This is a title that hooks and that will make me multiply by 10 my number of views on this article! Rest assured, loyal readers, it will not rise very high given the confidentiality in which my Blog is … There is no point in the time spent writing all these articles. I use it a lot to keep track of my evolution as a street photographer. For 5 years now, my style has evolved a lot. What hasn’t changed much though, is the camera I use to document the streets here and elsewhere. After getting started with the Fuji XE2 | 18mm f2, I quickly switched to the Ricoh GRD4. Even though in the meantime I have also used the Ricoh GR, I can say that it is mainly the Ricoh GRD4 that I have used for more than 5 years. Continue reading Fuji XF10 the GR killer ?→
I have the impression of reliving what I have already experienced in Aix-en-Provence. Something like déja vu … I started to see boredom coming last month. When you find it hard to motivate yourself to go out and take pictures because your eyes can’t see anything anymore and you feel that the streets are boring to death and you only have one desire, to escape, to go elsewhere because that it is well known: the grass is greener elsewhere. I had already experienced this in Aix-en-Provence when I started Street Photography. I went regularly to Marseille, the big city next door, for a little exoticism and rediscover the pleasure of taking photos. Continue reading Overcome boredom→
I was offered a Ricoh GR3 in October of last year. Since then I had hardly used it. It spent more than 2 months in after-sales service because of an overheating problem. Pentax had changed the optical unit without giving more details. What is funny is that I had sent a Ricoh GRD4 some time ago and there too, the optical unit had been changed … Is this the magic repair of Pentax ? The Ricoh GR3 slept peacefully in its box. I was using the Ricoh GR and I didn’t see the point of changing cameras as it did the job very well. I nevertheless wanted to test this Ricoh GR3 to find out how good this camera was. So I shot exclusively with the GR3 for 4 weeks. The problem is that at the end of these 4 weeks, I went on vacation with two cameras: the GR3 and the GRD4. From the first day, I did not hesitate and I took the Ricoh GRD4 to take my photos. It’s not a very good sign when a camera released in 2011 has my preference … It’s true that I love it, but it’s not to say that I’m shooting with a retro camera ! This is simply because this camera is better for what I use it for. I do not do landscape, architecture. I exclusively do Street Photography in addition to documenting the life of my family. Undeniably for these two practices, the Ricoh GRD4 outclasses the Ricoh GR3. Let’s get straight to the heart of the matter and I’ll tell you about the Pros and Cons of the Ricoh GR3. It is not a test like you are used to seeing.
During my first years of blogging, I wrote a lot about the Ricoh GRD4. A little normal, I used this camera for almost three years continuously. Since then I switched to the Ricoh GR which is the camera that I now use on the street. But I have the impression that my blog is still associated with the Ricoh GRD4. Many people end up on my site after having researched on google for infos concerning Ricoh GRD4. These are 2 or 3 year old blogposts. Recently a person called me on YouTube asking me if it was relevant to buy a Ricoh GRD4 today and what about color photography with this camera? Continue reading Ricoh GRD4 and color→
This photo is fairly representative of my state of mind at the moment. Between the Ricoh GR and me, it is to take the head between the hands … OK, the reason why my father and my father-in-law have this attitude has nothing to do with Ricoh. They were just protecting their ears because we were shooting firecrackers for the Lunar New Year of the Metal Rat. Imagine that this photo is one of the last ten taken with the Ricoh GR. In the morning, the camera will gently die. For some time I had concerns we will say minor with the GR: several dust spots on the sensor, AF that messes around (I had to reboot the camera for it to work correctly) and also from time to time some files corrupted during taking pictures … I was dealing with these little problems because I had nothing else apart from my Ricoh GRD4. I had explained to you that I no longer used the GRD4 because after spending enough time with the GR, I found the GRD4 too slow in the streets. Continue reading Ricoh GR : The curse (again …)→
Recently I had a comment on a YouTube video of someone telling me that my Blogs on the Ricoh GRD 4 made him want to buy one. It surprised me a bit because as I said before, I basically write for myself. This Blog is a personal diary of my photographic journey. I almost started it at the same time that I discovered Street Photography in 2016. I’m always amazed by the reach that some of my articles can have.
