The best camera is the one you are comfortable with, the one that “speaks” to you. I love my combo these days (GRIII + Sigma fp), it's super enjoyable and versatile.
Completely agree. I have an original GR and the fp and fp l. I accidentally took the fp rather than the fp l with me recently and took my best picture so far with it.. but other than sports where I ran into the ground K3/5s cameras the one I have used most is the GR. It fits in a waist belt holder and just works. Only others that have been close were a V1&J5, Pl5 and my original digicam the LC1.. I've tried to love others kS2 coolpixA, a6000s,M10s.. but expect for sports, shutter count and keepers go to the GR.. just wish the mostly useless evf from my gx100 fit..
I was torn between GR3 and x100v and ultimately went for the Fuji. I can’t overstate how much I hate spending time sat at a desk in post. Film simulations are the differentiator for me, so aside from cropping - everything is done in camera with the Fuji. I still look at the GR3x and envy the form factor - if they had an equivalent to film simulations in the future, I would probably swop in a heartbeat
this is exactly my dilemma. Pocket Carry or Better colors. Pixel count or other heavy technical specs arent my priority, i have my other pro gear for that. But for the everyday - it's GR3 vs x100v. You still feel the same 6 months in?
LCD viewfinders are just mostly black in Southern California. They are just not bright enough to overcome the sunlight. Not going to constantly look for shade to stand in so I can frame the image. So an optical viewfinder may be a compromise that works. Stabilization is great though. Wish my 100V had that.
I guess I can call myself lucky then living in cold grey north germany :) But I can see how the LCD screen would not work well in California. In Japan in Summer I experienced difficulties seeing the Screen in the mid day sun. The optical finder can work well but I find it distracting not knowing how my exposure is or where my focus point is. Thats why I only use the finder when I use snap focus or set the camera up manually.
“I feel like I’m coming home.” Haha when Samuel hears the sound of chickens at the fair. Even though I miss the ‘On street’ and ‘potato’ vlog series, I’m still team Samuel Streetlife forever. Awesome content as I have just borrowed the GRIIIx for next weekend brunch meetup with friends.
Lumix GX9 with the 28mm and 40mm (equivalent) pancakes is a darn good alternative, with none of the glitches or other issues you mentioned. Totally under appreciated camera.
Or any even smaller Olympus Pen from 2012 onwards with the Sony based 16MP sensor the E-M5 came with originally. The 2012 onwards Pen cameras have: touch screen, IBIS, some have flip screens, they take electronic viewfinders, their auto-focus is fast and reliable even in low light, some of the excellent m.Zuiko primes have manual focus clutches with distance scales for zone focusing. Something like a 2012 E-PM2 is a great alternative to a GRII, even a GRIII given the benefits of MFT.
Even though I swapped my Lumix GX80 for a Fuji XE3, I cannot deny that the Lumix range of cameras are absolutely light years ahead of every other manufacturer when it comes to R&D and the engineering/design. They are without doubt, the closest thing to a 'perfect' camera. I sadly lost patience with the M43 sensor and didn't feel that it was a system I wanted to invest in further. Nonetheless I always recommend Lumix to friends and newcomers.
@@alihall4208 can’t imagine “losing patience” with an image sensor.😂🤷🏼♂️ I have no problem whatsoever with the 20mp sensor in the GX9. Heck I made great 16x24 prints with my GX1 ten years ago.
@@joeltunnah I do miss the native 4:3 aspect ratio but a lot of the times I felt something was 'missing' from the images, has to be said I find it easier to get the certain look I want SOOC with the Fujis. A lot of comes down from not really being bothered to tweak in camera or edit in post
I don't use either the OVF or the screen. I set my GRs up: M F8 1/500s and snap focus 1.5m / 2m and learned how to see the shot in my mind, which translates into how you angle and hold that the camera for a particular distance. It's even less precise for framing but even more into the psychology of the moment and less visible that I'm working a scene. It takes practice but the results are well worthwhile.
Thank you for this video. That was very informative for me. I just ordered a GR III. I'm not really a street photographer, but besides my full-frame Nikon, I've always wanted a camera that I can carry in my pocket at all times. Just to document my life. And my phone is just not fun to be honest with me. The video encouraged me again. So thank you!
i was seriously taking notes and absorbing your whole review of the GR III up until i died of laughter when at 22:04 great video!!! we miss you on instagram!
I use a 8.1 megapixel Ricoh gr digital camera from 2006. I have the adapter and hood. I like that it has a flash. 28mm equivalent is perfect for me. I use it on dull days on the black and white setting at 800 iso. A tiny gem. 28mm get in closer, spacious results
Great video! Just sold 2 of my 4 leica's for the Hasselblad X2D 100C and some glass. Bruv, its game-changing on the street-level. The crop factor is through the roof. I can take one picture, crop-in 50 percent and still have crazy IQ. What i felt when i first shot Leica decades ago im feeling it again and even more intensely.
Thanks for the tips on both cameras and accessories! Very helpful and fun to see you out shooting again!!! I have a gently used gr that I bought a year ago and I love it!! I definitely would like to get both the griii and griiix. I remember wondering if not having a viewfinder would bother me,but it doesn’t and I bring it with me everywhere. I saw a cool video of a guy who took the gr with him on a year-round-the-world trip. The 28mm is such a versatile lens, and I’m realizing how great it is for everything! Anyway, I love your channel and your perspective on cameras and street photography!! Thank you!!!!
That outro was hilarious... Thanks so much for the video, I just ordered a Ricoh GR III from Japan on ebay. I can't wait to get it in and have some fun.
I have several Leicas, Nikon, Pentax, a Hasselblad, Olympus - too many! But if I could only have one, it would be my GRii. It’s my favorite camera, and if and when it dies, I will get a iii or whatever they’re selling at the time. Absolutely brilliant cameras.
I got GR iiix after seeing Samuel's review. I love the 40mm focal length, and the compactness of the camera. I can carry it around without being stressed, and whip it out to take photos whenever I want. It would be awesome if the cameras get updated with autofocus speed of the Sony's or Canon's in the future. That would make the camera perfect.
Ordered the GRIII and anxiously tracking it's arrival tomorrow. Really liked the accompanying photos in this video. During my transition from Nikon digital(d4/d800) to Sony mirrorless(a1) I used Panasonic GX7 and 17.5mm lens and it was the most inconspicuous camera and the pictures from it were amazing because no one noticed it. Got the GX8 and GH4 later and those cameras attracted too much attention even though they were small. It's been about 7 years since I professionally used GX7 and I have the same excitement and hope for this camera that I did all those years ago. I used to use the Leica M6 during the film days and had to switch professionally to D1 for work. I feel like I'm finally coming back home with the GRiii.
Samuel -- get your hands on some non-conductive electronics cleaner that is safe for plastics. Remove the battery, spray a little of that into the wheel, spin it, and then let it dry. It fixed my back wheel and it hasnt gunked up again yet (about 6 months later so far)
Main cam is a Fuji X-T4 with a 35mm 1.4 but I just ordered a GRIII and can’t wait! This will be my “want to take a camera but don’t want to take a bulky camera” choice. 18mm GR + 35mm Fuji should also make for a nice pairing during travel.
I’ve been using the GR II for a number of years now. While it’s “only” 16MP, does not have IBIS, I do like it a lot. In fact, I like the size and usability more than the GRIII, as I’ve been using a GRIIIx since it was available for purchase in the US when it launched. The GRIIIx is an astonishing impressive camera for its size, it’s a true marvel of engineering what they managed to pull off in a body that small. Whenever a Leica rep tells me IBIS in the Leica CL will never happen because the body is so small, I point to the Ricoh GRIII. I’ve run into the GRIIIx issue with the camera freezing and I can say with absolute certainty it’s a third party battery issue. I’m using the same format batteries I have from compact Olympus cameras (TG Tracker, XZ-2). They work, but sometimes the GRIIIx freezes. Unfortunate and in my opinion a shame as Ricoh should be able to use their choice of a commonly used battery format to their advantage. While zone focus via snap focus is great, when taking advantage of the f2.8 aperture and the APSC sensor in low light, auto focus is a huge issue. It is so damn slow and unreliable. I’d rather use a Olympus E-PM2 Pen Mini with the m.Zuiko 17mm f1.8 at 16MP than the GRIIIx in low light purely for the focusing issues of the Ricoh. Overall, I think the E-PM2 is a great alternative to the GR line with the right lenses. The way Samuel has rigged out his GR cameras, a small Olympus Pen is not bigger with the small m.Zuiko lenses. And oh yes, the m.Zuiko small primes suitable best for street come with manual focus, a focus scale and can be set to zone focus more conveniently than a GR. The slightly smaller sensor means you don’t even need to stop down that much for equal depth of field. And yes, the pen already had IBIS and a touch screen in 2012! And you can have a decent EVF, the exact same one Leica found to be sufficient for their Leica M240 which came out the same year as the E-PM2. I now have two of these, the last one I bought for $100 at a camera store with 90 days of warranty. For the same price you can get the ever so slightly bigger E-PL5 which is mostly identical, yet it has a tilting LCD screen. The only real advantage the GR has over the Pen is 95% single handed operation (maybe 100% with that extra thumb rest), a silent shutter, flash sync speed at any shutter speed and more street credibility. In street shooting, the image quality and resolution is not really an issue, especially since the Pen will be better at getting some shots the GR cannot nail reliably due to it’s focus issues. Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras where always underrated and under-appreciated. The plus side is you can pick them up really cheap now. Every Pen released 2012 or newer, in great condition, I am basically buying without a second thought.
💯 agree on the point about lcd vs evf. I feel much more engaged with what’s happening when I’m using the lcd. You can watch the action and quickly glance at the screen to compose. Really detailed review man!
Thanks man! Well you have one of the best EVF available to you so that must mean a lot coming from you :D For me OVF and LCD are my comfort zones. EVF's are practical but annoying to stare at for long times.
How long were you using it before dust crept in? Seems like the Ricoh population is very polarized. Some never get dust in several years, some get dust in just weeks or months.
@@professionalpotato4764 I have my GRIII for almost 2 years now. But I have to have to say, I bought it primarily because it fits in every pocket and so I can have it with me all the time. So I have no "bag" for it and I didn't handle it very carefully... I've seen some people say "dust is no problem if you handle it carefully" - but that defeats the purpose of that camera in my opinion. The dust is not a problem at f2.8. But at f8.0 it is a real problem and I didn't found a way to clean it yet.
@@FTropper i Had two dust particles on my LX100s Sensor. I Cut Out the bottom of a plastic flask and layed that over the lense while it was extruded. Then I put a vacuum cleaner over the bottle neck and sucked away. Worked like a charme
I shot mine in a crazy dust storm in a desert. I know, I know… got dust of course. So, I opened it up and cleaned the sensor after watching a great video on RU-vid. It’s really easy and takes about 20 minutes. Now with that knowledge and confidence, I worry not about dust anymore.
It is a great camera and I absolutely love mine. Been using a GR since 2013 and I call it the 'camera I like to carry when I don't want to carry a camera'. The GRIII in particular really does slip into a pocket and the image quality is excellent. My only negative experience is that the GRIII is no match for GR in terms of build quality. I am having continual issues with the control wheel on the back and sometimes the camera won't turn on. My GR was six years old when I replaced it with one of the first GRIIIs available. While my GR was still going strong after six years of use, I don't think the GRIII will see another year before I have to replace it.
I have both Ricoh and Fujifilm cameras but I've always preferred the shooting experience of my Ricoh cameras. I would like to see Ricoh come out with some weather sealed cameras because for street photography there's always a chance for rain. Fujifilm has decent options for street photography. They have interchangeable lens options and weather sealed cameras/lenses. But their mushy image quality from the x-trans sensor is always so disappointing when looking at the files. Ricoh has much better sharpness and image quality
That's fair. If you use Lightroom, I agree. But Capture One produces amazing Fuji files. I recently went back and looked through my C1 catalog with X100F and XT3 files from a couple years ago and was amazed by the quality. I moved to Leica Q2/SL2 from Fujifilm a couples years ago because I didn't want to use C1.
I just came back from a trip with the usual back pain… carrying the large full frame camera, the huge lenses and yes… I need to make a change… maybe the GRIIIx is the camera. I’ve been looking at micro four thirds, but maybe having a fixed lens is what the doctor ordered. Wish it had more resolution as I’m used to cropping the images coming out of my Sony a7R4
- Titling screen similar to pocketable Sony RX100VII, GRIV may be deeper 3mm than GRIII 😛 - Optional external vertical flash module (detachable at left side of GRIV). GRIV + flash module still same height, just a bit longer. - Similar to dual flush toilet, dual shutter button (each can assign to different snap focus distance/U1/U2/...). - Optional ultra thin electronic variable ND filter (detachable like conversion lens, auto ND mode 1/4 to 1/128 setting firmware). - Similar Apple AirPods, Wireless Charging Leather Case (pocketable, a bit longer 10mm than GRIII for internal battery) for Ricoh GRIV.
Nice video! I feel the same way about shooting with the LCD. I use an Olympus Pen E-PL8 for street photography and even event/portrait shoots for that reason. I have a bigger camera with an EVF but I feel like that nails all my shots to eye level, while a little handheld camera with just an LCD allows the view to go anywhere. The E-PL8 isn't as small as the GRIII but it does have a tilt screen and of course it's an ILC so I don't need a second body; I can swap lenses. (I also have an external EVF for it, but I almost never use it.) Anyway, three cheers for EVF-less cameras!
man i was GR gang in the past, had a GR2 for couple years(actually used pop up flash), it felt so sturdy and professional in my hand, like a small brick. Also forgot about PC development cause i was able to bluetooth my pictures to ipad and develop there. Single reason i left that tiny goodness is 28mm started to feel restricting, now im using Sony a7r with 16-35 f4, quite happy with performance but it would never be as stealthy or pocketable as good old GR. As always appreciate your moustache and your humour, peace!
Hi, I have been following you for a while now but haven't felt compelled to write yet. I have been shooting SP for almost 22 years now, which is about as old as a lot of your subscribers :) but.. I am still using my original GR for a few reasons: 1. It still works and although 16MP every time I go look at my top rated images in Lightroom, my GR photos rise to the top! 2. The battery is still good and while I do have third party batteries, my original Ricoh battery just needs one charge a day. 3. I use my GR-1 viewfinder for non-street photos when I feel the need to compose. I do prefer this over an LCD screen by the way for the OPPOSITE reasons you stated. I feel that it immerses me MORE in the scene to be isolated in an optical viewfinder (on other cameras, not on GR since it's technically not an electronic EVF). I feel that it removes the "noise" from around me and helps me find my scene. 4. I love the exposure compensation. 5. It's a bit pricey 6. Last but not least, I'm hoping that Ricoh will come out with my IDEAL camera since the GR is so close! My ideal would incorporate an optional EVF and better battery life. That's really all I need to make it a perfect street camera. For all other travel, I take my Fuji X-T30ii because it's very small but I can use interchangeable lenses and still use it for street as well. By the way, I have family in Hamburg so would love to go street shooting sometime when I visit.
I am lucky to have both the GRIII Street Edition and GRIIIX Urban Edition cameras. Definitely the king and queen of street photography cameras though can’t decide who is who, probably the GRIII with the wider perspective still remaining the king.
@@gurugamer8632 For me each camera serves different purposes, simply because of the different focal length of the lens. For scenic, city or landscape shots, definitely the GRIII. For shots involving people, the GRIIIX works better to capture the right moment and style I like. I carry both with me all the time in a small leather pouch with separate compartments :-)
Now I want a GR again. 🤣 who am I kidding, I’ve been missing my GR the moment I sold it. Originally sold my GRiii SE to fund the GRiiix purchase but they were back ordered for so long I bought something else instead. Maybe it’s time to finally get that X 😬
The juggling gave me a heart attack. The GR flex on the table is the best hahaha. I haven't really tried snap focus with the touchscreen. I will have to try, though I feel the button is less conspicuous.
I find the touch screen to be less conspicuous than the shutter button actually. And it gives me less camera shake when I use slow shutter speeds. It is so faster than full press snap! A tiny bit. But enough to make a difference when timing is critical :)
I was hesitant to purchase the GR iii when they were still in stock and went with the x100v also before all the hype and now I want a Ricoh lol luckily I only waited two days and was able to snag the Street Edition and even have the Diary Edition ordered but I might gift that one to my wife.
It’s so weird seeing you shoot inside a carnival. The last time I did this, with my family in tow, two police officers harassed me for taking pictures “in a private area.” I did explain that it was an outdoor space, on public property, and (more importantly) *I was taking photos with my family with Ferris wheels and carnival stuff as a backdrop* but they still tried to insinuate that I was probably a pervert. Funnier still, the police officers were less concerned by all the people taking photos with their iphone. Cops must be less jerky there. Anyway, great shots.
Oh sorry to hear you had a bad experience photographing at a carnival! I think cops see any camera besides a phone as a potential security concern? But still a strange reaction at a event like this. You know when I was filming this video we met two children who where looking for their parents. We offered them to use our phone to call them and they couldn‘t get hold of them. Then a man approached me from the side and asked me „Do you have a problem?“ with a threatening tone. I knew he must have thought that we were bothering the children or are perverts or something. But we didn‘t have our cameras out at that moment. But people are probably more aware at events like this because you sometimes see actual perverts trying to blend in with the crowd.
@@SamuelStreetlife I get that, but with my family, too vigilant. It’s funny you found lost kids. I was on a hike through a state forest last week popular with cyclists. A bird watcher pointed a lost girl to me for help. Not sure why. She was 12 , got separated from her mom somehow, but didn’t know her mom’s number. I got as much info as I could and started walking her to the car park, which objectively could’ve looked very bad, but it’s where she came from. I told her I was going to call park police. Fortunately her mom was coming from that direction. Not one cyclist stoped to help this kid. Kinda scary. I have two very young ones and it would be nice knowing there’s someone like us who’ll actually help them. But having a camera and long lens definitely makes you a target for who knows what.
I recently got the GR3x & I love the little thing & will probably pick up the original GR3 some time soon. I would be interested to know which squarehood you chose as all the hoods listed are for Fuji lenses & cameras. Cheers & thanks for the great videos.... 👍
I am also interested in using the squarehood so I did some research and found this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2Qf2HAkMM_c.html
Great video as always, Samuel! Would you mind describing the work-around(s) for the control wheel problem? I absolutely love my GRIII as a shooter, but have now had to send it in for service twice ($350 x 2= almost the cost of a new GR : /). I fear the problem will recur yet again, and if it does I’m not going to shell out still more money on a repair. Please exert your influence at Ricoh to persuade them to fix this problem. THANK YOU, and keep up your great work.
Clean it with a spray or two of e-contact cleaner, work the wheel for a second and let it dry for a minute. That will sort it. It's just a dirty contact. I'm sorry you sent it in. I highly doubt that was necessary. If you're using it on the street and it starts doing that ever and you can't wait to get home and use contact cleaner, the "workaround" he describes is just using the front-side control wheel to make selections. It's active for that at the same time (for ISO selection, etc.) Hope that helps. Don't send it to Ricoh for dirty contacts again. That sucks.
Hey Samuel, I had a different experience with the batteries. My two original Ricoh batteries got swollen and created all sorts of weird errors in the camera, like an overheating warning when I just turned it on; or the screen freezing and not responding. As soon as I changed them for two non-brand batteries, the camera worked as reliably and good as always. Even bought a couple of off-brand replacements, since I can't trust the OEM batteries. Don't know if I got a couple of lemons or if its a real problem. Anyway, wanted to share. Love my GRIII.
Oh interesting! Haven't heard this before. My original batteries work very well. But maybe this is why some people experience overheating (or the camera getting) hot with their GR III's and some aren't. Thanks for sharing!
40mm-equivalent compact shooter? Now this is certainly very tempting. As a fan of X100 series, I don't quite like the pervious Ricohs because I think 28mm for anything other than family pictures or architectures is awkwardish. Some street shooters certainly prefer it to get closer to the subject. Hmm decision decision...
Great to see your new video, Lintaro🤗Regarding to “Snap Distance Priority”, just like you, first I thought it were perfect and the best mode for street photographer. However, as you added a note in this video, I am a bit wondered how come SS stayed at 1/40 (not faster as I set) on Tv mode although I usually shoot at 1/500 or faster for my street snaps... therefore most of my photos of “Snap Distance Priority” mode blur completely...😢📷 Only solution is going to Menu of “ISO Setting” and raise “Minimim shutter speed”, but it is a bit too much job to change the setting quickly...🥵 So, eventually, “Snap Distance Priority” is not for fast pace street shooters unfortunately...🤔 Hope Ricoh becomes to realize this issue and release a better solution at next firmware update🤞🏼
You should create the WORKAROUND video on handling the wheel problem. My setting is M with Auto ISO. I can't deactivate or designate the EV compensation to Adj button.
A commenter just shared this: "Get a spray can of electrical contact cleaner! (CRC brand is the oldest/cheapest/common here in the US). The problem is nothing but dirty contacts in the control wheel caused by dust/dirt/debris/finger-oils all mixed together over time. One or two quick sprays with e-contact cleaner will sort it out in seconds." Hope it helps you :)
Yup. Contact cleaner. If you need to adjust those settings before you getting it sorted with cleaner, just use the front scroll wheel. It's active at the same time and can make the same menu selections.
