I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have found your channel! I appreciate the information, but loved the delivery!! Thank you and keep the videos coming!
This is a fine review, and really, your English is a pleasure to hear.... I say this as an American who has lived on "the continent" for thirty years, often dismayed by what is on youtube, or what is spoken by the tourists or students, from, "like" the US. I have been thinking about a good quality small camera for a long time with Ricoh.high on the list. For amusement, I'll add that my first camera was a Ricoh slr, 1960. It was a pleasure to use it. Thank you for the video, and good speed if you start making them again.
Oh, that's so nice to hear. Thank you very much for your kind words. I am an American citizen now, but only have been for a few months. Grew up in Germany and lived in Switzerland for most of my life. If you ask me, you can't go wrong with a Ricoh, even though the current model is a bit more expensive than the GRii was. Have you considered Fujifilm? Probably my favorite brand for the last few years.
Yeah, you know, I never figured out how to assign my own thumbnails. It's possible that you only get to do that upward of a certain number of subscribers/views. This video is already three years old, and I haven't continued making them. The thumbnail, ironically, is a shot from one of the videos I'm making fun of here ...
Just a small point: if you shoot raw+jpeg and your intended output is black and white, it might often be worth reprocessing the monochrome from the raw file as you will have full control of how indicidual colours, or parts of the spectrum rather, are converted to greyscale.
Love love love my GR it’s gotta be close to my favourite cameras of all time. The dust issue is a true bummer, that aside it’s almost perfect. I shoot mine with BW mode on and the screen off. Never thought of using a Leica 28mm viewfinder, pretty neat advice!
It sucks dust when it is started up not when it stops and retracts, unless the lens barrel is badly contaminated by dust while being used. When it shuts down the lens retracts and therefore its internal volume reduces and air is pumped out.
Thank you for your video! There are HUNDREDS of cameras with retractable lenses. Why is this one different? I also purchased the leather holder for the GRii in the RICOH store in Ginza, Japan. I hold it in my belt and it has proven to be very comfortable and easy to get my camera out. I also got the leather hand strap, and it keeps perfectly when I close the holder. When doing "stealth" street photography, you better not have a viewfinder. I love my optical viewfinder in my Leica C-Lux, when using it for zooming in in the streets.
I have found that the lack of an optical view finder often results in camera shake. I have to force myself to hold the Ricoh extra steady, and press the shutter button carefully. Where it excels in my opinion is by simply holding it up to people, at fast shutter speed and a reasonably deep FOW and doing the old "spray and pray". And I've found that people don't seem to take it seriously, which is great. They think you're a feckless tourist. Exactly what you want for candid street shots!
Is anyone experiencing a glitch with the GR2 when clicking the Menu button or the rocker to access options, when the shooting dial is in certain modes like P or Auto? The Menu screen and options suddenly disappear as if I clicked the Menu button or rocker to exit
The problem with dust is the lint in your pockets. Isolate the camera from the lint, and you'll have much less of a problem. But that means another step after you reach for it. Which means, wrist strap.
I bought it here in NYC at B&H Photo. Unfortunately, it's listed as "no longer available". You may find one on Ebay? I do remember it was pretty expensive.
Johannes - great video lots of great tips. The flash issue has been frustrating for me for a long time around 18 months. However I have discovered that in addition to "Continuous Mode" being set to "Off" you must also have "Auto Bracket" set to "Off" too :) I discovered this as I have often used "Effect-BKT" which allows for multiple images, using different "Effects" to be created in one shot. e.g. Colour / B&W / Hi-contrast B&W So once both of these are set to "Off" and you open the flash it will function properly. Thanks again for your video - I look forward to the GRiii review! :)
Iain Taylor thanks so much Iain! I'd like to take a look at the 3, but to be honest, I can't quite imagine what it might have to offer that would justify the hefty price difference. The grii's relative affordability is an important reason why I recommend it. When we're approaching the 1000$ realm, I think a viewfinder would be a must.
I was born in Germany and lived in Switzerland for most of my life before moving to the US 5 years ago. I've met some people over here whose English is pretty good ... (-:
Of course I was being a little facetious regarding the US. I loved my GR digital III before i got drunk and left it somewhere at a wedding in Sao Paulo. I replaced it with a bigger camera which of course has more options but i really miss 'that guy' ha ha. I'll get another if the Rubles ever permit
Ouch, that hurts! Just letting you know: There are rumors that there'll be a GR3 soon. Maybe the rubles will be there for you the moment it comes out! Good luck.