I spent 3 weeks on vacation in Reunion Island to shoot exclusively with the Ricoh GR. But as soon as we got back to Jouques, I had put the GR away and had pulled out my old GRD 4 for my work in the street. It took big problems with my GRD 4 for me to dust off my GR. Basically, the GR was a backup camera in case of glitch with my GRD 4. It must be said that the GRD 4 was my only camera for 2 years. I only bought a second hand GR just recently. While in Bristol, I had recovered a brand new GRD 4, but I still wanted to use the GR there. Why ? It was the opportunity for me to actually test this camera in the street. I had used it 3 weeks in Reunion, but it was for the holidays. It was in Bristol that I began to realize the potential of the Ricoh GR.
Let’s talk about annoying things right away. Some will say that I drool, but the GR is really lame in low light. The auto focus is really bad when the light is lacking. It changes me from the GRD 4 which excels with its hybrid AF. Beyond ISO 6400, the files are really awfull in color but still remain exploitable in B&W. In general, the rise in ISO is not great on the Ricoh GR … Beside that, the GRD 4 is much better with its small sensor. In narrow streets with little light, keeping the same depth of field and the same speed, I am at ISO 400 max while the GR easily climbs to ISO 1600 or 3200. It is 2 to 3 Diaph difference.
Since my return from Bristol, my opinion on the GR has changed. I know his weaknesses, but I also know his strengths. Compared to GRD 4, the buffer is incredible. No need to wait 2 seconds between two shots. But what changes especially is the APS-C sensor. I’m losing depth of field, but I’m gaining dynamic ! Normal tell me, I go from a small sensor 1 /1.7 “to an APS-C sensor. Why does that change the game ? With the GRD 4, I have to pay close attention to light conditions because the dynamics of the camera is not great. It’s hard to recover things in the highlights and save information in the dark … The GR on its side has a better dynamic range and allows me to pay less attention to the light conditions in the street. I do not change my settings when I go from shadow to light. What I was doing constantly with my GRD 4. Casually, getting rid of it allows me to focus more on what is happening in the street.
It’s been over a month now that I only use the GR in the street. I learned to cope with its lower depth of field. When we get used to not worry about this element, it’s quite disturbing to see that some elements in the photo are not in focus. I have to be careful about the focus. Which I absolutely did not do with the GRD 4 which was for me a Point & Shoot ! The GR demands more discipline on that side. To get rid of it, I would have to shoot at f16, but in this case the ISO would go up inexorably … My settings on the GR are quite basic: f8 | 1/500s. If the ISOs rise too much, depending on the situation, I degrade the aperture, the speed or both !
The GR has become over the weeks my only one camera for my work in the street. I was scalded by my misadventures with my GRD 4. The pinnacle was reached when I had problems on my two GRD 4 in Paris. Like an idiot, I did not want to take my Fuji XE2 with me during this trip. The GRD 4 was released in 2011. Even though Pentax still provides the Ricoh GRD 4’s service, the parts are starting to run out and it’s not at Leica’s level. These cameras are not made to last. I’m at my 4th Ricoh GRD 4 in not even three years. I know that the GR is not free of defects too (dust on the sensor …). But the small difference is that there are plenty on the market opportunity in case of problems.
I know that my work is very much related to the Ricoh GRD 4. I think that many people have discovered my Blog through my articles on this device. Michael Ernest Sweet told me at the time that this Ricoh GRD 4 was a Street Legend. Just that. I totally agree with him. No other camera will allow me to photograph so close people in the street, no other camera will offer me this crazy depth of field … But there is also the rendering of photos with this CCD sensor ! It’s organic and really beautiful. Besides, the GR has a very digital renderfing. Even by working on the RAW files, I can not get the quality of Ricoh GRD 4.
By switching to the Ricoh GR, I know that some will not understand. I am one of the apostles of the Ricoh GRD 4 … I have always boasted the superiority of the GRD 4 ! So what, I return my jacket ? I’ll be honest on that. The GRD 4 is really good, but the GR allows me to worry less about my settings in the street. I also wanted to stop this Ricoh GRD 4 addiction. These cameras even if we continue to find them on eBay, are increasingly rare. And buying them secondhand carries risks. My last two GRD 4 had besides had problems shortly after their purchase … I know that the GR can also have problems, but by switching, I have the embarrassment of the choice with the GR, the GR 2 and even the brand new GR 3 (all APS-C Sensors) !
