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Photography

Ricoh GR

Chris Denbow

• 1 min read
Ricoh GR
The Black Brick

I know, I know. I can hear you bringing this up to me when I said "new year, no new gear." After weeks of waiting, I finally have a new camera in my hands. I said goodbye to my fantastic but bulky Nikon D90 DSLR and lenses and traded all of those for this compact but powerful single-lens camera. See? It is a used camera and an even trade so that really doesn't break the "no new gear" rule I set for myself now does it?

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The idea here is to minimize my load and workflow and I think I am there, finally.

Yes, it is an older, used camera but still younger than the Nikon. Sure, there are newer models of the Ricoh GR but those are currently $1k and I just don't think it is worth it, so here was the compromise. In my mind, this is currently the best bang-for-the-buck digital camera for street photography. I love the compact size, the superb image quality and high-ISO performance, as well as the ergonomics and handling. Looking forward to putting it through the paces soon.

The big things worth noting in the Ricoh GR:

  • 16MP APS-C sensor (a DSLR-sized crop sensor in a compact camera)
  • 28mm f/2.8 lens
  • Ability to change from 28mm to “35mm crop mode”
  • No anti-aliasing filter (sharp images)
  • Solid magnesium alloy body underneath

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is still going to be my always-carry camera of course, and I still have a gifted-to-me Canon DSLR system in reserve as well. The other cameras in the arsenal are all analog film.

I usually take photos of urban landscapes, and street portraits, so this compact, but brilliant Ricoh GR is going to be perfect.