Great review I have been thinking about looking for a used GRii and found one on BH. The only thing I'm not crazy about is the screen blacking out in bright sunlight,that has been a pet peeve of mine on other cameras thanks again for there view I will be refering back to this often.
Thanks for your video! I own a GRii and I am very happy with it. Why is it that there are MANY cameras in the market with retractable lenses, and this is the only camera that people mention "the dust trap". ;-) By the way, I got my leather GR holder at the Ricoh Headquarters in Ginza, Japan.
I recently got one of this but I think mine has an issue, has anybody experienced overheating? I've notice the camera tends to heat after some minutes of being turned on, am I the only one that has experienced this or has anybody came across this issue too?
@@NorbLeal You said it tends to get hot after a few minutes of being turned on. Are you taking pictures during that time, or just having it turned on? There should be an option somewhere in the menu where you can set an amount of time after which it shuts off when it's not being used. Other than that, I'd be concerned if I were you, and I'd show it to someone. Hope you bought it in a store ... good luck. Keep us posted.
Great and informative video. The best I've seen on the GR II. And the guy speaks crystal clear English, and has a decent mike. An example to video-crap makers that abound all over the place. Make some more!
Great review Johannes. Funny thing you helped me figure out why the flash on my Fuji X-T20 didn't work. Thanks for that, also there may be a GRII in my future. ;~)
Ah, the X-T20. Love that little camera. Do you know Omar Gonzalez? He has a great channel, and I don't believe there is an X-T20 secret he hasn't solved. Just in case ...
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/725639-REG/Voigtlander_DA216B_21_25_mm_Viewfinder_Black.html?sts=pi&pim=Y there you go, it's crazy expensive, unfortunately ...
mister you are just hilarious! you got a certain benny hill vibe, i love that. nice video you got here, i am planning on getting a grii and it helps to know things beforehand.
@@Super.Quasar Ah, I see where the misunderstanding is. What you are linking to is the firmware for the Ricoh GR. We are talking about the GR ii here. Thanks!
Hello Johannes Labusch. I realy enjoyed this video you did on the Richo GR11, this camera takes fantastic black and white photos, I realy would like to buy one, but there are some people out there that say it is not very good for video, do you agree with them? I'm hoping not, because I want to take video as well.
Hi there, thanks for your nice words! It really depends what your video needs are. If you want to shoot professional video with tons of editing capabilities, obviously this is not going to be your camera of choice. That said, every digital camera with basic video functions blows everything out of the water that you used to be able to find in dedicated video cameras a few years ago. So, if it's family stuff you want to shoot, the Ricoh will be more than enough. Big Head Taco did a very informative TH-cam vid on shooting video with the Ricoh. Here it is: th-cam.com/video/vKCdhxNcJPA/w-d-xo.html One thing you need to keep in mind is that the GRii does not have a view finder. You need to be able to work with the back screen. If that doesn't give you enough visual information to feel like you now what you're doing, I would recommend a camera in the same price range with an electronic view finder, such as the Fujifilm X-T20 or maybe one of those little SONYs. Enjoy!
@@JohannesLabusch Johannes Labusch, thank you for spending the time in answering my question and for recomending two alternatives cameras and for recommending 'Big Head Taco's' Video, which i found useful.
The USB cable it came with connects to the mini jack on the side of the camera.I'm not sure if that's a "Ricoh special" output, but I haven't seen it elsewhere. I recommend getting a separate charger. If you buy those Wasabi batteries, they come with a charger, which makes it possible to have one battery charge at home while you're out shooting, with another one in your camera. Hope that helps.
Yes, it is true that there are lots of cameras with retractable lens but But they all have the same problem of bringing garbage inside. Also, the automatic system that opens and exposes the lens is prone to failure. If you have to send the lens or sensor to be cleaned, you have to completely disassemble the camera completely. Few will want to do it and it is also time consuming and expensive. I can live without using this camera and opt for another one that allows me to clean the sensor if necessary and also allows me to change lenses even if they are just a little bulkier. On the other hand, I am against the candid photo, it seems to me a robbery. I prefer the Pentax Q or the Samsung NX Mini.
Glad you found gear that works for you. I fail to see how you'd ever have to clean the sensor on this Ricoh. It's NEVER exposed to dust. As for the lens, some basic hygiene with a blow ball has served me well for years. You never touch or handle the lens, so fingerprints or smudges never happen. You'd have to take this thing to the beach if you wanted to create some real problems. Have a nice day!
