Ricoh GR ii in Tokyo

I first used the Ricoh GR in Tokyo during my spring of 2017 trip. I had only had the camera for a few months prior, and those being mostly winter months, the trip was also the first time I had shot it frequently and seriously.

My main reason for picking up the GR was for its pocket-ability and stealth. Despite having a full aps-c sized sensor, it is the size of, and looks like, a typical small point and shoot. The weight is negligible and so I don’t hesitate to throw it in the bag along with my “main” camera for the day. Since I’m rather self-conscious I also hoped I would be more comfortable using a small, discrete camera in busy public places. My only concern was the unfamiliar 28mm (equivalent) field of view. When stuck with only one focal length I prefer it be closer to 50mm.

I’m still not comfortable with the 28mm focal length. It’s probably not just due to preference, I think it is genuinely harder to use than 50mm. There is much more in the frame and shallow depth of field cannot be used to obscure distracting elements. It also requires one to get closer to subjects, which goes counter to my hope of being less self-conscious when shooting with it.

I shot everything in raw with the default colour preview but, after reviewing the photos on the computer, I ended up converting an unprecedented number of them to black and white. GR images often look better that way. Maybe it’s due to the tonality of the camera, but I think it’s also because the colour is occasionally a bit odd. White balance adjustments are not always enough to correct this and I haven’t looked into more sophisticated selective colour corrections. Sharpness is never an issue, at any aperture.

I do like the colour rendition for Tokyo night photos. Such images tend to look a bit surreal anyway, so “different” colour is hard to notice or might even amplify this effect.

The small size meant I had a camera with me on all occasions, even when just stepping out for dinner in the neighborhood. Also I felt relatively comfortable walking around and photographing the local residential streets at night, which would not have been the case with the d700.

After reviewing the photos for this article it is apparent that I need to learn to shoot the 28mm at closer distances to take advantage of the wider angle perspective warping. Due to the density, everything is closer in Tokyo anyway, so, apart from my own comfort, 28mm probably suits the city better than 50mm or even 35mm.

Overall I love the camera. If Ricoh came out with a version that was the same size and specs except with a focal length close to 50mm (and wider aperture if possible) I would snap it up immediately and bring them both on all future trips. The combo might be enough to leave the dslr behind.