My Every Day Carry Camera: Ricoh GR 16.2MP
As a photographer your favorite tool to capture life’s moments is your camera. But chances are you don’t want to lug around all your gear. Yes your camera phone is pretty good but it’s not the same as having a camera IMO. For people who have the same view as myself usually purchase compact mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lenses. Now there is nothing wrong with that but having interchangeable lenses will give you G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) and you’ll want to carry another lens.
If I wanted to carry an interchangeable lens camera I’d just bring my Nikon with me but that’s not practical to have with me all the time nor can I fit that in my pocket. For me I’d rather bring a point and shoot camera that more portable like the Ricoh GR.
Here are some quick specs about the camera:
- 16MP – APS-C CMOS Sensor
- ISO 100 – 25600
- 28 mm f2.80 Prime Lens
- 3″ Fixed Type Screen
- 4 fps continuous shooting
- 1920 x 1080 video resolution
- 245g. 117 x 61 x 35 mm
Why I LOVE the Ricoh GR
I’m going to save us both the time by not doing an in-depth review on this camera. There’s countless reviews almost everywhere on the Internet. Plus I only care about 3 things when it comes to a EDC camera.
1: Is it Portable?
The camera is small enough to fit in your back pocket unless you’ve got too much junk in the trunk. If that’s the case, then empty your back pockets and put your camera there instead. I usually carry it in my jacket pocket or have it on my wrist.
2: Is it Easy to Use?
It’s a real point and shoot so there’s not much to think about except for composition. I usually shoot it in auto because why make things more complicated? ‘Real photographers don’t shoot in auto’ Lol, I guess I’m a faux-tographer.
3: Does it Have Good IQ?
The out of camera images are amazing, you could shoot JPGs all day and you will be happy with your images. (I usually shoot JPG+RAW on my Ricoh GR)
Here are a few sample images.
The Flaws
Flaws, we all got them and cameras have them too no doubt. The biggest issue is that the camera is prone to dust on the sensor (not a deal breaker, if you have a good camera repair shop they can sort it out for you). Another caveat for some is it’s a fixed focal length of 28MM (full frame focal length equivalent). However I had the same issue but I learned to love it instantly. Chances are if you’ve taken photos with your phone it’s more than likely a wide focal length as well. How often do you zoom anyways? And when you do, how bad is the quality? With the Ricoh GR it has an APS-C sensor which is a lot bigger than your camera phone sensor. You could always crop your images if you need to ‘zoom’ in.
Conclusion
Honestly this is one of the most fun cameras I own. This camera took me by surprise because I was honestly expecting a hyped up camera (which it’s not). Don’t take my word for it, get one and test it out yourself. If you’re not pleased with it, then…sell it to me =) What’s your one camera you always bring with you? Don’t forget to check out my other post and follow me on Instagram @supermoul