That’s why I stop using GRD 4 for my work on the street. Well not completely, but it’s not my main camera anymore. During the last two weeks, I still wanted to shoot with the GRD 4. After several weeks spent with the GR, I found myself clumsy in the street, spending a lot of time modifying my aperture or my ISO according to the available light. There are also situations where I regretted the GR. These outputs have confirmed my choice to move on the APS-C sensor. I have always considered the camera as a tool that serves my vision. The GR is the device I need on the street today.
I have grouped you in a slideshow, a collection of photos taken in the last two weeks with the Ricoh GRD 4. Kind of Tribute to this camera that had accompanied me this last two years in the streets of Aix-en-Provence. All photos were taken with the Ricoh GRD 4.
Oui je sais, ce genre d’article a maintes fois été écrit, mais je vais à mon tour donner mon avis là dessus. Récemment j’ai participé à une petite discussion sur un forum concernant la future sortie du Ricoh GR III qui approche à grand pas (fin mars). Une des personnes a dit quelque chose qui m’a fait bondir :
En ce qui concerne ce genre d’appareil, notez tout de même que toutes les images réalisées sont généralement semblables car ce genre d’appareil ne laisse pas beaucoup de marges de manœuvre. J’ai rarement vu un vrai style se dégager entre les photographes qui utilisent ce genre d’outil. C’est souvent la même chose, c’est plutôt anecdotique.
Ça y est, j’ai fait ma première vraie sortie avec le Ricoh GR dans Aix-en-Provence ! Je vous invite à aller lire la Partie 1 de ce Blog que j’ai rédigé il y a quelques semaines. J’ai mes petites habitudes et je n’aime pas vraiment en changer. Je dois vieillir, ça doit être ça … Mon Ricoh GRD IV étant inutilisable, je suis obligé d’utiliser le Ricoh GR que j’avais acheté en novembre dernier. Pour tout vous dire, je l’avais mis en vente mon car je ne comptais pas l’utiliser. Il m’avait quand même coûté 315€ et j’avais dû débourser en plus 120€ pour le nettoyage de capteur ! Je voulais le vendre car je trouvais bête d’avoir un appareil à la maison et de ne pas l’utiliser. Quand je devais sortir, la question ne se posait pas. C’était le Ricoh GRD IV qui finissait dans la poche de ma veste. Continue reading Ricoh GR : Is it worth it ? (Part 2)→
Je ne comptais pas écrire un article aussi vite, mais entrons directement dans le vif du sujet. Mon Ricoh GRD IV est quasi inutilisable. Oui, il s’agit bien de l’appareil que j’ai récemment acheté sur Ebay (novembre 2018) pour remplacer un ancien Ricoh GRD IV lui aussi défaillant … Deux mois d’utilisation c’est court et j’ai un peu les boules car même si je ne l’ai pas payée cher, c’était quand même 350€ ! Que se passe t’il exactement ? Je ne sais pas vraiment. Du jour au lendemain, j’ai commencé à avoir une bande noire en bas de mes photos et je me suis aussi rendu compte que pas mal de mes photos n’étaient pas nettes pour certaines et carrément floues pour les autres … Continue reading RIP my Dear Ricoh GRD IV …→
J’ai eu le plaisir de retrouver la rue avec l’appareil photo avec lequel tout avait commencé pour moi en 2016. Ça ne fait pas si longtemps que ça, mais ça me semble une éternité. Au final, je n’aurai photographié avec le Fuji XE2 que 6 mois avant de switcher presque complètement pour le Ricoh GRD IV. Néanmoins j’utilisais sporadiquement le Fuji quand je savais que j’allais avoir à faire à des conditions de lumière assez compliquées. Le Fuji XE2 est sorti en 2013. 5 ans dans le monde de la photo c’est énorme ! D’ailleurs nous avons eu entre temps un XE2s ainsi que le nouveau modèle , le XE3. Alors quoi ? Le XE2 obsolète ?
