me- people in the sstore looked at me as if I was John Wayne in a pistol duel scene).

Allright now, I 'm kind of sorry I chickened out on the Ricohs, but I like being able to pay for things cash rather than with a credit card on the internet, so that was that.

Wouter, my wife is a big B&W fan, so we'll see if she manages to get good shots out of it, and we'll post them for you. She is always up before sunrise, so she'll get decent shots soon. (after X-mas that is).
 
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wbrandsma

Guest
Only a few days before your wife gets the G10. I think it is a great camera, and has some image quality advantage against the Ricoh GX200.

Here some GX200 jpegs from today edited with Nik Silver Efex Pro.





 
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Oxide Blu

Guest
...

Here some GX200 jpegs from today edited with Nik Silver Efex Pro.
You know as soon as you say Silver Efex Pro you lose a healthy chunk of credibility. SEP is to digital photography as Tobasco sauce is to cooking; no matter how badly mess up any recipe for anything, with enough Tobasco sauce on it you can still eat it. :D

I love SEP, would buy it again at twice the price. Oh, and those ARE very nice images you posted. :thumbup:
 
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wbrandsma

Guest
You know as soon as you say Silver Efex Pro you lose a healthy chunk of credibility. SEP is to digital photography as Tobasco sauce is to cooking; no matter how badly mess up any recipe for anything, with enough Tobasco sauce on it you can still eat it. :D
Ouch :angel:

I love SEP, would buy it again at twice the price. Oh, and those ARE very nice images you posted. :thumbup:
Thank you :thumbs:

To get some credibility back here some low light photographs from the GX200.

Ricoh GX200, f2.7, 1/16 sec, ISO 200, manual mode


Ricoh GX200, f3.0, 1/2 sec, ISO 100, manual mode


And all handheld.
 
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wbrandsma

Guest
I noticed several new GX200 shooters here, so I thought this thread needed some photographs again.






All with the GX200.
 

DavidE

Active member
I love the image with the dog.

It has incredible geometry with an oddly abstract shadow (check out the disconnected shadow ears -- you don't see something like that very often). With everything else off-axis, you can't help but identify with the dog, who in turn, is fixated on something outside the frame.

It's an almost perfect image. Outwardly simple, yet internally complex. Balanced, but heightened with visual tensions.

Bravo, Wouter!
 
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wbrandsma

Guest
Thank you so much David. The light was kind of very special that day.

More GX200.


 
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wbrandsma

Guest
It scares me too Cam. The more I see it, the more personal it becomes.
 

Streetshooter

Subscriber Member
This GX-200 has me in a love/hate relationship......I love the interface...just great to work with but the
noise is starting to bother me.......maybe I need more meds.....anyway....

This is the retired Ship...United States on the Philly Waterfront....

GX-200 f2.9 1/3 sec hand held.... -7 ex comp...silver efex and PS CS3
 
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wbrandsma

Guest
Don't try to compare the GX200 with your DP1 Don. Instead use the GX200 for daytime situations and keep the ISO low and use the DP1 with higher ISO's for the evening and night.

I try to keep the ISO as low as possible with the GX200. It will remain noisy, but at low ISO's I think the noise is very acceptable, fine and rather pleasing. I noticed that too much underexposure ruins your images. Therefor I often slightly overexpose to avoid noise in the darker parts. At higher ISO's you see this awkward patterned noise and that bothers me too.
 

Streetshooter

Subscriber Member
Wouter
You of course are right but I have to admit.....until the DP2 comes out, I will keep the GX-200. The camera has the best interface bar none except the M8. It's an amazing design. I always push the envelope and that's why I often get frustrated.

My problem is that I get used to a cameras quirks, then start to use it in an adjustment period not really expecting anything great but to learn how the camera and I see together..

then I send files up to MPIX and have 11 x 14 prints made in b&w and color.....if a camera gets to this point, it's got a chance.....once the prints come back...I make a decision whether to keep it or move on.....The GX-200 is a great web camera but not a great print camera....

I qualify this by......b&w prints are great...very nice...but color requires much work to get a clean image.
This is not my major concern because I am b&w 90% anyway.
Unfortunately that small, little, tiny weenie, itty bitty 10% plagues me.....
At iso 200, running thru Noise Ninja before sharpening and any processing then again after processing and then re sharpen......the prints are well, acceptable....above that and there's a problem.

I've given some files to guru's and the same results....so
when Ricoh and Sigma come together because of the economy and make the
DPX-300.......that camera will in fact be a dream for everyone....but alas as I wake up again and out of my dream world.....I wait for the DP2 because it's the DP2...and I sadly will sell the Ricoh to some one here for a very reasonable price.......

Some things ya can live with, some things ya can't, and some things ya just don't know...

back to sleep and my dream of my DP1 on snap mode etc.....
don
 
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wbrandsma

Guest
I have never been a photographer who changes cameras a lot. I stick to a camera for a long time and live with the limitations since it forces me to think harder.

I have done A2 prints (40x60cm) from GX200 and GX100 photos and they were really good to me. No noise removal programs used. When I want clean files, I should have bought another camera.

And I am about 98% B&W.
 

Streetshooter

Subscriber Member
That's what I'm saying...for B&W it's a great camera. Problem I have is...
I do these missions for the soldiers, LEO Military etc. They all want color.
It's funny, I am told that my b&w work is great but to stark and real for them. They like the illusion that color gives.....go figure...
anyhow....I did the last mission for Fallen Police Officer Chris Jones. The DP1 files are delicious of course...but the GX-200 even at 200 or 100 has noise that in color bothers me.....I know, I'm getting nuts...that's ok...but fact is fact...
My friend is a softeware developer and I have he working on a color noise remover that will not smooth anything out....time will tell...

Don't be put off by my statements about the color stuff...I could care less about color and for b&w, it's a great camera....even at very high iso.....
shooter
 

woodmancy

Subscriber Member
Tried to post this a couple of minutes ago but it didn't show. Hope you don't see it twice.

Ricoh GX-200 ISO 114, 1/40s
 
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