Hello from Scotland

[jacinabox]

Time to come out of the shadows and introduce myself...I'll admit to having had quite a few "ferreting" sessions in this great resource to determine if a Ricoh would suit me. Living in Scotland it would only be natural that landscape and historical architecture would be my scope of interest.

I've had a dabble in the art of photography over the years and can't say I've truly grasped all the fundamentals; however, now being retired I'll have a lot more time to get stuck in. Over those years I've spent a small fortune on camera's and associated equipment...countless "point & hope" camera's laden with useless features, a Canon 40d with a handful of stupidly expensive lenses - I felt a little bit self concious dragging all this gear around, so that went. I've now just bought a brand new GRD from a UK dealer pretty much on spec being guided by the many positive reviews around the internet bazaars.

"On spec" without trying? Yes!
I don't have a Ricoh dealer anywhere close by so very little option to do otherwise sadly. Its discrete size, lack of superfluous functions and robust build quality ticked all the boxes as the camera for me. A simple user interface appealed too.
So, it's arrived and I'm mightly pleased (I think!) Size, build and ease of use are spot on...but I'm left a little wanting, for a GRD3
The faster lens, a few more useful features and a better sensor are making me want to sell off the GRD and go the latest and best. I'll pose that question in another part of the forum!

Anyway, I hope to make some sort of useful contribution (more likely to be a "how do I...? post) in the coming months

David

 

[odklizec]

Hi David and welcome on the board! I guess you will soon be welcome also by another fellow (partial) Scotsman Wiener?

GRDI is still great camera and in B&W, probably the best one (speaking about small sensor cameras). True, it's noisier than many recent cameras with similarly sized sensor. But honestly, this noise is more like a film grain, especially in B&W mode. It's funny, but even the GRDIII is not as good in B&W as GRDI! So if you like B&W photos and you don't want to spent hours in postprocessing, GRDI is ideal B&W camera! True, the HW specs are a bit outdated in these days, especially the GRDI LCD is poor if compared with gorgeous GRDIII 3" 900k dots LCD. And of course, GRDI RAW writing time is pure pain in the ass Definitely nothing for impatient people. Did I say that when it comes to B&W, there is no competitor to GRDI?

BTW, there is new GRDIV (or whatever it would be called) on the way! No details about it yet, but it's more or less certain it will arrive later this year. Most probably around late Summer (August-September) time. Maybe you should wait a bit with your next purchase? Just keep taking photos with your new toy, learn how to get most out of it and then, when the new GRD appears, decide if you still need a new model? I'm sure it will be great as was each iteration of GRD. My guess is that it will get the Phase Detection AF re-introduced in CX5, which means a lot of faster AF. For example, the CX5 at 28mm is noticeably faster than GRDIII! And I believe faster AF will not be the only surprise? Can't wait to see it.

OK, enjoy your new camera and this friendly forum! Please don't forget to post some photos taken with our new toy and don't hesitate to post also your older photos taken with non-Ricoh gear. We are open to all cameras, not just Ricohs! What counts are good photos and it does not really matter if they were taken with DSLR or camera phone

 

[jacinabox]

Thanks for the warm welcome Pavel

Some good advice in your post...I really should give the GRD a fair try, it's a battle of heart over head at the moment!
In reality (the camera only arrived last Friday) and I've barely scratched the surface of its capabilities.

While I'm no expert on all things Ricoh, I've not come across anything about a successor to the GRD3 being released? It's bound to happen I guess. If and when it does make an appearance I'm sure it will be at an eye watering price though, and more than I'm likely to be willing to pay

Let's see how it goes...

David

 

[forward]

Hi David, I got hold of the GX100 when it was first released. At that time it was the only compact that comes with a wide angle attachment that could cover more than 80 degree angle of view. Today I am still using this compact for street photography as I can bring it along easily anywhere I go.

Ricoh has to be complimented for its sensitivity to the needs of professional photographers and amateurs alike by making sure the camera is not intrusive and yet small enough to be carried around easily. I might get hold of GRD III when the time comes. The other models are just too big and heavy for me and that is the reason for putting my two DSLRs on the shelf.

Patrick
Singapore

 

[Wiener]

Hi David,
nice to meet a fellow Scot and Ricoh user on here!
There a few other Scots on here ('ricohnick' is another) so you are not the first Scot to concluding that a Ricoh may serve you well for your every (day) needs!
I was (and still am) a GX100 user; like 'forward' I find it is super for landscapes (24mm equivalent, even without the adaptor) and so small, strong and light you can carry it all day 7 days a week.
The GRD is not so different, at least in this portability aspect.

What are your favourite topics for photography? It would be great to see some 'old' stuff just to get a comparison with your 'GRD-gems' when you post them!
All the best,
Andy

 

[jacinabox]

Thanks Patrick and Andy...here I am pondering the merits of a GRD or GRD3 and two of you guys are are GX users! I'm really starting to worry that I might have chosen the "wrong" camera

For now at least, I think I'll perservere with the the GRD and see how it'll fit in with my needs (that philosophy may change tomorrow!) While the internet can be so good for gleaning information I think I may be suffering from info' overload. Too much review reading perhaps.

As mentioned earlier, I'm far from competent in understanding the rudiments of photography and now with time to spare, a bit of experimenting will increase my understanding of what the "art" is all about.

I really don't have any photo's that are worth showing*- many are just point and shoot "that looks nice" snaps. Once I've started to get to grips with the new camera, I'll be happy to post them up for critique. I'm hoping that with a fixed length lens, it will encourage me to think more about composition - we'll see!

*One photo that makes me smile, more for the content than any technical attributes... taken on the move from a car window in the Florida Keys. It appealed to my sense of humour

David

 

[Marcus E.]

Time to come out of the shadows and introduce myself...I'll admit to having had quite a few "ferreting" sessions in this great resource to determine if a Ricoh would suit me. Living in Scotland it would only be natural that landscape and historical architecture would be my scope of interest.

I've had a dabble in the art of photography over the years and can't say I've truly grasped all the fundamentals; however, now being retired I'll have a lot more time to get stuck in. Over those years I've spent a small fortune on camera's and associated equipment...countless "point & hope" camera's laden with useless features, a Canon 40d with a handful of stupidly expensive lenses - I felt a little bit self concious dragging all this gear around, so that went. I've now just bought a brand new GRD from a UK dealer pretty much on spec being guided by the many positive reviews around the internet bazaars.

"On spec" without trying? Yes!
I don't have a Ricoh dealer anywhere close by so very little option to do otherwise sadly. Its discrete size, lack of superfluous functions and robust build quality ticked all the boxes as the camera for me. A simple user interface appealed too.
So, it's arrived and I'm mightly pleased (I think!) Size, build and ease of use are spot on...but I'm left a little wanting, for a GRD3
The faster lens, a few more useful features and a better sensor are making me want to sell off the GRD and go the latest and best. I'll pose that question in another part of the forum!

Anyway, I hope to make some sort of useful contribution (more likely to be a "how do I...? post) in the coming months

David

Hello and welcome to this forum David......Another GR1 user..excellent!....Hope you enjoy this camera, you may be surprised at what can be achieved with it after using an SLR....As Pavel mentioned, great B&W capabilities, etc...