Comparison to previous Ricoh GR products:
GR徹底紹介Â*|Â*リコー公å¼ãƒ–ãƒ*ã‚° GR BLOGÂ*|Â*Ricoh Japan
Sorry.. it's a Japanese blog so the name is bizarre. But the link works.
The Ricoh GR lacks the small window that sat near the top of the GRD IV body, between lens and hand grip. The reason: it concealed Ricoh's unusual Hybrid Autofocus system, which paired a dedicated, external, passive autofocus sensor with contrast detection on the image sensor to yield autofocus that was both swift and accurate. The Ricoh GR lacks that system, relying solely on contrast detection autofocus. The Ricoh GR is no slouch in the AF department, though: We're waiting for production firmware before we put it through the wringer in our lab, but it's clear that its AF is very fast indeed.
Even at base ISO, though, the Ricoh GR's noise reduction is a little heavy-handed, losing essentially all detail in the always-challenging red swatch in our Still Life target with the automatic setting. The lowest NR setting does better, but it's clear that the highly saturated red color is problematic for the GR's noise reduction algorithms.
Also this (grrr....)
In the old GR__ cameras, could snap focus be assigned to the + and - button that is used for exposure compensation in the GR?
Personally, I don't see any reason for this camera, but that's just me. Hobbyists love to throw all sorts of money at gadgets like this, so don't let me stop you.
If I want a small take-everywhere camera, I prefer my iPhone 5, which has colors and tonal range superior to any DSLR or compact digital camera I've ever used at their default settings.
For a serious walk-around digital camera, the Fuji X100s (or a used X100) is a far superior camera because of their real viewfinders, faster lens of a much more useful focal length, and far superior controls. The X100 series' flash is also always ready without needing to pop up, its lens is always ready to shoot without needing to motor in and out, and the Fuji's fill-flash exposure is superior to every other camera I've tested.
Get an X100s; the quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten — or just use your iPhone.
Ricoh GR Review
The snap focus (I'm pretty sure......I watched a lot of videos and read a lot of user impressions already) is assignable. But don't quote me on that. I wonder if there is a manual online somewhere yet.
Was doing a search for more "previews" on the GR, and came across this "review" from Ken Rockwell with recommendations already!
I generally prefer a viewfinder but, if the GR's LCD is bright enough in sunshine, it'll be fine - for me. The upshot: If you want quality and pocketability, the list is a short one and I believe the Ricoh GR is on it.
The GR's "white magic" (their name, not mine) LCD features white pixels in addition to the RGB to make it brighter. Sounds like a clever trick and I look forward to seeing how well it works, because I've never enjoyed using screens outside on sunny days.
Here's a question for our math experts: Which camera theoretically gathers more light - the Ricoh GR with 28mm f/2.8 lens and an APS-C sensor or the micro four-thirds Olympus E-PM2 when it is using a Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 lens? Or is it a wash?
Is that in direct competition with Sony's "black" something ... or whatever is it that Sony calls its LCD technology? Aaargh, brain fart moment.
So, how well does that Sony screen work in the sun.....anyone with opinions?