Author: | | Junior Member Registered: January, 2015 Posts: 26 | Review Date: November 5, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: N/A |
Pros: | Image quality, pocketability, handling for a compact | Cons: | handling for a dslr, no viewfinder | | Stating the obvious, this camera is never going to have the handling of a Pentax DSLR, but working within its limitations, the quality of the images is literally stunning. I'm a FF/fixed focal length lens guy so my standards are high - that's my reference point for 'stunning.'
It's effectively a k5ii with a high quality (think ltd quality) 28mm fov lens and you can pick up a good 'low mileage' one for less than you'd pick up a high quality af 28mm lens.
OOC jpegs are stunning. RAW files are showing their age compared to the latest sensors but we're still talking k5ii quality here.
AF struggles in low light but it's fine for daylight use. Yes, noise is an issue as ISOs rise but I'll happily trade some noise for this quality of ooc sharpness and rendering.
Once you get used to the UI you can get to most of the functions you will use regularly pretty quickly, plus the three custom modes mead you can set it up as you like it.
IBIS and a more modern sensor would be nice but the built in flash is worth having, and at the point this one dies I hope to be able to pick up a GRIII for similar money.
For casual 'point and shoot' use at a bargain price now, a used GR will put a big smile on your face and reward you with some fantastic images, which ultimately is why we buy cameras.
Highly recommended.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: May, 2010 Location: Poland -> Kraków Posts: 199 | Review Date: November 1, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | Pocet friendly APSC DSLR image quality, leaf shutter | Cons: | only one wheel | | background:
I have K5 and I have about 10 lenses (AF and MF) and had about 10 more.
I have been looking for compact camera that will have small size and look simple but that give best quality.
Why? for traveling in places where its better to have DSLR hidden.
Review after 1 week of use:
Form factor:
all look very simple but it feel proper in hands. grip is ok for me as I mostly take photos by two hands.
Pros: it is real pocket camera. simple black beauty.
Cons. front ring covering the adaptor connector is wobbling
Main sensor: best in class from K5II - I've started to thinking to change K5.
Lens: it is real super limited lens.
Exposure: Multi Exposure is working much more neutral than K5. I make similar photo by K5 with 18-35@ 18/2.8 and GR and got overexposed picture from K5.
AF: work uneven. I have to learn all his pros and cons.
Pros: can be set in street mode +2m and snap.
Cons: i have no idea how to turn off green light.
Work sluggish in low light. where sensor can make good photo AF say goodbye.
Menu: still learning.
Leaf shutter: leaf shutter -> No vibration -> 1/15 hand-held could be sharp.
No SR so mostly 1/40 is minimum.
As every choice you have to know trade offs.
GR is limited to its lens.
but Lens and sensor is so great that in its area nothing (besides nikon A) could beat Ricoh. there are other option but all of them are bigger, have poorer image quality, but mostly are much pricer.
Pros: have great bokeh!
Pros/Cons: as every pentax need to use DNG and proper lightroom to get descent result
more photos: http://www.krochmal.eu/Architecture/2015-Autumn-in-Krakow | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: October, 2009 Posts: 137 | Review Date: August 23, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | light, IQ. sharp, rich functionality | Cons: | | | this is a very fine camera and perfect companion with the K3
I also bought the GW3 and adaptor (hood; adapter; 21mm)
the menu works very intuitive and can be configured as you wish
with special buttons for MF, 21-28-35-47(mm FF), JPEG/RAW etc
the lens is very sharp and the sensor is APS-C, K5 like
perfect for snapshots and street photography
some examples with the 18mm
and this one with the 14mm (21mm FF) that works very well | | | | Inactive Account Registered: April, 2015 Posts: 9 | Review Date: May 22, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $540.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | IQ, Pocket size, Build Quality | Cons: | No wifi | | Let's see the pictures. | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: January, 2011 Location: New York Posts: 4,833 | Review Date: December 9, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $529.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Size; interface; image quality; snap focus | Cons: | Battery life; no zoom; extending lens | | This review is based on 3 weeks owning the GR. To summarize my thoughts, the GR is roughly equivalent to a K-5iis with an 18mm f2.8 lens, shrunken down to pocket size. It's ideal for street photography in dim lighting and works well as a 2nd body paired with a DSLR.
The GR does everything I expected, and does it well. The negatives are minor. Short battery life is expected given the compact size. A zoom would require a change to smaller sensor, sacrifice sharpness, or create a larger camera. The extending lens is a reliability concern.
Size: This was a critical deciding point. I needed something small enough to carry everywhere for photo ops that randomly pop up during my commute, lunch, etc. The GR is slightly wider than the Sony RX100 and Canon G7X. I like that because I can still hold the camera when shifting my right thumb and index finger to work controls. The GR is easy to use one handed yet still small enough to fit into a pocket. Interface: The GR's interface is well designed. 2 control dials for M and TAv mode. Buttons Fn1, Fn2, Disp, and Effects are customizable. The exposure compensation buttons are a little easy to press by mistake but that seems to happen with most small cameras. Performance: Autofocus is reasonably fast in low light after updating to the latest firmware. Snap focus is instant. TAv and snap focus are a great combination for street photography; set shutter speed to stop motion, snap focus distance at the expected distance of subjects; and aperture to get a reasonable depth of field. Image Quality: The fixed lens is very sharp and rivals the K-mount Limited lenses. The sensor gives good color up to around ISO 3200, beyond that I convert to B&W and have keepers at ISO 18000. More practice processing the raw DNG files will probably let me get better color past 3200. Battery: All small camera have fairly short battery life compare to a DSLR. I extended the battery by configuring the Display button to toggle the display completely off. 28mm equivalent (18mm APS-C) is wide enough to allow shooting many subjects without composing, aka shooting from the hip.
| | | | Senior Member Registered: January, 2010 Location: Gothenburg, aka Göteborg Posts: 233 | Review Date: November 23, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $800.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | Minute DX (aka APS-C) camera, with excellent features! | Cons: | No charger, and could use a bigger battery! | | This camera, with a K Mount, is what the K-01 should have been!
As it is, it is a fixed lens DX wonder, small enough to carry around in your pocket.
Like the K-01 it lacks an electronic viewfinder, and the optical ones, Ricoh's own and others, there are on the market, are surprisingly expensive!
Other than that, this camera was love from day one, replacing my D600 with the Sigma 35/1.4 Art. Not quite as good IQ-wise — just marginally worse, but weighing roughly a tenth of that camera/lens combination!
This will be my everyday camera, possibly complemented with a Nikon 1 camera with a micro-Nikkor 40 on!
The image quality is amazing, and the display is the nicest i've seen, not to mention the excellent menu system!
| | | | New Member Registered: August, 2013 Posts: 17 | Review Date: August 31, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Compact, Excellent image quality | Cons: | focal length | | This is a must have camera. Compact, excellent image quality. Built quality and feel is superb. Only I wish it should have 24 or 28mm lens as default.
Ideal for street photography and traveling.
| | | | New Member Registered: October, 2010 Location: Mesa Arizona Posts: 5 | Review Date: March 24, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $695.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | Small,great lens,build quality,view finder available, great files up to 1600 iso | Cons: | No Zoom,Metering system sometimes way off in lower light | | Best Point and Shoot EVER!!! I have been shooting with this camera for about 1 week and wow am I impressed. The White Balance is near perfect and once you get used to the wide angle only lens it is a fun camera to shoot. I do highly recommend the optional optical viewfinder for times when lcd viewing is not optimal. The files on the camera are beautiful and it is an absolute joy to shoot. the Ricoh GR bests the Nikon with its build quality and color rendering and is yards better than the Sony RX100 in any version. As I was taking photos during the family trip to Disney Land I could not help smiling as I kept telling myself... "Jeez... this little camera is amazing... I can't believe I only paid $700 bucks for this thing". The more you shoot this camera the more you will like it! No ... LOVE IT! | | | | Inactive Account Registered: April, 2010 Posts: 6 | Review Date: October 14, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $800.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Sharp lens, amazing dynamic range and detailed shots | Cons: | Struggles to focus in low light, flash mis-times on occasion. | | I love the shots you can capture with this camera and you will capture many. It fits into your pocket easily and is ready to take a picture within one second. You get used to having the fixed lens but love the quick crop feature with the new 47mm added with the latest firmware update.
It is also amazing the detail in each shot that you can bring back in lightroom if you under-expose, this sensor captures it all.
And it is super tough, I dropped it unto a packed dancefloor and it skidded across and landed in a pool of beer. The lens was jammed out, I reset it by taking out the battery and it powered on as normal again. Perfect!
My favourite pocket camera to date and looks like I'll be using it for a long time. GR love!
Here is my latest GR shot | | | | Inactive Account Registered: May, 2009 Location: Coral Springs, Florida Posts: 88 | Review Date: October 14, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $799.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | compact, sharp!!! lens, quick focus, customizable controls | Cons: | no stabilization, no zoom | | First trip with camera was visiting my son in Alexandria Virginia. Camera fits in pocket but I bought Lowepro Dublin 30 from Adorama which is a perfect fit to wear on my belt. I carried it everywhere. Took great photos fro Loray caverns (caves with low light) to Great falls park where I created a great panorama, have a 12" X 36" version on my den wall. I highly recommend the Ricoh GR.
| | | | Veteran Member Registered: March, 2009 Location: Lithuania Posts: 1,203 | Review Date: September 14, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $750.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | pocketable, sharp lens, sharp raw files, ideal for street photography | Cons: | Photo review mode zoom, bad menu translation in Russian | | I have GR les than five day, and I love. Build is solid, it feels like I can hammer nails with it. Files come out sharp. AF is good and fast in normal lighting and band in low light and macro but it's really not a big problem.
I think in camera battery charging is better suited for people like me who likes to pack light.
Now for the cons; shot review is awful. You cannot cheek are you shot in focus or not. I hope this will be address in firmware update.
Translation in Russian is bad compared to other Pentax cameras, it took me an hour and several switching back to English to find certain settings and understanding how to use manual focus.
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