Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/07/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Nathan- thanks for the info. Did you consider the Ricoh Caplio GX8? The GRD with a Voightlander 28mm viewdfinder is enticing. Just camera-geeky enough to want to use in public. Eric On 7/14/06, Nathan Wajsman <nathan@nathanfoto.com> wrote: > Well, I have a GRD and I think I can answer both Eric's original > question and the subsequent comments from Bill and Rei. > > Eric, since you use the GR film version, you will know what people > like about the GRD--it has the same kind of solid construction, form > factor and ergonomics. The lens is excellent as well. Compared to > other compacts, the shutter lag is not bad. I cannot recall missing a > shot because of that. What is true is that writing a RAW file does > take forever, and I have missed shots because of that. We are talking > 6-10 seconds. Of course, one could always shoot JPEGs, but I refuse > to do that. > > At first, I did not like the fact that there was no viewfinder, only > the (admittedly very good) LCD screen on the back. But in the end my > solution was to buy a Cosina/Voigtlander 28mm finder from Stephen > Gandy and put it in the GRD's hot shoe. This is anyway a much better > finder than anything you would ever find in a compact camera. > > To Bill and Rei: indeed it is great to have a fast, fixed lens on a > pocket camera. The higher speeds are also useful, but...above 400 the > noise becomes very pronounced. At 1600 you are looking at Tri-X in > Rodinal, and not nearly as pleasing. Ricoh made a mistake in cramming > 8 megapixels in a tiny sensor. I think it would have been better if > they had stuck to 5 or 6. So the higher speeds compared to other > compacts are less than meets the eye. If you convert the image to > B&W, the noise becomes less distracting, since it just looks like > film grain then. But in a color image I now use Noise Ninja on every > GRD file shot at 800 or above, something I never need to do with my > Canon DSLR files. > > In summary: I am happy with the GRD, but it is not as superior to > other compacts as the spec sheet would have you believe. > > Nathan > > On 14-jul-2006, at 14:48, Rei Shinozuka wrote: > > > from what i read, the light sensitivity of the canon is conventional: > > f2.8 lens and 400 asa speed. the GR has 2 1/2 more stops of speed, > > 2 from the CCD and 1/2 from the lens. in addition, the fixed lens on > > a digital has a purist appeal. > > > > like mr. Korenman, i'd love to hear some user feedback about the GRD. > > > > -rei > > > > On Jul14 05:29, Bill Smith wrote: > >> Somethings (translation--many) I don't understand---why has the > >> GRD gotten so much attention here, but the Canon S-80 w/ a 28mm > >> also not gotten any? > >> > >> Just curious, > >> > >> Bill > >> > >> Eric Korenman <faneuil@gmail.com> wrote: > >> I know some of you out there are shooting with a ricoh GR digital. > >> In that quest for the perfect compact, go anywhere camera, it > >> looks tempting. > >> > >> Like / dislike this camera? > >> I have heard that it has prominent shutter lag and slow write > >> speed in RAW mode. > >> > >> Compacts I use: Contax T3, Ricoh GR1v. > >> > >> Eric > > > > -- > > Rei Shinozuka shino@panix.com > > Ridgewood, New Jersey > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leica Users Group. > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > Nathan Wajsman > nathan@nathanfoto.com > General photography: http://www.nathanfoto.com > http://www.greatpix.eu > Picture-A-Week: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws > Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >