Ricoh GR, the camera I always come back to By Rikard Landberg

Ricoh GR, the camera I always come back to

By Rikard Landberg

Hi Steve!

I have used film Leicas for some years and I truly loved them. While shooting mostly film I have also tried to find a digital camera, but that was not easy! I bought the Ricoh GR (mark 1) and I loved it, but it broke down on me. I then thought a needed the Leica feeling so I tried the Fuji X100t, and I hated it. Don’t get me wrong, it is a great camera with great image quality and great feeling. But all I could think of while using the X100t was that it was not a Leica!

I sold it and bought the Ricoh GR II. I had the camera for a week before it got stolen. I then managed to find a new Leica M-E (M9) for a really good price. I thought that this was the camera for me, a Leica that was also digital, a perfect match! And the M-E was great! WOW, the image quality! But it’s not like a film Leica, far from it. It’s bulky, loud, bad in low light, the sensor loves dust and so on. I started to use my film Leica more than the M-E so I sold it.

After a while I really started to want a digital camera again, I tested the Leica M240, Fuji X-Pro and a Panasonic GX80 with a Summilux 15/1.7. All great cameras but when the moment came to decide I bought a Ricoh GR II. This time I hope that it wont brake down or get stolen because I love this thing! Here are some photos taken with it.

Please visit my flickr at www.flickr.com/landberg and instagram @Landberg

35 Comments

  1. The Ricoh GR is the greatest pocketable camera ever imho.It vies for top place as the best street shooters camera ever made. I love my GR, a photographers tool.

  2. Thank you for the post. Excellent work! I own the GR as well and just love it. The lens is so sharp and I really like how it renders colors.

  3. Nice to hear about GR, my favorite digital camera. It never broke down on me in all four years I had it. Comparing to Fuji 100 series I can have my GR in inner pocket of my dinner jacket without a bulge. Wide converter , when adding a bulk is of high quality. Filter adapter GH-3 shields the inner of lens barrel from elements. I would love have an articulated LCD in GRIII. If Ricoh came out with a 50mm eq. lens in similar package we would have a superb combo for 90% of my photographic needs.

  4. The best camera I’ve ever owned, the GR may be a fixed 28mm, but it feels so right in the hand, can take some punishment, and is quite adaptable. it’s jpegs are great, it’s black and white, and high contrast B&W are fantastic. The multiple exposure function is great too
    I’ve used it to shoot the night sky, street photography,underwater photography(with case), and as a general all rounder.
    I bought an RX100 to be a possible replacement, with it’s faster lens, and zoom, it should’ve been great, but it was too small, and just did not feel right, so I sold that and stuck with the GR
    IF they ever made a GR with lens range of the RX100, that would be perfect

    • I totally agree. I’ve owned many camera, including many Leica, Nikon, Sony, Fuji, etc. The Ricoh GR is the best pocket camera I’ve ever used with its sharp 28mm lens. The Sigma DP Merrill cameras that I own produce more detail, but are slightly bigger, not pocketable, eat batteries, and are not as versatile in their use. The Ricoh is just so much fun and it produces beautiful, large prints. I can’t wait for an upgrade. I also have the Sony RX100V and the camera has a lot of features, but the lens is nowhere near the Ricoh in sharpness. Plus, jumping down to 1″ sensor size is quite noticeable. The RX100 is nice for quick video, and using the zoom feature. So it is okay to use, but the Ricoh GR produces much better results in stills.

  5. Very interesting and carefully composed images. There is a frivolous contrast of spontaneity and the wow of timing (man against the yellow patch).

    I too like my GR. Like you I think the implementation, quality and usability for a great intersection that is magnetic once you start using it. I often work in bright sunlight (by virtue of where I live) and I miss a viewfinder. I now also use a X-Pro2, but the GR can be so liberating. II just returned from a trip and made a conscious choice to not bring it along. That was a mistake. I have two very nice kits from different manufacturers, but there are times my bond with the GR seems just like guilty excess. It fits a very nice purpose and sometimes more is not better. From a post processing POV, the GR images are very friendly.

    Best Regards,
    Roger

  6. Whaouuuuuu, nice Photographies. I havent try the Ricoh, but who use it, love it ! According to your captures, and after have used the 3 swords, you return on your right one !
    For Film Ricoh was also great GR was the nightmare of Contax T3, and other one …

  7. Very interested in your camera story. I also felt I ought to like my Fuji X100S: it ticked all the right boxes, but we didn’t bond. All those who have one seem to love their GR, and I am fascinated by the composition you get with the 28mm focal length. It’s your combination of focus and spaciousness I find appealing. Since I can do that with what I’ve got (Leica X-V), I’ll just have to follow your example without buying another piece of gear!

  8. I love your photos and I’m also a user and a big big fan of this camera . Have you got any specific settings on the camera you prefer to use for the street photography ?

  9. Hi Rikard (and Steve). All I can say is “Ditto”. My GR is still hands-down my favourite camera, and not just for the really good image quality and lens, but just the superb overall implementation of the hardware and software/menu’s. I’ve owned Nikons (4) and Canons (4: I still own one) and even the odd Fujifilm, but I reckon the only other camera I’d look at at-the-moment may be the Pentax K1 (same company & philosophy). Anyway, happy to read about a fellow GR fan (and we are legion!). 99.5% of the images on my blog are GR (processed DNG’s).

  10. I love the photos and I also am a big fan of this camera . Just out of interest are there any preferences to the settings you prefer to use i.e Aperture priority, shutter priority or just Auto

  11. It’s an amazing camera and I have been tempted. So tempted. Thanks for your post and these wonderful images.

  12. ricoh gr is the best camera i’ve ever owned, i credit it with getting me back into photography

  13. My favourite shot of yours with this camera is the one of the pine tree in the snow. (If anyone hasn’t seen it, go to Flickr.) I also like the one of the woman in what seems to be a train.

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