GXR mount first observations

[kuuan]

It's only a few weeks since I have the GXR + lens mount and have been enjoying it very much from day 1. It feels so right and still I have to discover much more about this great camera.

A few early observations, maybe suggestions if there ever was another firmware update? Don't misunderstand, I don't want to be nitpicking, since I got the GXR I hardly have touched my NEX5N even though I really like that camera too.

The GXR really got it right returning to enlarged view after half pressing for full view ( which e.g NEX doesn't do ), helps so much for focusing. But I really wished that activated enlargement would turn the F1/F2/+/- buttons into 'move selection' buttons ( this NEX got right ) To avoid confusion the very well located but dysfunctional Macro Button could (de)/activate enlargement.

Button assignment has room for improvement elsewhere too. The +/- buttons can be set to adjust flash compensation / flash amount / exposure compensation, the zoom buttons to adjust digital zoom / exposure compensation / white balance. That means that when shooting RAW without flash the only viable choice for both the +/- and the zoom buttons is exposure compensation.
This small, great handling camera has many well handling buttons. It's very clever, e.g. all that can be set with the adj. lever, but why leave out / restrict other hard buttons that would give direct access?

I haven't used Peaking Mode2 yet, but if is an important feature have a button toggle between Mode1 and Mode2. As it is the macro button is free.
I'd also think that the zoom buttons could do direct ISO better than the adjustment lever.
A camera that can't set the aperture could when in A mode well shift the wheel to set ISO, instead of leaving the wheel without function fully emancipate light sensitivity

a question: is there a way to have the live histogram displayed in 'full screen mode', or only when other setting infos shown in a frame around' reduce the 'size of the liveview? If the later..another wish

cheers, have fun with your GXR, kuuan

 

[zmix]

Do you have the latest firmware (1.51) installed in both the Camera Unit and the Body?

With the power off, press and hold the minus button (bottom of the biggest circular 4-way button) and then press and hold the playback (green triangle) button.

The firmware versions will be displayed.

http://www.ricoh.com/r_dc/download/

 

[kuuan]

Do you have the latest firmware (1.51) installed in both the Camera Unit and the Body?

With the power off, press and hold the minus button (bottom of the biggest circular 4-way button) and then press and hold the playback (green triangle) button.

The firmware versions will be displayed.

http://www.ricoh.com/r_dc/download/

Hi zmik, thank you very much for looking and caring.
Actually yes, was firmware 1.5 when i bought it but I already upgraded both body and unit to 1.51

main reason was that it says one could write the lens name into the EXIF, haven't tried to that yet though.

 

[zmix]

I have found that most of the issues you describe in your original post can be addressed in the "Key Custom Options" menu.

If you select the "Enlarge" magnification mode the enlarged part of the frame can be moved using the 4 directions on the Fn/1/2/+/- buttons, just press the ADJ lever while viewing the enlarged display.

 

[kuuan]

I have found that most of the issues you describe in your original post can be addressed in the "Key Custom Options" menu.

If you select the "Enlarge" magnification mode the enlarged part of the frame can be moved using the 4 directions on the Fn/1/2/+/- buttons, just press the ADJ lever while viewing the enlarged display.

thank you for your input. yes, I am aware of this way to engage 'move selection' but compared to automatically shift the 4 direction buttons into move selection buttons whenever enlargement is active it needs quite some unnecessary fiddling first

edit: but only now found out that:
1: if the move selection was activated once, after doing half press release for full frame preview and then going back to enlargement view, pressing the adj. lever again would already activate the move selection, no need, in case last adj. function was another one, to scroll there first nor to confirm by pressing ok which is needed for activating the move selection buttons the first time around
and 2: there are two different modes of move selection depending on if it is pressed during 'normal view' or during 'enlarged view'.( If activated in 'normal view' it will display a window with the enlarged part within the full frame, while engaging it during enlarged view it will revert to full view while moving the selection and when not moving the selection go back to enlarged view with a small window showing the position of the enlarged part ) For having a 'clean' display instead having to turn move selection separately makes sense.

 

[zmix]

The implementation of some of these features can be a little confusing...!

I use Fn2 to toggle the magnification on and off.

 

[kuuan]

The implementation of some of these features can be a little confusing...!

I use Fn2 to toggle the magnification on and off.

thank's, so do I ( got good help for that even before I received my camera: http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3481220
originally had set Fn1 to engage focus peaking, later changed it to focus peaking always on via menu and made Fn1 to do ISO, not sure yet which I will prefer in the long run

 

[zmix]

Thanks for that link. I find that I use my GXR in manual mode only, even my film cameras have no automatic functions (or even metering, they're Leica Ms and IIIs), and I find it very frustrating when a camera "thinks" for me, even sometimes in it's white balance choices. A test shot is my light meter. For me, the fewer button presses, the better.

 

[kuuan]

obviously your background is very different from mine and you must be a much more experienced photographer than me.

Because of their enlargement and focus peaking features inside their articulating EVF. and on the biggest sensors available for this kind of camera in the moment, for me the GXR M ( and also my NEX5N ) excel for the use of manual lenses. Therefore for me all the functionalities concerning enlargement and focus peaking are of outmost importance!

Besides that I like the camera to choose the appropriate shutter speed and ISO, best with live histogram and easy access to exposure compensation and ISO settings. I almost always use A mode, sometimes S mode, both with auto ISO and RAW and don't worry about WB.

So I care about good functionalities of focus peaking, fast access to related functions and good access to set exp. compensation, shutter speed and ISO. That doesn't need all that many buttons, even the NEX5n provides that quite well. Dead buttons pain me nevertheless, and certainly I prefer having more buttons giving direct access to less buttons and having to press more often