Using the new Ricoh GR – more shots and thoughts

UPDATE – Sorry about the lack of images – Imgembed folded and stopped hosting images. I still love the Ricoh GR and it continues to be one of my main cameras. I use it almost daily. Check out tons of Ricoh GR and now GRII images on my Tumblr, my Flickr, and if you “like” my strayfoto Facebook page you’ll see I usually post a photo a day. Thanks -Quinn.

I’ve been shooting and playing around with the new Ricoh GR since I got it last Friday. I’ve noticed a few things about it – mainly the way it contrasts with the Ricoh GRD IV. The GRD IV didn’t focus slow and it rarely hunted other than in very low light. The new GR blows it away in practical use. It’s speedier to use all around. I wrote before I didn’t think it turned on much quicker, but in real-world, day-to-day use I was wrong. It’s noticeably quicker to turn on and much faster to turn off.

I recently drove slowly from Vernal to Moab and since I had the new GR with me I took some shots along the way. These are processed the way I normally would handle a file from the GRD IV – shot in raw, tweaked and converted in Adobe Camera Raw. The files are easy to work with.

In color, the settings in ACR require a little different treatment. While I felt I could select “auto white balance” 90% of the time with the DNG’s from the GRD IV, selecting the same and applying it to the GR files results in a much warmer color than a I was used to with the GRD IV files. I’ve found it’s better to select “as shot” or to manually adjust the temperature balance with the GR. The only difference in the two images below is the white balance selection in Camera Raw. I have no idea how it will display on myriad screens, but it’s dramatic. And actually, I’d choose some sort of manual setting that’s somewhere in the middle I suppose.

As you can see, the “auto” setting produces files that are noticeable warmer than “as shot”. It’s not really a big deal but it’s much different than what I was used to doing with the GRD IV.

If you’ve driven south along the 191 you’ve probably photographed this sign.

Thanks for looking. I’ll be on the river again this week, and hopefully I’ve have more river shots and some video of the pathetic low water rapids we’re plagued with this year.

Thanks for looking. _____________________________________________________________________

I’ve written and illustrated two children’s books that are now available in print and digital versions; Coyote Life, and The Cat’s Glasses. If you’ve got kids, check them out. If you enjoy them, please leave a review, tell your friends, etc. Thanks.

 

Don’t forget to check out some of the fine art prints for sale in my Etsy shop.

My wife Leah also makes and sells some pretty cool leather stuff like minimalist wallets and camera straps. Check out her Etsy store for some cool gear. 

Photography T Shirts and Stickers at Redbubble: