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Ricoh GR - why isn't it more popular?

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Zvonimir Tosic said:
cmscss said:
This is going to seem like a strange 'waste of space' post as it's simply a love-fest. But after owning many compacts and mirrorless cameras I'm surprised the GR isn't more popular.

It's simply the greatest compact on earth - totally usable 3200 ISO, an amazing lens, fantastic customisation and a great user interface which is made even more amazing by the fact that almost every other camera interface out there is a frustrating mess.

The only thing I'd change would be to replace the accessory mount around the lens with another customisable wheel - but I have no interest in the lens adapters.

Anyway, it's price/performance/size just can't be beaten!
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You need to understand that it is not about the camera body specs. Those are excuses.

The reason is about frame of its lens — of mind, of culture, of photography tradition.

28mm lens which GR has, means nothing particular in the history of world's photography — it is just one small chapter.

But 35mm means everything. It is the beginning and the end of every serious photography book.

Both Ricoh and Pentax have a talent to completely miss the mark when to comes to such obvious things; neither have a current 35mm equivalent lens for a system camera or a 35mm fixed lens digital camera. And, lo, neither are very popular brands, be it compacts or DSLRs.

A coincidence?
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cmscss said:
This is going to seem like a strange 'waste of space' post as it's simply a love-fest. But after owning many compacts and mirrorless cameras I'm surprised the GR isn't more popular.

It's simply the greatest compact on earth - totally usable 3200 ISO, an amazing lens, fantastic customisation and a great user interface which is made even more amazing by the fact that almost every other camera interface out there is a frustrating mess.

The only thing I'd change would be to replace the accessory mount around the lens with another customisable wheel - but I have no interest in the lens adapters.

Anyway, it's price/performance/size just can't be beaten!
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The GR was never intended to be "popular" in the way that a Canon or Nikon entry level DSLR is designed to be popular. The GR is a passion product, born from a photographic legacy. The GR is designed as an expression of an idea.

The reason for this is because Ricoh has never been a camera only company. Cameras represent a minuscule percentage of the work product. Photography has always been passion to Ricoh, and free of the influence of financial constraints.
 
Ray Sachs said:
But I just can't fathom the level of personal identification some folks take on with their particular product choices.
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Attachment.
Ray Sachs said:
I've spent a good deal of time on Fuji forums and there are plenty of folks on those who are quite sure that God his-ownself has gone and taken up residence in the collective body of the XT1.
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Ego.
Ray Sachs said:
And even when I had one and liked it a lot, I had trouble spotting a diety in there or condemning those who preferred other stuff. Same on the Nikon FX forum now, although the warfare there tends to be more civil - not civil in terms of nice or polite, but between different models of Nikon FX DSLRs,
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so true, as Df owner, I know! :-)
Ray Sachs said:
rather than directed outwardly at other brands! Which I find even less fathomable!
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why less fathomable? It's basic human history to create conflicts no matter where :-|
 
It could be that the Ricoh GR camera doesn't look sexy enough like say a NIKON A.One look and I suspect people think there can't be much more beneath the surface.

Quite obviously there lies a tiger underneath that very mild mannered Ricoh shell.

I have been debating whether or not to buy the Ricoh GR or one of the SIGMA DP2? cameras. I'm not sure I have the patience for the SIGMAs.
 
ShutterNot said:
I.

I have been debating whether or not to buy the Ricoh GR or one of the SIGMA DP2? cameras. I'm not sure I have the patience for the SIGMAs.
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Stills is pretty much all I do.

The slow ISO on the SIGMA obviously poses one limitation. I also keep hearing about the post processing for SIGMA being overly time consuming. That scares me a bit. I'm not a big fan of a lot of post processing to achieve the right colors. I do love the foveon images I have seen so far - pretty amazing.

The Ricoh on the other hand seems a lot more straightforward and a perfect small sized camera that is capable of capturing good images.
 
ShutterNot said:
It could be that the Ricoh GR camera doesn't look sexy enough like say a NIKON A.One look and I suspect people think there can't be much more beneath the surface.
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You think the Nikon A is a sexy camera? Really? I had to choose between the two, shot with both extensively, and I don't think either are anything to look at.
ShutterNot said:
Quite obviously there lies a tiger underneath that very mild mannered Ricoh shell.
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As well as the Nikon A shell, whether you find it sexy or pedestrian...
ShutterNot said:
I have been debating whether or not to buy the Ricoh GR or one of the SIGMA DP2? cameras. I'm not sure I have the patience for the SIGMAs.
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You seem to have a pretty good understanding of the tradeoffs associated with the Sigmas. They're absolutely amazing cameras, but they're not versatile or quick. I absolutely love them but would never have one as a primary camera. But as a specialty camera, they don't get any better...

-Ray
--------------------------------------
We judge photographers by the photographs we see. We judge cameras by the photographs we miss - Haim Zamir
www.flickr.com

Ray

Explore Ray’s 2,013 photos on Flickr!
www.flickr.com www.flickr.com
 
It is a tough choice when it comes to choosing either the NIKON A or the RICOH GR. Looks are a matter of taste. Perfermance of those two cameras is very similar with each having their positives and negatives. I think the Ricoh is slightly sharper.

I am looking to replace my Panasonic LX3 with something that will fit in the same case as the Panasonic LX3. Size wise it is ideal for me. I really didn't use the LX3 zoom feature, so I don't need a zoom. The Sigma series is too big for the LX3 case, not to mention all the other issues with Sigma.

To get genuine image quality improvements I need something like the Nikon or Ricoh. Not too small, but small enough.
 
Performance too (man - spell right will ya)
 
ShutterNot said:
It is a tough choice when it comes to choosing either the NIKON A or the RICOH GR. Looks are a matter of taste. Perfermance of those two cameras is very similar with each having their positives and negatives. I think the Ricoh is slightly sharper.
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Frankly there are not many reviews out there who favor the Nikon A, unless the buyer is already a Nikon shooter

While size and image quality are comparable , the GR has a LOT of advantages over the Nikon A :

Sharper lens ( especially wide open and in the corners)

Much Better user interface

snap focus mode ideal for street photography

option of a 21mm lens

DNG raw

Neutral density filter

One could argue that the Nikon A has a better video mode but none of them are great for video ( the GR is not even trying)

Harold
 
ShutterNot said:
It is a tough choice when it comes to choosing either the NIKON A or the RICOH GR. Looks are a matter of taste. Perfermance of those two cameras is very similar with each having their positives and negatives. I think the Ricoh is slightly sharper.

I am looking to replace my Panasonic LX3 with something that will fit in the same case as the Panasonic LX3. Size wise it is ideal for me. I really didn't use the LX3 zoom feature, so I don't need a zoom. The Sigma series is too big for the LX3 case, not to mention all the other issues with Sigma.

To get genuine image quality improvements I need something like the Nikon or Ricoh. Not too small, but small enough.
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It's not my only camera, but size IS important when I go walking. I don't like the bulk of anything bigger and too small isn't any good either. The case is one very easy obvious criteria. The fact that I am considering the Ricoh GR or the NIKON A should speak for itself.
 
ShutterNot said:
It's not my only camera, but size IS important when I go walking. I don't like the bulk of anything bigger and too small isn't any good either. The case is one very easy obvious criteria. The fact that I am considering the Ricoh GR or the NIKON A should speak for itself.

--
ShutterNot :)
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Both great cameras no doubt. I too like small but not too small cameras. Good luck with whicher u get. -- If i am typing on my iPad, please excuse any typos. Flickr page. https://www.flickr.com/photos/84089808@N06/
 
Ha ha .... fortunately a camera is easier to figure out :)
 
cmscss said:
This is going to seem like a strange 'waste of space' post as it's simply a love-fest. But after owning many compacts and mirrorless cameras I'm surprised the GR isn't more popular.
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So am I but as I already have it, not too concerned about its popularity. Lots of excellent competition around.
cmscss said:
It's simply the greatest compact on earth - totally usable 3200 ISO, an amazing lens, fantastic customisation and a great user interface which is made even more amazing by the fact that almost every other camera interface out there is a frustrating mess.
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You're going overboard here. It certainly IS a wonderful compact but "greatest on earth" probably means different things to different people so, probably not.
cmscss said:
The only thing I'd change would be to replace the accessory mount around the lens with another customisable wheel - but I have no interest in the lens adapters.
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I use the lens adapter in order to ruggedize the GR in wind/dust/spray conditions as well as using a Big Stopper on it (excellent for long exposures as it can go up to an exposure of 300 seconds in M).
cmscss said:
Anyway, it's price/performance/size just can't be beaten!
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Beaten? Possibly not. Equalled? Probably or certainly.

The issue with the GR is that it is a niche camera - no (ultra)zoom, large sensor, no OVF or EVF, no exchangeable optics. It just performs flawlessly in street shooting, B&W or, like I use it, as a lightweight fully capable second body with a 28mm/f2.8 wide-angle when I'm shooting the K-5 IIs with the DA*50-135mm/f2.8

It does not have to be an extremely popular camera, just a extremely capable one from where I'm sitting. If this was a popularity contest, we'd all be shooting a Canon or Nikon (nothing to sneeze at either) and we would all have exactly the same hardware capability with nothing to actually choose from.

If I would have wanted to be into "popular" gear, I would not be shooting Pentax and Ricoh, running a Linux OS and open source raw conversion and editing software.

Does a camera have to be "popular"? Who actually cares, it is only a brand and brands mean absolutely nothing in today's world. I'd get a squibbledygrock DSLR in half a breath if it delivered what I need/want.
 
You don't consider the APS-C CMOS a large sensor ?

Relatively speaking it actually is.
 
newmikey said:
I'd get a squibbledygrock DSLR in half a breath if it delivered what I need/want.
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DAMN! I'd heard rumors but this is the first place I've seen them actually talked about. Do you know who's got them in stock? I'm gonna order one right away before the all get spoken for.

- A.

:)
 
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