4:3 - the viewfinder question

[thereluctantgardener]

Dear RicohForumers

I'm posting for the first time as I have a couple of questions about a camera that has seriously sparked my interest - the GR - and I've not been able to find answers to them anywhere, not even on this lively forum.

The backgound is that I'm having a spring clean of kit and found out about the GR when looking to estimate a price to sell my GR1 for. The '1' is a fab camera which I bought when it was released. However, after putting a couple of test films through it it has sat it in a drawer ever since. The issue for me was the focal length and format: I've never learnt to see in 28mm and have never managed to settle with the 3:2 ratio, preferring squarer (5:4, 7:6) format cameras (or masking 35mm SLRs).

Which takes me to my first question: there is conflicting information as to whether the GR can shoot 4:3 in RAW, as opposed to only in JPEG. I would only ever envisage using this camera in RAW (as I use the NEX 7 it would replace).

The other query (two really ...) is about viewfinders. I've found lots of discussion around whether the GV-2 shows 4:3 or 3:2 but haven't been able to conclude anything from it. However, downloading a snap of the view through one on http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1259277 and measuring it, I find that its bright lines do cover the 4:3 ratio. So unless Ricoh have marketed two versions with the same name (!) I'm going for 4:3 as the answer. I've trawled through many dozens of sites looking for an alternative that has a diopter adjustment to no avail. So: does anyone know of a 4:3 28mm VF with diopter adjustment?

Sorry to be so long-winded in my first post but it all seems totally relevant.

With kindest regards,

Michael The Reluctant Gardener

 

[thelps]

Re: 4:3

Hi and welcome to the forum,

On the questio nof 4:3 RAW have a look at my findings here about 35mm mode - http://ricohforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=72&t=10904&sid=119dc56aa279a6e5b5b6295e2f2baaea
On the linked page you will see the resolutions I noted from the EXIF of my test images.

In this thread I explored the various ratios and the 28/35 mode, since then a 47mm mode has been added by Ricoh. I should update it for 47mm.
As Pavel points out, most APS-C sensors are native 3:2 sensors so the 4:3 mode is essentially a crop. The GR certainly can output 4:3 RAW, I've done it, Some may suggest why not take 3:2 and crop later. I think shooting in 4:3 is more valid though as your vision of the image starts when you take the image. Also there would be a lot of work cropping every image later.

 

[thereluctantgardener]

Re: 4:3

Dear Tim

Thank you very much for the invaluable information. The ability to shoot 4:3 in RAW is enough to confirm that I'll be buying a GR once I've got the VF question sorted.

Useful as the cropped AOVs might be they result in too much of a drop in resolving power for me, bearing in mind I'll be coming from a 24MP Sony to the GR. As I figure it, shooting 4:3 will give me a 29mm lens equivalent on a 15MP camera: a more 'my' way of seeing for a negligible drop in power. BTW 4:3 also has the advantage of course of losing the extreme edges of the frame: the weakest area for any lens.

Of course if Ricoh ever stuck a 40mm lens on one of these cameras I'd be pre-ordering it.

Thanks again for your feedback.

Michael

.... any VF knowledge out there ...?

 

[subseasniper]

Re: 4:3

I have been dithering about getting an OVF but, owning the GR, have concluded I dont really need it.

The screen is really good, bright with fast refresh rate and the camera starts up in one second so you can shoot from the hip very quickly.

This may be a controversial thing to say but I believe that the act of bringing the camera to eye level to look through an OVF would take more time than simply framing with the screen.

 

[thereluctantgardener]

I can see that but I want the VF to my eye the whole time I'm working a street scene, seeing it live and organically with just some bits of glass between me and reality. For that I don't even want the distraction of f-stops etc. in the VF: just the world (though the lack of parallax correction is a pity). That's not to say that I don't want tons of information, histogram etc. when I'm doing something pensive. But then that's when I'll use the screen.

It's probably just a question of habit, the cameras I grew up with etc..