The word "basically" does a lot of heavy lifting in your statement, because there is a difference. Zone focussing only works in manual mode, which means that you'd have to waste time switching back to AF if you want that option.
Hi! The setting you are looking for is in the "Key custom options" menu. Hit the Menu/OK button on the back of your Ricoh, and go to the middle menu, the one with the little icon of a wheel. At the very bottom of this menu, you find the command "Restore Defaults". Click the right arrow and move the cursor to YES. Hit OK. Done!
To be honest, I've hardly ever used it for video. I think in times when your iPhone gives you amazing video, the air is getting pretty thin in that area anyway. I once took some black and white video with the Ricoh, and it looked crisp and rich in contrast. Since the camera is so tiny, it's a great choice for off-the-cuff video reporting. It doesn't do 4K of course, and it's limited to 30fps, so not exactly your semi-pro video camera. Oh, and no flippy screen, so no convenient vlogging either.
Yes, more or less. I don't keep my stuff in dusty environments, and I certainly don't take cameras to the beach, so it's never been much of an issue for me anyway. People like to find stuff to nitpick about, I guess.
My friend, thank you for your video. There are A LOT of cameras out there with retractable lenses. What makes this one more prone than others to suck in dust? Thank you!
You can set the ISO up to a value of 25600. Now, obviously at that level you have some major grain to deal with, a look certain people like, especially in black and white. I wouldn't call this a low light monster, but you can get okay-to-good results after sunset. The tiny built in flash is not a serious solution, of course. But even though it looks weird, you can attach a bigger flash, or use the little one to trigger a bigger flash that you hold in your other hand, away from the lens. It's just sort of an awkward way to shoot, but it works.
I saw the first few seconds of this video and thought " this guy " is going to bore my pants off, but " this guys " video was fairly entertaining ..... ;-) No need to pay out for an expensive Voightlander viewfinder when there are perfectly adequate ebay alternatives.
At full HD (1920x1080), you can use bitrates of 30, 25 or 24. At HD (1280x720), you can also use 50 or 60. At VGA (640x480), again only 30, 25 or 24 are available.
No, the unique Ricoh spot autofocus means that AF, even when activated, is overridden when you push all the way down. On other cameras, AF might not have time to react in time, but it would "try" anyway, so you'd end up with a blurry mess in most cases. Obviously, you could zone focus, but that means turning AF off altogether. I'm not claiming that I know enough different camera models to claim there are no others that have it, but I haven't seen it elsewhere.
Absolutely. There's been talk of a GRiii for a long time, and I'm not following the gossip sites closely, so I couldn't tell you how realistic that is, and how soon, but as soon as it hits, you'll probably be able to get a great deal on a used GR ii.
Nice review Johannes! Is the EVF you purchased comfortable to look through for spectacle wearers?, as quite obviously you are a spectacle wearer yourself Johannes, " What I mean really? is the EVF large enough to see through comfortably?"
Palm House Book Restoration Hi there! And thank you for the nice comment. It's comfortable, yes, and bright as well. But to be honest, it's not great with glasses. This is because it works best when you have it nice and close to your eye, and the distance between your glasses and your eye makes it so that you see a lot of space around the image of the view finder. Also, it can't be adjusted, its focus is fixed. So, only a good choice if your near- or farsightedness is mild. Finally, I'm sure you know this, but just to be precise: it's not an EVF (the E stands for electronic). It's an OVF (optical).
Johannes Labusch Hi there! And thank you for your reply, yes I do realise I said evf, and of course I did mean ovf! The GR is a great camera though! But I guess there is no point in getting the external ovf just because it looks nice 🤭 I have read lots of reviews and I suspected is wasn’t ideal if you wear glasses! Thanks again for the info Johannes!
@@palmhousebookrestoration3284 I use it about 50% of the time. One thing I have noticed is that it helps you hold the camera steady and frame your shot carefully. Without it, I sometimes have a tendency to "spray and pray".
I just bought the Ricoh GR digital ii. I just couldn't bring myself to pay 500 for the newer versions with the fear of dust and the purpose of carrying it in my pocket. I'm a Canon girl, owning the newest power shot, an A1-e and a Canon 50D all very beautiful cameras. I'm just a little scared that the Ricoh GRD ii isn't very good, since I don't see too many reviews on it...
DIYPhotoPro what would be the advantage? Are they half the price over there? If not, I wouldn't do it. It's an affordable camera. Why forfeit warranty protection? What am I missing?
Half the price from bought in Japan. Not available locally. With a new price of $500 for this camera, it opens up options that might not make it a good value. A used one out of Japan has got my interest. I bought a camera out of Japan before and it was not able to accept a firmware update and it turned off sporadically. I have a little apprehension.. @@JohannesLabusch
I read an unfavorable comment on a seller's site about using the Voigtlander viewfinder with glasses. Yet, I see you are wearing glasses, which I do as well. So you did not have a problem with using the viewfinder with your glasses on?
Great question. To tell you the truth, I usually take them off when I use any camera. On my Fujis, I adjust the viewfinder diopter, after auto-focussing on an object, so I know I see sharp when the camera does. On the Ricoh, your control over focus is compromised with or without the viewfinder. In that way, it's more like a point-and-shoot. I use the Voigtlander viewfinder mostly for composition when the sunlight is bright or for portraits. In both situations, I trust the Ricoh's very good AF. In all other situations, I've relied more and more on the screen lately.
Thank you! I'm a huge Fuji fan, actually. But when it comes to these little cameras, I don't think you can go wrong with either of them. I personally wouldn't spend the money for the GRiii, since it doesn't have a view finder. For that money, you could get a very nice camera with VF, like the new Fuji X-T30, which is also great for video.
The only reason I'm buying a 1700 dollar Fuji camera is to mount a 30's Leica multi lens rotating viewfinder. That, and a submarine commander's hat, and I'm good to go.
Here's the GR3 www.mirrorlessrumors.com/ricoh-announces-the-development-of-the-new-gr-iii-with-24mp-sensor/#disqus_thread It was supposed to be ready for September, but now the release will be first quarter of 2019. I hope the delay means something positive.
Thank you so much! I don't have my gr ii handy right now, but if I remember correctly, the menu is reduced to the viewing, or "play" options while the lens is closed. Makes sense, right? Enjoy!
@@JohannesLabusch If you have it with you please try making a video showing us how to use the right settings for street photography at daylight and at night as well. I have heard it is not so good for indoors (artificial light). Thanks!
I want to buy this lovely camera soon, I’m very interested in the ‘date imprint’ function which I would find useful, do you know anything about it? I can’t find any info anywhere
I'm not sure I understand your question correctly. Please let me know if I got it wrong. As you probably know, when you shoot digitally, your camera (any modern digital camera in fact) writes "meta data" into the file, which is not visible on the prints, but includes info about the camera and lens used, date and time of the shot, even location data in some cases. I believe you can make this meta data part of your print in programs like Lightroom, but I don't know how that works. I found some videos about it on TH-cam, here's one of them: th-cam.com/video/w0OFBA_vK18/w-d-xo.html Now, this video is a few years old, it's possible that this functionality has been improved in the meantime.
It actually hasn't been a huge issue for me so far. Pretty sure it won't take years of abuse, but with careful storing and handling (and not too many trips to the beach ...), I'm not that worried.
You say you don't know why more cameras don't have snap focus..... Well they all do since the beginning of time , focus your manual focus to the distance you want ( normally listed in meters on the barrel of every lens I've used ). Then don't touch it and start snapping - viola
The Giant League very clever. What makes the Ricoh snap focus unique is the fact that it overrides AF. So you don't have to switch to manual first, which in many cases would take enough time for you to lose your shot.
@@JohannesLabusch for sure for sure it is quick and pretty cool, although with my nikon i have it set to snap without autofocusing unless i half press there is a setting that does a very similar thing , most people miss or ignore , i love the GR ii though, that they put that into it.
By the way, I use my GRii mostly for B&W street photography. Anything like a viewfinder or lens hood, defeats the purpose of this camera, being mostly for "insconspicuos" street photo.
@@JohannesLabusch 1) what about using a vacuum cleaner to suck out the powder? 2) will you buy the GR III? I'm a bit concerned about the glass components number reduction in the GR III lens, really will maintain the high quality of the II lens? I'm a bit afraid that the GR III might be more a marketing product than a real need to make a step forward... or Ricoh is maybe *not* cheating like other brands? *Edit* I add also, may I ask you what about gr ii in the night shots (urban scenarios and people in the night) without flash? Apologies in advance in case of trivial questions... Nice weekend!
Funny or not, this is a good video. Two things if I may. The “this guy” reference is spot on. I love our American cousins, I’m in the UK, but this really annoys me like the thing they are talking about is a human being ffs. Second. Most of my street photography is done from the hip for fear of being caught, and I do get caught. But you never know when you see people in the street and you ask for permission to take their photos. The optical viewfinder is perfect for this and if I purchase the GR 3 I will buy this too. I hope the author doesn’t mind a cheap plug but I’m posting my Instagram user name as a good example of what I’m talking about. Thank you. Chris.mazda5mx.
I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have found your channel! I appreciate the information, but loved the delivery!! Thank you and keep the videos coming!
Sam Moore wow, what a lovely comment. Thank you so much!
This is a fine review, and really, your
English is a pleasure to hear....
I say this as an American who has
lived on "the continent" for thirty
years, often dismayed by what is
on youtube, or what is spoken by the
tourists or students, from, "like" the US. I have been thinking about a
good quality small camera for a
long time with Ricoh.high on the list. For amusement, I'll add that my
first camera was a Ricoh slr, 1960.
It was a pleasure to use it. Thank you for the video, and good speed if you start making them again.
Oh, that's so nice to hear. Thank you very much for your kind words. I am an American citizen now, but only have been for a few months. Grew up in Germany and lived in Switzerland for most of my life. If you ask me, you can't go wrong with a Ricoh, even though the current model is a bit more expensive than the GRii was. Have you considered Fujifilm? Probably my favorite brand for the last few years.
What a great way to approach the subject. Seriously helpful.
Stayed for the advice. Subscribed for the humor. Looking forward to enjoying more videos.
Bought this g... camera today, thanks for your video, very helpful
Congratulations. Enjoy!
I've been looking at getting this chap for a while, it's good to know that you can power on with the play back mode.
Nice, I've been using this camera for months and I still learnt a lot from this video. Fun video too!
I really liked your review. Very helpful. Your thumbnail made me ignore this video for so long 😅. The thumbnail is bad...the video is great 👍
Yeah, you know, I never figured out how to assign my own thumbnails. It's possible that you only get to do that upward of a certain number of subscribers/views. This video is already three years old, and I haven't continued making them. The thumbnail, ironically, is a shot from one of the videos I'm making fun of here ...
I bought the Ricoh a week ago. Thanks for the video.
Just a small point: if you shoot raw+jpeg and your intended output is black and white, it might often be worth reprocessing the monochrome from the raw file as you will have full control of how indicidual colours, or parts of the spectrum rather, are converted to greyscale.
Excellent review. Just purchased this and this is the kind of review I was looking for.
Thank you kindly! Enjoy your camera. I still love it.
Getting mine today I cannot wait
Love love love my GR it’s gotta be close to my favourite cameras of all time. The dust issue is a true bummer, that aside it’s almost perfect. I shoot mine with BW mode on and the screen off. Never thought of using a Leica 28mm viewfinder, pretty neat advice!
Great review! And that too in August 2018. Loved the video. Keep up. Cheers
Thanks so much! Will do. Appreciated.
It sucks dust when it is started up not when it stops and retracts, unless the lens barrel is badly contaminated by dust while being used. When it shuts down the lens retracts and therefore its internal volume reduces and air is pumped out.
Thank you for your video! There are HUNDREDS of cameras with retractable lenses. Why is this one different? I also purchased the leather holder for the GRii in the RICOH store in Ginza, Japan. I hold it in my belt and it has proven to be very comfortable and easy to get my camera out. I also got the leather hand strap, and it keeps perfectly when I close the holder. When doing "stealth" street photography, you better not have a viewfinder. I love my optical viewfinder in my Leica C-Lux, when using it for zooming in in the streets.
I have found that the lack of an optical view finder often results in camera shake. I have to force myself to hold the Ricoh extra steady, and press the shutter button carefully. Where it excels in my opinion is by simply holding it up to people, at fast shutter speed and a reasonably deep FOW and doing the old "spray and pray". And I've found that people don't seem to take it seriously, which is great. They think you're a feckless tourist. Exactly what you want for candid street shots!
Is anyone experiencing a glitch with the GR2 when clicking the Menu button or the rocker to access options, when the shooting dial is in certain modes like P or Auto? The Menu screen and options suddenly disappear as if I clicked the Menu button or rocker to exit
I had the same problem with the flash so many times. Thanks
That was a wonderful presentation. Thank you so much :)
So I forget what was the difference between the gr II and the grd 4
I was never interested in the gr iii. I found the price unreasonable. Maybe this helps: www.dpreview.com/forums/post/40692967
The problem with dust is the lint in your pockets. Isolate the camera from the lint, and you'll have much less of a problem. But that means another step after you reach for it. Which means, wrist strap.
Great opening. I subscribed before I saw the review.
That's very nice of you!
I just gotta my new GR II .. you've helped me a lot with your great sense of humor.. Don't shoot anyone :):) That's a good one!
This guy deserves a lot more subscribers
That's very nice of you! It would help if I made more videos ... (-:
Love the intro edit
"This guy" is nothing... It's "this bad boy" that really gets my blood boiling...
Thanks for sharing this video. I learned a couple things that this little camera can do.
OMG same thing happened with my XF10. Drove me crazy. Cause I bought it used so i didnt realize continuous was on. It took me 2 days to figure it out.
Do you have a link to this nifty voigtlander viewfinder?
I bought it here in NYC at B&H Photo. Unfortunately, it's listed as "no longer available".
You may find one on Ebay? I do remember it was pretty expensive.
Johannes - great video lots of great tips. The flash issue has been frustrating for me for a long time around 18 months.
However I have discovered that in addition to "Continuous Mode" being set to "Off" you must also have "Auto Bracket" set to "Off" too :)
I discovered this as I have often used "Effect-BKT" which allows for multiple images, using different "Effects" to be created in one shot.
e.g. Colour / B&W / Hi-contrast B&W
So once both of these are set to "Off" and you open the flash it will function properly.
Thanks again for your video - I look forward to the GRiii review! :)
Iain Taylor thanks so much Iain! I'd like to take a look at the 3, but to be honest, I can't quite imagine what it might have to offer that would justify the hefty price difference. The grii's relative affordability is an important reason why I recommend it. When we're approaching the 1000$ realm, I think a viewfinder would be a must.
I agree - they have removed the flash and made it smaller as far as I have seen so far. So we'll see.
Thanks again Iain
i've laughed so hard i accidentually pressed subscribe button
Now that's the kind of accident that warms my heart.
@@JohannesLabusch ^_^
same
Incredible content! Your channel deserves way more view!
Thank you so much! Just getting started ...
Johannes Labusch, agreed. Where are you from? Your english is too good to be american
I was born in Germany and lived in Switzerland for most of my life before moving to the US 5 years ago. I've met some people over here whose English is pretty good ... (-:
Of course I was being a little facetious regarding the US. I loved my GR digital III before i got drunk and left it somewhere at a wedding in Sao Paulo. I replaced it with a bigger camera which of course has more options but i really miss 'that guy' ha ha. I'll get another if the Rubles ever permit
Ouch, that hurts! Just letting you know: There are rumors that there'll be a GR3 soon. Maybe the rubles will be there for you the moment it comes out! Good luck.
Just bought one of these guys on steep discount as the GRIII is released this week.
Clay Adams ..I just bought one for $76 usd on eBay with 764 shutter count. 😀
They aren't really dropping in price in the UK. Still around £450 for a decent one.
Great review I have been thinking about looking for a used GRii and found one on BH. The only thing I'm not crazy about is the screen blacking out in bright sunlight,that has been a pet peeve of mine on other cameras thanks again for there view I will be refering back to this often.
Is the type of camera that you should not be worrying about looking through viewfinder
Thanks for your video! I own a GRii and I am very happy with it. Why is it that there are MANY cameras in the market with retractable lenses, and this is the only camera that people mention "the dust trap". ;-) By the way, I got my leather GR holder at the Ricoh Headquarters in Ginza, Japan.
I bought the leather case in the Ricoh headquarters in Ginza, Japan. Also, the leather hand strap.
I recently got one of this but I think mine has an issue, has anybody experienced overheating? I've notice the camera tends to heat after some minutes of being turned on, am I the only one that has experienced this or has anybody came across this issue too?
Never once. Something's wrong. Have you tried a new battery?
@@JohannesLabusch no, i just bought it brand new a couple of days ago.
@@NorbLeal You said it tends to get hot after a few minutes of being turned on. Are you taking pictures during that time, or just having it turned on? There should be an option somewhere in the menu where you can set an amount of time after which it shuts off when it's not being used. Other than that, I'd be concerned if I were you, and I'd show it to someone. Hope you bought it in a store ... good luck. Keep us posted.
Some great tips. Thanks for posting.
Great and informative video. The best I've seen on the GR II. And the guy speaks crystal clear English, and has a decent mike. An example to video-crap makers that abound all over the place. Make some more!
Great review Johannes. Funny thing you helped me figure out why the flash on my Fuji X-T20 didn't work. Thanks for that, also there may be a GRII in my future. ;~)
Ah, the X-T20. Love that little camera. Do you know Omar Gonzalez? He has a great channel, and I don't believe there is an X-T20 secret he hasn't solved. Just in case ...
Wonderful review, I am just struggling to find the viewfinder online, any suggestions?
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/725639-REG/Voigtlander_DA216B_21_25_mm_Viewfinder_Black.html?sts=pi&pim=Y
there you go, it's crazy expensive, unfortunately ...
I tried the case in a store and it did not fit. Too tight. Maybe for other GR cameras.
Thanks for a good video.
mister you are just hilarious! you got a certain benny hill vibe, i love that. nice video you got here, i am planning on getting a grii and it helps to know things beforehand.
Benny Hill! Well, I guess I'll have to use "Jackety Sax" next time ... thanks!
Great video, thanks.
any comments on GRiii ? Also what about the low light performance of GR ii/iii ?
Can anyone responsibly tell me which is the current firmware version of the Ricoh GR II ?
vasilakiz V3.00.
Thank you sir
Gary Row please show us the url you've seen this on. I see V3.00 on the Ricoh US site.
@@Super.Quasar Ah, I see where the misunderstanding is. What you are linking to is the firmware for the Ricoh GR. We are talking about the GR ii here. Thanks!
Is it safe to update the firmware?i’ve done it to my Nikons in the past but feel like this camera is very sensitive to mistakes :)
Hello Johannes Labusch.
I realy enjoyed this video you did on the Richo GR11, this camera takes fantastic black and white photos, I realy would like to buy one, but there are some people out there that say it is not very good for video, do you agree with them? I'm hoping not, because I want to take video as well.
Hi there, thanks for your nice words! It really depends what your video needs are. If you want to shoot professional video with tons of editing capabilities, obviously this is not going to be your camera of choice. That said, every digital camera with basic video functions blows everything out of the water that you used to be able to find in dedicated video cameras a few years ago. So, if it's family stuff you want to shoot, the Ricoh will be more than enough. Big Head Taco did a very informative TH-cam vid on shooting video with the Ricoh. Here it is: th-cam.com/video/vKCdhxNcJPA/w-d-xo.html
One thing you need to keep in mind is that the GRii does not have a view finder. You need to be able to work with the back screen. If that doesn't give you enough visual information to feel like you now what you're doing, I would recommend a camera in the same price range with an electronic view finder, such as the Fujifilm X-T20 or maybe one of those little SONYs. Enjoy!
@@JohannesLabusch Johannes Labusch, thank you for spending the time in answering my question and for recomending two alternatives cameras and for recommending 'Big Head Taco's' Video, which i found useful.
Dust prevention. I pull out the glass on a filter.. and just stick it in the front. Nice vids
Ryan Lio plz do a video of this
The filter glass is just glued on.
I bought one of those pre made glass pieces to glue on my gr ii and it still got dust...
C G it sucks in from sides too
@@EDHBlvd yup
Thanks so much for this lovely video! Does the Ricoh Gr2 come with a standard Mini USB cable? or it's just come with Ricoh special USB cable?
The usb connector on the gr2 is smaller than any other "standard" usb cable, but it's readily available from many vendors.
Thanks, appreciate your quick reply!
The USB cable it came with connects to the mini jack on the side of the camera.I'm not sure if that's a "Ricoh special" output, but I haven't seen it elsewhere. I recommend getting a separate charger. If you buy those Wasabi batteries, they come with a charger, which makes it possible to have one battery charge at home while you're out shooting, with another one in your camera. Hope that helps.
Yes, it is true that there are lots of cameras with retractable lens but But they all have the same problem of bringing garbage inside. Also, the automatic system that opens and exposes the lens is prone to failure. If you have to send the lens or sensor to be cleaned, you have to completely disassemble the camera completely. Few will want to do it and it is also time consuming and expensive. I can live without using this camera and opt for another one that allows me to clean the sensor if necessary and also allows me to change lenses even if they are just a little bulkier. On the other hand, I am against the candid photo, it seems to me a robbery. I prefer the Pentax Q or the Samsung NX Mini.
Glad you found gear that works for you. I fail to see how you'd ever have to clean the sensor on this Ricoh. It's NEVER exposed to dust. As for the lens, some basic hygiene with a blow ball has served me well for years. You never touch or handle the lens, so fingerprints or smudges never happen. You'd have to take this thing to the beach if you wanted to create some real problems. Have a nice day!
Very useful and thank you so much !
