Ricoh Your thoughts please! New member from New Zealand.

Going to San Fransisco in September this year and want to leave my heavier camera gear at home. I do not want to look like a tourist. What I would like to know from this forum what do you think about aquiring an Ricoh GR camera. Being a fixed 28mm equiv lens would it be OK for cityscapes etc? Would not mind having no viewfinder, can manage that.
Your thoughts on this subject would be appreciated. Thank you.
 
the GR is a great camera to take away with you. I have used it for street work (and a lot of great street shooters admire it) used it for landscape and cityscape (night and day). It is eminently pocketable, shoots raw and jpeg, has numerous interesting settings for b&w such as high contrast and colour isolation.

I will dig out some of my stuff if you like and put in a link.

Oh, and welcome. There is a great community here and you will get a lot of great advice.
 
Thanks for your quick response Petach. It's good getting someone elses point of view. Just thought It could be a bit limited with a 28mm equiv fixed lens. I do quite like the 18mm (28mm) lens anyhow. I don'treally know where to buy this from, but I have had dealings with B&H and Amazon, both have been good. Someone may have another idea about that!
 
I don't think the focal length limits you....as much as it may inspire you. Your natural field of view is fixed and you don't feel limited in your day to day life....do you? The GR is a great camera. The Fuji X100 series are also great fixed focal length choices...and Martin's suggestion of the Sony RX100 is also a good one....the trade-off of a small bit of ultimate IQ for the flexibility of a zoom is a trade-off that most are happy with. Honestly, with the state of cameras these days, they're all more than good enough for vacation photos.
 
I've owned the "other" two 28's (the Coolpix A and the X70; the Leica Q is another beast entirely) and I wouldn't hesitate to take either as a main or only camera to a city like SF. You will see shots that would be better with another FL but that is the price of a light kit.
 
Welcome Neville!
I have travelled fairly extensively with a Fuji X100 for the shots that required the quality of a large sensor / fast lens combination, and a small but good zoom compact for the versatility when the X100's focal length is not ideal. In my case the zoom compact was a Samsung EX1, but if buying now I would probably go for one of the 1" type compacts like RX100, LX10, or G5X... or TZ100 if you dont mind sacrificing some low light quality for a bunch of reach, or fuji X30 for the operational speed of manual zoom).

I could carry both cameras in my small day pack, or in a set of cargo / jacket pockets, and still have a combination of high quality and flexibility.
 
I've had every version of the Fuji x100 series (minus the new F), the RX100 and the GR II. I currently have the GR II and it has been the best trade between IQ and compactness. Don't get me wrong, I much prefer the feel and built of the Fuji stuff, but the GR has allowed me some really lovely photos (even with my lacking skills). The GR also happens to get me the best battery life out of those. I leave it in my bag every day and keep two spare batteries and a USB charger with me. I barely ever tap into using a spare. Personally, I really dig the 28mm myself.
 
Last thing I will add (since I've posted all my pics mostly in the GR photo thread)...

How can you not love the monochrome shots from this thing when mixed with cityscapes?!

27943254905_fc12351ab8_o.jpg
 
I can't think of a better "do it all" compact camera than the Ricoh GRII... :2thumbs:

I'll probably be picking one up in Melbourne in July unless there's a PL 8-18mm sitting in the same shop, singing its siren song to me...



and also, "Baa" means No! :D
 
Back
Top