Forum Member Registered: April, 2018 Location: Detroit, MI Posts: 66 | Review Date: April 7, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $550.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Superb Image Quality, Highly Portable, Highly Customizable, Responsive & Snappy Operation | Cons: | Expensive Accessories, Fixed Focal Length, Clumsy Wi-fi Implentation, Weak Video | | I purchased this camera as an upgrade to an older Point and Shoot. I wanted something that was going to be on me through my day to day. However, image quality was also very important. I wasn't sure if a wide angle prime compact was the way to go but I was really drawn to the larger sensor of this camera and the sample photos I saw from this camera. After months of debating it, I pulled the trigger. I'm so glad I did. This camera is pretty niche but if it fits your needs or you can adjust to it, it's a great camera. The photo quality from this camera is phenomenal.
Build & Handling: (8) The first thing I noticed upon unboxing this camera was its build. It has a magnesium alloy body that makes it feel tough yet light. It feels completely different from most other compacts. You can tell that careful consideration was put into the layout of this camera. It allows a deep amount of customizing and it has plenty of buttons for you to map things your way. Admittedly, if you have large hands like I do, it will take a little adjusting. Manual Focus is doable but still always kind of awkward for me. That part is a bummer since I use MF quite a bit.
Feature Set: (7)This camera comes with a healthy amount of options but heavily lacks in some important areas. Thus, I could not give it more than a 7 here. It can configured in a number of ways, it has many types of focus and makes zone focusing really easy (a big plus for street photographers). It has a built in ND filter (its minor but it helps), it has in camera crop modes, a good amount of effects/filters, and more. Heck, you can decide whether you want the green LED light on the Power Button to be illuminated or not. It takes a bit of a hit in this score due to the lack of an in camera Viewfinder, and the fact that it is a fixed focal length camera. If you're after video, then don't both with this camera. That's by far, its weakest point. This for the stills photographer, more or so less.
Image Quality: (10) This is easily the strongest area of this camera. The photos this camera takes are SHARP. Even at f/2.8. I typically keep my Aperture at f/4.0 to f/5.6 if I can for best results. DxoMark gives this camera's sensor an 80. That's a good score and a great one for a compact. The APS-C sensor makes a difference. It also helps its case in low light situations. I have shot many concerts and night time city adventures with this camera. It handles low light quite well. ISO up to 3200 is pretty good. I never take it past there though. Color rendition and contrast is good as well. Overall, this camera's image quality is perhaps the main reason, you might want it. It's not the only APS-C sensor compact but it's definitely the cheapest.
Autofocus: (8) Overall, Auto Focus is really snappy. As long as it has decent light, it very responsive. It doesn't handle low light that well. It's inconsistent and tends to hunt a lot of the time. This is a little disappointing since it has a relatively bright, max aperture. But in 80% of cases, it does well. But I use Snap and Manual Focus a lot anyway.
Value: (9): Make no mistake, its a niche compact. It doesn't have a lot of direct competition. Most people would probably prefer a zoom lens with a 1 inch sensor and that will suit them just fine. But for those who are after a truly pocket size camera and image quality is a top priority, you'll get your money's worth.
Overall Score: (9): It's a cult favorite of street photographers and is known to be a bit niche. This isn't for everyone. But for those who this is for, I think it's a superb camera. It has some annoying and obvious quirks like a dated sensor, poor video abilities, and fixed focal length. But it's not trying to be a Sony Rx100 or the like. It's really focusing on just a few specific aspects. But it kills it in those regards. Do your research first before buying it. If you still think you would benefit from this camera, I highly recommend it. This camera is with me every single day.
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Junior Member Registered: June, 2010 Posts: 47 | Review Date: July 25, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 9 |
| I was tired of lugging my DSLR when mtn biking or doing long hikes, and I wanted something compact and light that wont break the bank. This definitely fit the bill. I was able to take it out both biking and hiking this past weekend and was extremely pleased with the results. I recommend purchasing a mini-tripod to get some great slow-shutter shots for landscapes.
Cons:
18mm APS-C Fixed focal length lens (may be a con for some, but the simplification can definitely be beneficial)
Optional wired shutter release vs option for IR remote shutter release
Must buy battery charger separately if you don’t want to charge battery in-camera (recommend buying non-Ricoh brand charger for savings)
Pros:
18mm APS-C is a very usable focal length in many situations
14mm APS-C wide angle conversion lens (sold separately) with surprisingly excellent image quality (highly recommend getting this)[accepts 62mm filters] Note: this weighs almost as much as the camera itself
Macro conversion lens (I do not have this, so I cannot comment on quality, but it amplifies magnification and allows you to get closer to objects)
Highly customizable menus and buttons
6 savable user modes (the dial has 3, but you can switch them out easily with other saved user modes)
Relatively quick and snappy focus
Accepts filters with the GH-3 attachment (49mm) [GH-3 attachment sold separately and needed for conversion lenses]
Wired shutter release has a ‘half press’ for focusing just like the camera. It is actually more a ‘touch press’ which is really nice
Selectable ND filter. This is great for getting nice flowing water shots or for other reasons you may want to extend shutter speed or use a wider aperture in brighter light. I am not sure how many stop equivalents this is, but I would say it is at least a 3 stop ND equivalent, if not more. If you want something stronger then you can attach a filter to the GH-3 attachment (or conversion lens).
Large, APS-C size sensor packed in a small camera body
Noise is very well controlled and comparable to my Pentax K-5iis
Inexpensive replacement batteries (non-Ricoh brand)
Sharp wide open at f/2.8
Small and lightweight at about a half a pound | |
Pentaxian Registered: November, 2014 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 1,749 | Review Date: January 10, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Size; Image Quality; Speed | Cons: | Build Quality; | | I just got this camera a month ago but it's already proved to be fantastic! I started shooting with a point and shoot camera when I was young, then shot the K-30 for four years before now the K-3. So far I have really enjoye returning back to the point-and-shoot experience.
I got the GRII because of some upcoming travel where it really wouldn't have made sense to take the HEAVY K-3 and some lenses. For travel, this largely checks the boxes, great for landscapes and people. Unfortunately it doesn't cover wildlife but that can be forgiven The image quality is fantastic, the lens is sharp and very flare-resistant. It's easy and intuitive to use. No worries about battery life, I haven't yet shot a full day with it but I imagine it will last a day. The batteries are tiny so there's no harm in getting a second one. I've really enjoyed using the positive film preset and shooting RAW+, and using the JPEGs straight for social media and sharing with friends.
The only thing I might fault it on is the build quality. By no means is it bad, but coming from a Pentax DSLR it is noticeable and feels a bit delicate in use. The mode dials are not as rubberized and sturdy, the adaptor ring feels thin, and I'm worried about overusing the port cover and the battery/sdcard door. Also, I tried to get the Image Sync Utility to work on multiple devices, but with no luck. Oh well. I've also heard a lot of complaints about the dust so I'm trying to be cautious and keep the camera clean when powering it on and off.
I got a Tamrac Pro Compact 1 camera bag, fits the GRII perfectly in case anyone is loooking for a compact camera bag.
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