OXO Sunset

GXR A12-M, f8.0, 1/164, ISO 200, 22mm (Voigtlander Heliar f4.5 15mm L) 

Took this at the end of another warm and sunny day while having a drink after work.

I like to include reflections in my photos and found that here it almost looks like an alien invasion taking place due to the shape of the roof.

Looking

GXR A12-M, f4.5, 1/125, ISO 2000, RAW, 22mm (Voigtlander Heliar f4.5 15mm L)

Took this during my lunch break on a short visit to the Tate Modern, it is nice to work in the city as it allows to go out and visit some galleries during lunch.

London Marathon 2013

Another great day in London with sunshine and mild temperatures, almost perfect for the 2013 London Marathon to take place although the runners would have probably preferred it a bit cooler.

I got up early in the morning, packed my GXR with Heliar 15mm, Jupiter-8 50mm and Leica Elmar 90mm lenses and set out to take pictures of the marathon. I took the Heliar with me because I had some specific pictures in mind I wanted to take with t and the Elmar to try and use a longer focal length and see how I would get on with. For most part I got on well but I had a bad manual focus day so got quite a lot of out of focus pictures due to me not paying attention to the distance markings or the screen.

Here a slightly longer series with some of the pictures I like best, I also tried to keep it varied so hopefully it's not too repetitive.

Meantime

GXR A12-M, f8.0, 1/330, ISO 200, 22mm (Voigtlander Heliar f4.5 15mm L)

Spring arrived and this was one of the nicest days this year, it was sunny and a clear blue sky although still a bit chilly in the shade.
Took this while walking around Greenwich with the very nice Heliar 15mm lens.

Walking Next to St. Paul's

GRD, f5.0, 1/400, ISO 64, JPG b&w

I somehow really like how this picture came out, despite not being sharp and having slight motion blur despite the shutter speed. It is still my favourite picture of the day and fits with the last two St. Paul's pictures to form a trilogy.

Walking Past St. Paul's

GRD, f6.3, 1/640, ISO 64, JPG b&w

Took this during lunch while enjoying a break outside in between the sunshine and rain that followed after. I had the GXR and GRD I with me but decided to use the GRD for the easier handling.

Dusk over St. Paul's

GXR A12-M, f5.6, 1/60, ISO 456, RAW, 42mm (Ricoh GR f2.8 28mm L)

Took this on my way home after a long day in the office, I liked the colour in the sky and the way the clouds looked like.

Today, after what can be described as the most leaked product launch ever for Ricoh, they have officially announced the new Ricoh GR.

The Ricoh GR is in some ways the most exciting digital GR camera since the GRD, it not only packs a 16MP APS sensor in the same body but it actually manages to offer even more direct controls than the previous GR and GRD cameras.

I was a bit sceptical after the first leaks and wondered if the GR is really enough since Rioch already released the very good but overlooked GXR A12 28mm f2.5 module with GR lens and Nikon beat Ricoh to the punch in releasing the Coolpix A, which on paper sounds identical to the GR. Sure, the GR is smaller than either of those and has the fantastic Ricoh controls but is this enough to get the attention it deserves?
While I did not have a chance to try or handle one, the first previews and impressions are very good and it looks like Ricoh has really delivered. They were maybe a bit later than they should have been but sometimes it's better to be a bit late to the party than to stay home.

The more I read about the GR and the more I think about it, the more do I want to try one and put it through it's paces.
I have not had much time recently so all my planned reviews and articles have been put on hold but should I get my hands on the GR, you will get a full comparison between the GR1, GRD I-IV, GXR A12 28mm, GXR A12-M with Ricoh GR 28mm lens and the GR. This should answer my question about which one is the ultimate GR camera.

Waiting

GRD, f3.2, 1/160, ISO 100, JPG

In anticipation of Ricoh's most likely soon to follow official announcement of the new GR camera (not that there is much that is not known already), I decided to use my dusty but trusty GRD I today.
The GRD I is quirky and has it's problems but has a lot of character and is unique, if the GR manages to deliver something similar it can easily become the cult camera the GR line deserves to be.

Spring Blossoms

GXR A12-M, f5.6, 1/380, ISO 200, RAW, 42mm (Ricoh GR f2.8 28mm L)

Spring is finally here with some nice weather and blossoms, I just hope the weather stays like this.
If this were Japan people would be taking pictures of the cherry blossoms even when just out to grab lunch, this being London however people are not really all that interested and just walk by without really looking.

Today, also saw a  leaked video of the new GRD V or just the Ricoh GR. You can view the video here and get a feel for what the camera will look like. I have been pestering Ricoh for details on their new cameras for a while but did not hear anything but some people certainly did to be able to not only leak the specs but also the full promo video. At least this will get people talking about Ricoh cameras again after more than a year of silence on their part. It is very disappointing though hat Nikon has beat Ricoh to the punch by announcing and already releasing the Nikon Coolpix A which seems more or less the same as the GR but without tyhe excellent Ricoh handling.
Having watched the video a few times and also looked at the leaked specs before I am still not quite sure what to think of it. On one hand it is finally what the GRD III or latest GRD IV should have been but on the other hand I am not sure if other than size and a newer sensor it really offers that much more over the very capable A12 28mm module.
I am certainly curious to try it out and will try to get a sample to compare it against the older GRDs, the GXR A12 28mm module and the GXR A12 Mount with GR lens.

Helicopter

GF1, f8.0, 1/4000, ISO 100, RAW, 290mm (Jupiter-11 f4.0 145mm L)

It's been a nice and sunny day but a few clouds moved past in the sky, I took this out of my window with the GF1 and the Jupiter-11. I wanted it more dramatic and used Snapseed to process it.

Waiting for the Bus

GRD, f2.4, 1/160, ISO 400, JPG b&w

No camera produces b&w images quite like the GRD I, it is quite unique and this is partly what makes the GRD I special and why in my pinion it still stands out between all the small sensor compacts and why I would recommend it over any of the newer GRDs.

Rain at Farringdon

GRD IV, f2.2, 1/125, ISO 84, RAW

Took this during a wet lunch break, after a few reasonably nice days the rain has returned. I took quite a few pictures with the GRD IV but it does not seem to work as well for me as most of my shots were out of focus, definitely not as easy to use as the GRD I.
I think unless the GRD V (or just GR according to rumours) is more than just a smaller version of the GXR A12 f2.5 28mm that there won't necessary be more GRDs for me, I want to see Ricoh go back to the basics of the GR1 and GRD I.

Bored of Waiting

GXR A12-M, f2.8, 1/104, ISO 200, RAW, 42mm (Ricoh GR f2.8 28mm L)

Took this while waiting at Victoria Station, I was not quite as bored as this guy but waiting can quickly become very boring if you don't have something to entertain yourself.

Guess the thread title also applies of most Ricoh users waiting for any news or announcement from Ricoh. Since there is nothing better out there than the GXR Mount A12 for using M lenses, I guess waiting for Ricoh to wake up is the only option or hoping that Sony improves the NEX sensors for M lenses.

Crane

GXR A12-M, f5.6, 1/4000, ISO 200, RAW, 42mm (Ricoh GR f2.8 28mm L)

Took this during lunch while climbing up the Monument for the first time, it's pretty cool but whoever approved buildings to be built that high and that close to it managed to ruin a very nice landmark as it's easy to miss it and the view right now if full of cranes and construction sites.
Still, it was great to finally go up there and I can recommend it as it offers some nice views despite the buildings all around it.

No Parking

GXR A12-M, f2.8, 1/660, ISO 200, RAW, 42mm (Ricoh GR f2.8 28mm L)

Took this while out for a walk during lunch, I liked how the car was parked in front of the building and only noticed the 'No Parking' sign once I got closer to take the picture.

Lost Emotions

GXR A12-M, f2.8, 1/60, ISO 872, RAW, 42mm (Ricoh GR f2.8 28mm L)

Took this during my lunch break at the Barbican, if you work in the City of London the Barbican is the best place to go for lunch. It's either really chilled out and relaxing or you have something going on.

Daffodil

GF1, f8.0, 1/50, ISO 200, RAW, 50mm (Holga f8.0 25mm)

Decided to take my GF1 out again and use one of my toy lenses, it was a decision between the Holga lens or the Pinwide pinhole lens but in the end I decided to take the Holga. It was strange going back to the GF1 but it also showed me how slow the GXR is to respond at times compared with the much faster GF1.
It also reminded me to finish work on my Holga lens conversion for the M mount so I can use it on the GXR.

Broadway Market

Spring finally showed and right in time for the weekend, the weather was very nice and everyone was out and about.
I decided to go and check out the Broadway market in Hackney, I have never been much around the area so it was a good opportunity not only to check out the market but also explore the area a bit more.

Rather than taking the GXR with me, I decided to take the GRD I as it's easier to use and I was not in the mood to manually focus or adjust any settings other than the EV compensation. Since I have not used the GRD I in a while and have not posted any color pictures from it in an even longer time, here a series from the market.

Balls and String

Nexus 4, f2.8, 1/23, ISO 1200, JPG, Snapseed app

Just a picture I took while out for drinks, I used the Nexus 4 to take some of the usual party snapshots with the harsh flash that overexposed everything. The Nexus 4 handled itself pretty well and had less lag then the iPhone 4 some of the others had.
I took a few pictures with the GXR and GR lens at f2,8 with flash but manually focussing in darkness when you only see a grey screen and nothing to focus on is not easy (especially after a few drinks), it handled it very well when the focus was spot on and the flash worked really well, too.

The North Face

GXR A12-M, f2.8, 1/164, ISO 200, RAW, 42mm (Ricoh GR f2.8 28mm L)

Snow in April and the winter never ends, after one day of sunshine where I could sit outside for lunch, it got cold and started snowing again today. The last months have seen the worst weather since I have been living in the UK and even now there is no real end of the winter in sight.

At least it makes for some interesting pictures at times but it could do with getting warmer and the sun shining for more than a day.

If you want to see a picture taken at the same time from a slightly warmer place check out Tom's blog here.

Chef

GXR A12-M, f2.8, 1/60, ISO 766, RAW, 42mm (Ricoh GR f2.8 28mm L)

Took this during lunch at the monthly market at One New Change, while I much prefer the daily market on Whitecross Street or Exmouth Market, this is still a nice market in the City to go to for lunch.

People on Phones

Not my best street photography maybe but a mini series to show how people (me included) look most of the time when outside even on a really nice and sunny day, everyone is with their head down looking at their phone screen. Ok, the guy in the 2nd picture looked up at me but he had the same pose as the other two.

Might need to try and do a full series on people and phones although it would not be much of a challenge and I will most likely end up with thousands of photos in a very short amount of time. ;)

Blinds

GXR A12-M, f4.0, 1/203, ISO 200, RAW, 135mm (Leica Elmar f4.0 90mm L)

Just had some fun with the lens flare of the Leica lens when the sun hit it through the window while having a pint at a local pub. I took some other pictures of the band playing but somehow liked this best since it's simple.

Down the Escalator

GRD IV, f1.9, 1/125, ISO 1600, RAW

Just a quick picture on my way to Canary Wharf, I took the GRD IV with me due to the size and weight but did not take all that many pictures with it.