Ricoh GR Unboxing and GRDIV Comparison Photos

Since the Ricoh GRDIV was one of my favorite cameras (so much so I bought it twice) I pre-ordered the Ricoh GR the minute it was available at B&H Photo. I’ve been waiting patiently for a couple months now, and it finally came this afternoon.

Some of my favorite packaging tape to see on the porch.

The Ricoh GR really doesn’t seem any larger than the Ricoh GRDIV, but it feels quite a bit larger in the hand. It’s actually more comfortable to hold, but it doesn’t fit in a pocket as easily.

I think the startup time of the GR is quicker by a hair, but the shutoff time is much quicker than the GRDIV.

It’s very close to the same camera, almost the same size in the photos, but it real life it’s larger, there’s no denying it. Thankfully the menus are pretty much the same. Anyone familiar with the GRDIV should feel very at home with the new GR.

The new Ricoh GR weighs one ounce more than the Ricoh GRDIV with the battery and memory card installed.

The charging system is pretty lame, requiring the battery to be installed in the camera and the camera plugged into the wall. This makes it really difficult to charge a spare battery – especially if you want to use the camera in the meantime.

The following sample shots show little difference at sizes commonly displayed on the internet. At 800 pixels wide, the difference is not that great at all. I shot both the GR and GRDIV side by side using aperture priority. The cameras selected different shutter speeds at times, but never more than one stop’s difference. I noticed the Ricoh GR seems a little warmer in some shots. A little more yellow/green. It’s not really good or bad, just a little different. I’m not trying to do a full-blown, in-depth comparison here; that’s what DPReview and DXOMark are for.

I think the Ricoh GR has a little more detail in the shadows. This stands to reason – the sensor is much larger and newer.

I usually shoot photos in raw, and I love that Ricoh has chosen to use the DNG format. All these are shot in DNG and converted using Adobe Camera Raw. I used some global adjustments and applied the same adjustments to similar images. For the black and white conversions I used a preset that I saved and use all the time.

Very excited about the new camera, and excited to get out and use the camera a little more. I’ll post more photos as I take them.

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.

Kid’s Books: The Cat’s Glasses

Does your cat need glasses? How do you know? Follow one little boy as he tries to find out in The Cat’s Glasses by Quinn Hall

Kid’s Books: Coyote Life by Quinn Hall

Coyote Life is a short, rhyming children’s book about coyotes in the Southwest.

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:

Trenching and Flowers a Juxtapositon

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At work all week. Here’s a video of what it’s like to spend 10 hours watching a trencher trench accompanied by some shots of wildflowers just outside the destruction zone… enjoy.

strayfoto

Thanks for looking. _____________________________________________________________________

Kid’s Books: The Cat’s Glasses

Does your cat need glasses? How do you know? Follow one little boy as he tries to find out in The Cat’s Glasses by Quinn Hall

Kid’s Books: Coyote Life by Quinn Hall

Coyote Life is a short, rhyming children’s book about coyotes in the Southwest.

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:

Cataract Canyon Tour West May 2013

Just got off Cataract Canyon with Jordan, Julie, and a great family from Austin, Tx. Kudos to parents who teach kids not to bring i-things or x-things, or game-things on a river trip! Kudos to young people who enjoy the outdoors and interpersonal communication. It was a fun trip and great experience.

Thanks for looking. _____________________________________________________________________

Kid’s Books: The Cat’s Glasses

Does your cat need glasses? How do you know? Follow one little boy as he tries to find out in The Cat’s Glasses by Quinn Hall

Kid’s Books: Coyote Life by Quinn Hall

Coyote Life is a short, rhyming children’s book about coyotes in the Southwest.

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:

Tin Cans in the Desert

The other week at work it seemed like everywhere we walked we found old cans. Some had been burned by a fire that came through the area a couple years earlier. Shots taken with a Ricoh GRD IV, one of my favorite cameras. Enjoy.

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Kid’s Books: The Cat’s Glasses

Does your cat need glasses? How do you know? Follow one little boy as he tries to find out in The Cat’s Glasses by Quinn Hall

Kid’s Books: Coyote Life by Quinn Hall

Coyote Life is a short, rhyming children’s book about coyotes in the Southwest.

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:

Make Your Own Shoes – Leather Sandals

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Make Your Own Shoes – Leather Sandals

I read sometime you should make your own shoes at least once in your life. I was at artist DeGrazia’s home and gallery in Tuscon recently, and I noticed a photo of the artist wearing some badass sandals (above). I like minimalist shoes, and I like making things out of leather.
Making my own version of leather soled sandals was a no-brainer. I decided to make my own similar to his, but with the addition of a toe strap. Here’s some shots of the process and the finished product.

Tracing my foot on the leather that will be both sole and footbed.

Rounding/smoothing out the tracing.

Flip over the right foot pattern to make an identical left foot sandal.

Trying out different lacing methods.

The sole – I used some old, water-stained leather I had lying around. The knot should flatten out with use.

