Hello Everyone,
I'm so glad to have finally found a forum for my favorite camera, Ricoh. I taught myself to shoot street with a GRD II, after agonizing over whether to go with a Sigma or a Lumix or a Leica about 2 years ago. I'm happy to report that 24,000 shots later (not superb compositions, just trying to get my money's worth and gain experience with daily shooting), I still love my GRD II's handling. As a very average shooter IMHO, I got the thrill of feeling much closer to those photographic moments with the Snap focus feature, I shoot with RAW, with all B&W contrast/sharpness controls turned to the max. That all said, I am looking for a 2nd camera now for B&W street photography, and I am torn in trying to choose from not only the newer cameras that are out, but especially with the choice of getting an older Ricoh. I feel a kind of charm for the GR1 as I am a big Daido Moriyama fan and I like the real film grain look of the early Ricoh's and of course high ISO is fine for me. For instance, I am a little wary of the GRD III bc of opinions on the net of softened images and NR. There also is talk that comparable cameras like the D-lux 5 having mediocre ISO past 200. I am slightly disappointed reading that the GRD II also has some tweaking in this direction (some of my high ISO color shots are weird looking and smeared) I would jump on a Sigma DP2 now (as a 2nd cam) if it only had a Snap focus as RIcoh has spoiled me on this way of shooting (very enjoyable as it is). Does anyone know if there a still a good reason for buying the first GR Digital nowadays? I am thinking similarly of the GX100, GX200. Some photos on Flickr are incredibly beautiful from all these cameras. I am not expert enough a photographer to discern film grain replication from one Ricoh to another, I've seen some good grain shots from my GRD II, it's just not consistent. But I love the idea that Ricoh engineers their products for B&W Street shooting, and I personally feel that I am using a classic camera or an old scale focusing camera when I am using the Ricoh Snap feature and the camera's feel is such a pleasure. Anyway, maybe I'm in the minority trying to go backward in time..
I'm so glad to have finally found a forum for my favorite camera, Ricoh. I taught myself to shoot street with a GRD II, after agonizing over whether to go with a Sigma or a Lumix or a Leica about 2 years ago. I'm happy to report that 24,000 shots later (not superb compositions, just trying to get my money's worth and gain experience with daily shooting), I still love my GRD II's handling. As a very average shooter IMHO, I got the thrill of feeling much closer to those photographic moments with the Snap focus feature, I shoot with RAW, with all B&W contrast/sharpness controls turned to the max. That all said, I am looking for a 2nd camera now for B&W street photography, and I am torn in trying to choose from not only the newer cameras that are out, but especially with the choice of getting an older Ricoh. I feel a kind of charm for the GR1 as I am a big Daido Moriyama fan and I like the real film grain look of the early Ricoh's and of course high ISO is fine for me. For instance, I am a little wary of the GRD III bc of opinions on the net of softened images and NR. There also is talk that comparable cameras like the D-lux 5 having mediocre ISO past 200. I am slightly disappointed reading that the GRD II also has some tweaking in this direction (some of my high ISO color shots are weird looking and smeared) I would jump on a Sigma DP2 now (as a 2nd cam) if it only had a Snap focus as RIcoh has spoiled me on this way of shooting (very enjoyable as it is). Does anyone know if there a still a good reason for buying the first GR Digital nowadays? I am thinking similarly of the GX100, GX200. Some photos on Flickr are incredibly beautiful from all these cameras. I am not expert enough a photographer to discern film grain replication from one Ricoh to another, I've seen some good grain shots from my GRD II, it's just not consistent. But I love the idea that Ricoh engineers their products for B&W Street shooting, and I personally feel that I am using a classic camera or an old scale focusing camera when I am using the Ricoh Snap feature and the camera's feel is such a pleasure. Anyway, maybe I'm in the minority trying to go backward in time..