Helicopter Flying

CX1, f9.4, 1/1600, ISO 400, JPG, 200mm

The weather was great today, one of the best days this year. I spent is mostly in the sun relaxing and taking some pictures in between. This is the one I like most, it was taken using the continuous mode of the CX1.

As a reminder the 2nd Ricohforum meetup will be on next Saturday the 6th at 10pm. We will have two Ricoh representatives joining us this time and have prepared a walk to take pictures and more.

Snapshot or More?

CX1, f6.6, 1/810, ISO 80, JPG, 66mm

Today's picture is a simple snapshot, something people might take with the CX1. It is nothing special and I did not spend too much thought on it. Now what if you take a boring snapshot and process it, can it become interesting? This was the question I asked myself and decided to find out.
I took this picture while walking by and while it is a pretty boring picture by itself, I have tried to find out if processing it changes that. I wanted to give it a very processed look, almost Lomo like but still different. What do you think of this? Is it a interesting picture or does it remain a boring picture and can (over-)processing an image turn a simple snapshot into something more interesting or will it always be a simple snapshot?
One thing the processing does however is make this picture 3x bigger than the original size. I don't understand why some people say you can only really process RAW files, JPGs can be very flexible and you can push the files a lot.

Moonshape

GRD II, f2.4, 1/2, ISO 100, RAW, 40mm

Took this while walking home after work today. I liked how the shape of the kite looked like the shape of the moon above and even the yellow color of the kite matched the moon.

Rays Through The Clouds

CX1, f6.2, 1/850, ISO 80, JPG, 200mm

I took this picture while having a drink in a pub near the heath. When I saw the rays coming through the clouds I thought it would make a very good picture. I really like the result but I had to use Photoshop to increase the contrast and brighten the shadows a bit.

Barriers

GRD, f3.2, 1/160, ISO 400, JPG

Got back from Dublin this morning. It was a dull and grey day so very boring for photography. I managed to take a few pictures during lunch and this one I liked in particular. When I walked past this I noticed the orange color in between all the grey and knew it would make a nice picture.

Howth

Took a trip to Howth today, it is a small fishing village near Dublin. It was really nice walking around and I got the chance to take some nice landscape pictures, the light was very good today.
I decided to put up a series on it since it gives a better overview of the place.

Kilmainham Gaol

I always liked watching prison movies like 'Shawshank Redemption' or 'Escape from Alcatraz'. Since getting into photography I always enjoyed taking pictures of abandoned buildings so when I got the chance of going to an old prison here in Dublin it was great. unfortunately you have to join a tour if you want to visit Kilmainham Jail so photography is a bit limited. I really enjoyed it though and would like to try and spend more time there on my next trip to Dublin. This is why I decided to put up a series today. To give the pictures I gritty feel, I used b&w and ISO 400 or 1600 for my pictures inside the jail.
I have also updated my gallery if you want to see more pictures from Dublin and the jail.

Kissing Her

GRD, f5, 1/310, ISO 200, JPG b&w

The weather today was sunny and warm without a cloud in the sky. So fantastic for a Sunday, to take in the sights, stroll through the park and listen to some live music outside but pretty bad for photography. The light was too harsh and it was too bright, I still managed to take enough pictures but could also relax in the park and listen to music without feeling like I miss any great photo opportunities.

Gate Theatre

GRD, f6.3, 1/2000, ISO 200, JPG b&w

Before taking the ferry to Dublin I took a walk to see the Light house at South Stack. It was a very nice hike through the Welsh landscape and I had the opportunity to take a lot of pictures. I really like them and the GRD performed great in b&w mode.
I decided to use a picture from Dublin however for today. I took this while walking around Dublin. Without the shadow I would not have looked at this but the shadow made it perfect.
You can see the rest of my gallery with pictures from Holyhead and Dublin here.

Boats in the Mist

GRD, f5, 1/100, ISO 400, JPG b&w

On my way to Dublin I made a stop-over in Holyhead. Getting here on the train was very nice and we passed many great picture opportunities but unfortunatelly it does not work well to take pictures from a train. The weather was mixed with dark clouds and sunshine which gave a dramatic light to everything. As soon as we passed the border to the island of Anglesey this all changed and both the landscape and weather were almost like out of a Sherloc Holmes book. This is how I always imagined Dartmoor, foggy, grey sky with light rain and the dark green landscape with rocks scathered around. After getting to Holyhead I went for a walk, it is a very small town where nothing much happens from the looks of it but it provided some nice picture opportunities.
I took a few pictures with the GRD I at ISO 400 because the light was low at 9pm and I also wanted tne extra noise. I have a few cameras and have seen pictures taken with different cameras but no camere has the same effect on me. The GRD I always impresses me with the crisp images, they have a lot of noise but also a lot of details and most important character.
I made the choice to only take the GRD I with me on this trip and no adapter lenses or anything else. Sometimes it's good to travel light and limit the choices one has.

PCSOs At Work

CX1, f7.2, 1/620, ISO 80, JPG, 105mm

Took this while out for lunch, it was a try at street photography in Canary Wharf. I find it more difficult here since people are closer together and there is not much space for interesting compositions.

Pick Up

CX1, f6.2, 1/870, ISO 400, JPG, 200mm

I do not like Canary Wharf that much, it is too artificial and too busy during the week. Going out for lunch is not very nice since everywhere it's packed and quite expensive compared with the city. The nice thing however is taht there are always performances and other events during the summer months so you can get some entertainment while having lunch.

Downhill

CX1, f5.8, 1/760, ISO 80, JPG, 177mm

Since moving to Canary Wharf I did not take that many pictures during lunch as I did in the City. It is not quite as inspiring a place so far, although I need to try taking some architecture shots. It provides me with the opportunity to spend more time in Greenwich Park however so this is why I have been taking quite a few of my recent pictures there.

Stairs

CX1, f3.3, 1/30, ISO 322, JPG b&w, 28mm

Took this picture in Westminster station, I really like the design of it and it does make for some nice pictures. It is worth taking some pictures if your there even if people give you suspicious looks ;).
I have added somenoise and boosted the contrast to get this look, the original JPGs from the CX1 are a bit flat and look 'digital'.

Sunday Afternoon Game

CX1, f4.5, 1/620, ISO 80, JPG, 74mm

Sometimes photography is 'only' about being in the right place at the right time and having a camera ready. This picture is one such an example. I am glad I had the CX1 with me and that it was ready to take the picture fast, only a split second later and the light was gone.
The CX1 captured the light and colors prefectly. This is taken in the normal mode and not using the DR mode, still the dynamic range is pretty good.
Still, looking at this picture I no doubt wish that the CX1 would offer a RAW mode or less processed JPGs, too much noise reduction is being appilied and Ricoh really needs to sort this out.

1:15pm at St. Pancras

CX1, f4.4, 1/70, ISO 141, JPG b&w

The 2nd Ricohforum meetup is approaching fast and it's in 2 weeks. This meant I had to sort out a few last things to organize everything a bit beter. We have a photo walk planned from Kings Cross St. Pancras along the canals to Camden and then finish in Primrose Hill. Today, I had to take the walk myself to see how long it would take and what we can do along the way. It is quite a nice walk and should offer plenty of nice photographic opportunities.
I took this picture in St. Pancras International station, it is really the nicest train station in London. This is not difficult however because most stations in London look pretty shabby but it is very nice.

Two Cranes and a Spire

CX1, f4.9, 1/10, ISO 200, JPG b&w

Been a mostly grey and dull day in London today. Did not get much time for photography but managed to take this picture while waiting for the bus. I like cranes and somehow I think they fit well in front of the grey backdrop of clouds.

The Dog

CX1, f5.2, 1/190, ISO 125, JPG, 200mm

Took this picture on my way home in Greenwich Park. The dog was really interested in whatever was in the hollow tree trunk, he was sniffing around there for quite a while and constantly moved around. It was difficult to get a good shot because of the movement and I was quite far so has to zoom in all the way.

Screens

CX1, f4.4, 1/16, ISO 80, JPG, 66mm

I decided to try out the in-camera editing on the CX1. Thanks to the high screen resolution it works pretty well and especially the level compensation is helpful to get more contrast in your images. The in-camera editing options also put a different spin to the phrase "Getting it right in-camera".
While it is better to use a computer and a decent program, it it nice to be able to adjust a few things quickly after taking or while reviewing the picture. The CX1 saves a copy with your changes so you won't lose the original image and can easily experiment a bit. It is a bit like drawing sketches so that you can get a quick idea about different ways to process your image.

Ricoh CX1 - Build & Controls

Another part in my ongoing Ricoh CX1 review diary. Today, I will look at the build and external controls of the camera. At the same time I will also compare it with the Ricoh R10 and see where there have been improvements and where the R10 is better.

The Fence

CX1, f6.5, 1/203, ISO 80, JPG b&w, 58mm

I like walking along the Thames in North Greenwich on my way home. The industrial areas are really cool and I like taking pictures there.
This picture was taken in b&w and I then applied the Auto WB in ACR, this made it look sepia. I went on and sharpened it, added vignetting, noise and a lot of contrast to it. This is how I saw the scene, with the only difference being I saw it in b&w. Unfortunatelly there are no user settings for the b&w mode on the CX1 to get more contrast in-camera, this is something I really miss having.

Urban Woods

CX1, f3.3, 1/270, ISO 80, JPG, 28mm

Took this on my way home today. It is great to have such a versatile camera as the CX1 in the pocket, it gives a lot of flexibility.

Humped Crossing

CX1, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 148, JPG, 93mm

I took only a handfull of pictures today. I was mainly writing the rest of my CX1 review diary and had to reinstall my notebook. I thought I try Windows 7 on it but I could not find all drivers because it is a bit too old.
This is one of the few pictures where I actually use the flash on purpose for the effect it gives or as fill light, in this case I used it for both.

Kite Flying

CX1, f5.1, 1/710, ISO 80, JPG, 135mm

While out for a walk I saw this girl really excited about the kite flying, it was very nice to see and I took a few pictures to try and capture her joy.

The CX1 is probably not a low light camera due to the slow lens and not so great high ISO proformance as it's usual on cameras with small sensors. But using it in a dimly lit club on easy mode and utilizing the flas it did a very good job and produced pictures with accurate colors and low noise (but high NR at times). It did do pretty well compared with the other p&s cameras there although it is not quite a GRD I that can shoot without flash at ISO 1600 and produce very good quality images.

Danger Razorwire

CX1, f6.8, 1/660, ISO 80, JPG, 74mm

On my way home I decided to take a walk through Greenwich and take a few pictures on the way. This is the one I like most from today. I changed the contrast, added noise and converted it to b&w to get a grittier look.

Under the Blue Bridge

CX1, f3.3, 1/8, ISO 800, JPG, 28mm

Maybe not my best picture with the CX1 but I did not have time to take too many pictures today. I do like it and especially the colors. There is too much noise reduction going on though so I hope Ricoh will release a firmware update that allows to turn the noise reduction off. It does look pretty good for a ISO 800 picture and it shows that the new multipattern AWB works very well.

Ted Bake & friends

CX1, f5.0, 1/870, ISO 80, JPG, 28mm

Did not have much time for taking pictures today but I still managed to take a few as usual on my way to lunch.
The thing I like most about the CX1 is the fast AF, this come is very handy for street shots like this. If Ricoh can forther improve on this for the next GRD then I will finally have a worthy successor to the GRD I for street photography.

Building a Future

CX1, f5.2, 1/320, ISO 80, JPG b&w, 200mm

Ok, this is a very similar picture to the one posted yesterday and it is taken not too far from the one yesterday either. At first I did not want to use it because of this but in the end it is the picture I like most from today. Here the 200mm zoom was also very important to get the right depth in the picture.
This time it is a b&w picture out of the camera and just cropped and sharpened a bit.
So far the CX1 is great but I wish there would be a way to disable the noise reduction in the camera through either a option in the menu or RAW.

Sheltered

CX1, f5.2, 1/190, ISO 238, JPG, 200mm

It has been mostly a dark and grey day so not perfect or very inspiring to go out and take pictures. I took a walk through Greenwich Park and saw them under a tree taking in the view. As soon as I saw the scene I knew it would make a great picture, the CX1 allowed me to use the 200mm zoom and get the perspective I wanted.
The image is a bit soft, partly due to the (too strong) noise reduction and partly due to the shutter speed in combination with me using the DR mode. I still like how it came out and after converting it to b&w and adding some noise it looks as I want it.

Watching the Puppetmaster

CX1, f4.9, 1/310, ISO 80, JPG, 119mm

Took this picture while out today.
I did not take that many pictures today but did get the chance to experiment more with the DR mode. I found out a few things to be aware of and will have to post a full day's entry on this feature. Other than that I am still impressed with the speed of the AF and operation of the CX1. I have posted another entry in my 'CX1 Review Diary' so do check it out if you want.

Ricoh CX1 - First Impression

I am not really someone to read manuals although the CX1 has a very good manual that you can find here. Instead I go out and use the camera and learn so how everything works, with an intuitive interface as found on Ricoh cameras this is never a problem.
Since I had a day-trip planned, I thought this is the perfect opportunity to just take the CX1 out and see how it performs. I have yet to really figure out the best image settings and camera settings so chances are high that my pictures with the CX1 will improve as time goes by. This is just a short report to see how the camera performs if you just take it out and use it as a point & shoot.

Walking to the Swan

CX1, f5.2, 1/200, ISO 80, JPG, 200mm

Went for a daytrip to Rye today. The weather was great although the light conditions were quite challenging at times for a camera.
I decided to only take the CX1 with me and see how it performs as a travel camera. It performed very well and the DR mode was really usefull in certain situations. The camera is very fast to zoom and especially focus and the screen is easy to see even in very bright light.

I took this picture in color but converted it to b&w and added some noise to it. This makes it appear sharper and more crisp, something that pictures from the CX1 don't always do due to the at times too strong noise reduction.

Lines of Nature?

CX1, f6.9, 1/540, ISO 80, JPG, 85mm

I took the CX1 with me today. The first impressions are great, Ricoh always had a great interface but this has been improved even more here. The camera is very fast and I mean in every respect, especially the AF is now faster than on the GRD I. You can read more on my Ricoh GR-Diary News blog in the coming days.

I have edited this picture in Photoshop but will post some out of camera full size samples in the next few days, as soon as I get used to the camera more.

Ricoh CX1 - Unboxing

This is the start of a new reviewing format on my blog and the first camera to be reviewed is the highly anticipated Ricoh CX1. I will post my impressions of the camera as I go along and at the end there will be a proper review about the camera in two parts to summarize everything.


I recieved the camera yesterday and my first post is the unboxing of the camera and my very first impressions.