Pounding the holes for the laces.

I think everyone should try to make their own shoes at some point. Making shoes should be a personal thing or a right of passage or something. It was fun, and I’ve already thought of a few ways to improve this model a little, and I think this is far from the last pair of shoes I’ll make myself.

I’ve written a follow-up to this post where I discuss my homemade DIY leather sandals and how well they work in the real world. And I’ve now made a second pair of do-it-yourself, homemade sandals, and they’re fantastic. My favorite shoes…

Thanks for looking. _____________________________________________________________________

Kid’s Books: The Cat’s Glasses

Does your cat need glasses? How do you know? Follow one little boy as he tries to find out in The Cat’s Glasses by Quinn Hall

Kid’s Books: Coyote Life by Quinn Hall

Coyote Life is a short, rhyming children’s book about coyotes in the Southwest.

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:

Early Spring Motorcycling

Creepy Teddy Bear Junk Pile

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Creepy Teddy Bear Junk Pile

Wandering around the desert the other day, I came across a great pile of junk. I like photographing the old junk people abandon in the desert – but this one was ripe with discarded and decaying teddy bears and stuffed animals. It was sad and creepy. Photos shot using a Ricoh GRD IV with a little post in Adobe Camera Raw. Enjoy.

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Kid’s Books: The Cat’s Glasses

Does your cat need glasses? How do you know? Follow one little boy as he tries to find out in The Cat’s Glasses by Quinn Hall

Kid’s Books: Coyote Life by Quinn Hall

Coyote Life is a short, rhyming children’s book about coyotes in the Southwest.

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:

Long Term Topo Designs Daypack Review

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Topo Designs Daypack Long-term Review

I’ve added a second (much better) video review of the Topo Designs Daypack and it’s it’s up now on my strayfoto Youtube Channel, also embedded here:

Keep reading for the good, old fashioned, text and photo review.

I bought the Topo Designs Daypack in the summer of 2011, and I’ve used it almost every day since. I’ve hiked, run, traveled, and ridden motorcycles with it. It’s carried clothes, water bottles, jackets and the occasional tick with style. Not only is it my current favorite backpack, it’s one of my favorite bags of all time.

The Topo Designs Daypack is sleek, somewhat minimalist, and only medium-sized. The shoulder straps are wide and comfortable but not thickly padded. The back padding too is thin but adequate and comfortable. It’s not bulky at all. The pack itself is big enough to carry everything you think you need, but small enough to make sure you don’t take any more than that.

I’ve owned a ton of backpacks over the years. I’ve owned ones with too many pockets, ones with not enough pockets, and everywhere in between. I’ve owned lots with too many straps. The made in the USA Topo Designs Daypack is the right combination just a few straps and bomber design.

If I have a complaint – I do occasionally wish it came with a provision for carrying a bladder/hydration system. Especially when riding a motorcycle. I’m usually a water bottle type hiker, and don’t mind taking a break to enjoy the scenery, take some photos, and fish some water out of the pack. But with a helmet on, a hydration system and a hose makes a lot of sense. I wouldn’t change anything other than a slot in the top for a hose to pass through. I suppose I could add my own, but like I said, it’s a small complaint.

If you look close you’ll notice I’ve actually posted photos of two different Topo Designs daypacks. The first one I ordered was an early model with steel hardware. I wasn’t happy with how much the shoulder straps slipped while hiking or running. I contacted Topo Designs and they replaced it immediately with a newer model with plastic hardware (I think they all come with plastic hardware now) that slips much less (not at all, really). If you look closely, you’ll notice the replacement pack has an upside-down logo, and we’ve often joked that makes it much more rare and valuable. Either way, it functions well and gets used daily.

When I travel with the backpack, I usually carry my laptop and accessories in the bag, and then use it as a normal rucksack once I get where I’m going and I’m able to leave my computer behind.

I actually own three Topo Designs Bags. In addition to the daypack, I’ve got the Mini-Mountain Bag (which I review HERE) and the duffel, which I like as well. Everything I have from Topo Designs is well-made, well-designed, comfortable to carry and, above all else, functional. I’ve had some people notice the somewhat “retro” look of the bag – I’d argue it’s more classic/functional than retro. Its made to work, and it’s design is simply dictated by its function. It’s not “retro” it’s classic. It’s classic because it works, and it works well.

Below is a short video walkthrough of the backpack. Thanks for looking, and be sure to check out my reviews of the Topo Designs Mini Mountain Bag, and the Topo Designs Field Bag, which I use as a great little camera bag. I’ve also just added a review and video of the Topo Designs Mountain Briefcase as well.

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Kid’s Books: The Cat’s Glasses

Does your cat need glasses? How do you know? Follow one little boy as he tries to find out in The Cat’s Glasses by Quinn Hall

Kid’s Books: Coyote Life by Quinn Hall

Coyote Life is a short, rhyming children’s book about coyotes in the Southwest.

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: