RICOH GR | SHOOTING REPORT 
Now, the name is "GR." It's a new APS-C digital camera in RICOH's GR digital line. The GR series has been leading premium compact camera industry since the GR1 (for film) was released, and the identity is still unchanging. The portable body has a wide angle prime lens and the picture quality is excellent. This makes the GR is a dependable tool for serious photographers. The GR Digital has been trusted by many users. It has been refined constantly until the fourth generation was produced and has been a pioneer of high-end compact cameras. I guess their technology level has reached to the point that they can realize the GR concept even with a larger sensor. Also, they could take advantage of the feedback of the lowpass-less GXR A16 sensor, and now this long-awaited GR has been released. Since this camera must be snapshooters' top favorite, it's hard not to be curious about it.
( Photo : Naz / Text : M.Ishizuka )
It's sharp enough wide open, but not too hard. So, once you focus on near subjects, you get rich bokeh. Since the bokeh is natural, it makes you to shoot wide open more actively. A shot like this was difficult for former GR Digitals.
The 28mm angle of view covers the entire sight. I'm very happy with the straight lines.
The resolution is high to the corners, so once you stop down a bit, all you have to do is just to compose and shoot.
I expected slower operation because of the larger sensor, but it isn't slow at all. Starting and autofocusing are quick and brisk, so you can use it just like the former GR Digital. The real thrill of snapshooting is to capture the moment, so the operation speed is something that they couldn't compromise. I can feel their earnest effort to realize this speed.
High ISO performance has also been improved and you can use ISO800-1600 regularly. The f2.8 maximum aperture will enable you to take night snapshots, too. If the ISO was set to higher than 1600, it becomes noisier as you would expect. But it whether you take an advantage of it or not is up to you. The noise would be a nice asset to monochrome photography.
The reflection was very intense, but this lens handles it very well. This shot came out a little under due to the strong light, but it turned out to show the shadow details. It may be difficult to recognize in this size, the shadow tonality is alive in the actual size.
As shown in this sample, the ability of capturing texture has been improved. With the macro capability and nice bokeh, you can record little things that impressed you.
The 35mm crop mode allows you to shoot with the 35mm perspective and the wide conversion lens will transform the 28mm to 21mm. In other words, the GR offers three focal lengths that you can choose according to the situation.
Now that many cameras are miniaturized and come with more pixels, we have more choices than ever before. If you only focus on the specs, the GR might be a stoic choice. However, the body which is even smaller than a millorless camera is nothing but handy. Take it out of your pocket carelessly, and just shoot - you can use in such manner because it's a GR. There's no flashiness in the picture quality and the interface, but I guess this is what a GR should be. I can feel their attitude - they just pursue their ideal GR without making easy changes in functions and appearance.
With the upgraded sensor, this fifth generation GR became a completely new camera. Still, their approach has always been the same: a prime lens and simple/fast operation. Therefore, this camera will become your longtime partner. Of course, it will be refined from now on, too. Just try this new GR.