Ricoh GX100 v's GRD

For those who have enquired about GX100's image quality at higher ISO settings

compared to GRD; from the link blow you can see a very clear side-by-side

comparison. The images from the GX100 seem, by far, cleaner through out the

range.

Judge for yourself.

 

http://ricoh.grfan.net/showthread.php?p=5476

It's certainly a big improvement, and apart from pronounced barrel distortion at shorter focal lengths, the lens seems sharp with fairly good PF performance, and the benefit of starting at a genuine wide angle. However, for high ISO work I'd still prefer a Fuji F series.

Really, the Fuji better than this, awesome, have you got any pictures?

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/fujifilmf31fd/page17.asp

 

"we've compared the F31fd to a whole range of much more expensive compacts going right up to 10MP, and - aside from a little extra resolution at base ISO - it puts most of them to shame. Once you get to ISO 400 there simply isn't a compact on the market that can hold a flame to it."

 

ISO comparison tests can be found earlier in the review.

looks good but wide starts at 36m as compared 24m on the GX100 with the addition of image stabilisation. I could on but apart from the possible superior ISO, and lets face it we are talking at the highend here, the F31d doesn't have much more to offer.

I used the F30 for about a week and gave it to my wife. The complete lack of image control made it entirely useless to me. It's a nice point and shoot but not that valuable for anything else. FWIW, I ended up with a GR Digital.

You'll find noise in both cameras at all ISOs. If you don't mind noise it seems to be a capable camera. Apparently some speeds are only accessible from manual mode too.

 

Here is an interesting comparison I found -- GX100 vs. Canon 5D:

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brandonshigeta/sets/72157600169335133/

Interestingly, in this day and age of the "Big players" removing Raw capability from their compacts, there is more of a demand from Pro photographers looking for a high quality Compact that offers, solid build quality, manual setting and aperture priority, manual focus override and Raw capability in fact, most of the features found on a good quality DSLR.

 

There are currently very few manufacturers who appreciate or even care about these needs, one does listen because they build very high quality manual cameras and now a Digital rangefinder, and Ricoh is one of the others who is a leader rather than follower when it comes to digital compact innovation.

 

For a few years now, many Pro's have wanted a small compact backup digital with Raw, manual and aperture priority, good and usable ISO range, no shutter lag, and short end zoom lens for wide angle coverage of groups and a long end for portraits all in an inconspicuous body that was tough and "Does the job".

 

For a long time this need has not been met and many (including myself) carry a Ricoh GRD (I always carried an analogue Ricoh GR1s when working overseas as a Photojournalist). After 2 yrs using a GRD with what I consider to be good results (see some of my images :

http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=632920)

Ricoh has unleashed the GX100 - not a GRD replacement, but similar in many ways and meeting a requirement asked for by many jobbing photographers for a long time.

 

Ok, it is not and never will equate to DSLR image quality but, it is a very usable camera that matches in many ways the quality of analogue film and some I know (Mitch Alland - another GRD afficionado, has produced 40x60 inch prints from GRD images.

 

I am sure this camera will find it's way (as it already has) into many photographers pockets, bags etc to be used as a back up or even in lieue of the heavy DSLR and lenses. It offers all the things asked for and produces images that appear even cleaner than those from the GRD!

 

Something to think about, and if you look at some of the GX100 images taken in Raw - they are superb (Paulo Bizarro to name but one - he has just captured some superb images of fish markets and aftermath of the storms in Oman - http://paulobizarro.com/tema.asp?id=39)