Why do people keep banging on about snap focus being some kind of special invention to the GR. It's basically zone focusing with a different name.
The word "basically" does a lot of heavy lifting in your statement, because there is a difference.
Zone focussing only works in manual mode, which means that you'd have to waste time switching back to AF if you want that option.
Hi!! How do I restore factory? or a hard reset? Regards!!!
Hi! The setting you are looking for is in the "Key custom options" menu. Hit the Menu/OK button on the back of your Ricoh, and go to the middle menu, the one with the little icon of a wheel. At the very bottom of this menu, you find the command "Restore Defaults". Click the right arrow and move the cursor to YES. Hit OK. Done!
If you lock the exposure can you still change the iso and aperture?
Good educational video. Good job .
Any complain about the video quality? I still find it difficult to chose between canon g7x or "this guy" hahaha sorry cant help it
To be honest, I've hardly ever used it for video. I think in times when your iPhone gives you amazing video, the air is getting pretty thin in that area anyway. I once took some black and white video with the Ricoh, and it looked crisp and rich in contrast. Since the camera is so tiny, it's a great choice for off-the-cuff video reporting. It doesn't do 4K of course, and it's limited to 30fps, so not exactly your semi-pro video camera. Oh, and no flippy screen, so no convenient vlogging either.
@@JohannesLabusch alright, thanks sir!
Thank for your video Johannes! But does it not the dust issue affects all retractable lens cameras?
Yes, more or less. I don't keep my stuff in dusty environments, and I certainly don't take cameras to the beach, so it's never been much of an issue for me anyway. People like to find stuff to nitpick about, I guess.
This Guy just became a subscriber! 😂👍👍
Let’s hope that the GR3 has the dust sealed off. We’ll know in a couple of weeks.
are they going to release a GR3, no way
Stumpycat Vm they’re supposed to be announcing something at Photokina next week.
Nice, please keep us posted if you find out first! I'd go nuts if we had a GR3...
Here's the announcement
www.mirrorlessrumors.com/ricoh-announces-the-development-of-the-new-gr-iii-with-24mp-sensor/#disqus_thread
Surprise, it doesn’t.
This guy is something special)
Aw, thanks. I really should make new videos!
My friend, thank you for your video. There are A LOT of cameras out there with retractable lenses. What makes this one more prone than others to suck in dust? Thank you!
Just wonder if the camera is any good after sunset?
You can set the ISO up to a value of 25600. Now, obviously at that level you have some major grain to deal with, a look certain people like, especially in black and white. I wouldn't call this a low light monster, but you can get okay-to-good results after sunset. The tiny built in flash is not a serious solution, of course. But even though it looks weird, you can attach a bigger flash, or use the little one to trigger a bigger flash that you hold in your other hand, away from the lens. It's just sort of an awkward way to shoot, but it works.
I'd say it's OK up to ISO 2000. Higher than that the image quality goes down.Which isn't a bad thing, actually. .
The best.
I saw the first few seconds of this video and thought " this guy " is going to bore my pants off, but " this guys " video was fairly entertaining ..... ;-)
No need to pay out for an expensive Voightlander viewfinder when there are perfectly adequate ebay alternatives.
great vid, nice tips!
Very helpful, thanks forthe video.
... and thank you for commenting! Enjoy.
where did you buy that viewfinder? looks dope!
Andriansyah Lesner I ordered it from B&H (bandh .com)
@@JohannesLabusch thank you!
Searching everywhere to find the GR II's video bitrate (mbps). Anybody know?
At full HD (1920x1080), you can use bitrates of 30, 25 or 24.
At HD (1280x720), you can also use 50 or 60.
At VGA (640x480), again only 30, 25 or 24 are available.
this "unique spot autofocus" IS that you have on any camera with manual focus lens (or af/mf switch on lens), right ? :-P
No, the unique Ricoh spot autofocus means that AF, even when activated, is overridden when you push all the way down. On other cameras, AF might not have time to react in time, but it would "try" anyway, so you'd end up with a blurry mess in most cases. Obviously, you could zone focus, but that means turning AF off altogether. I'm not claiming that I know enough different camera models to claim there are no others that have it, but I haven't seen it elsewhere.
Dust is not big issue unless you shot f11... f16 .GR ii is street camera means mostly for wide aperture.Best dust is invisible one...
I see what you mean, but hey, I would like to avoid dust in any situation if possible.
review gr iii pleaseee
great video!
Thank you so much! I should get back to making them ... really appreciated.
February, 2019... Would you still recommend that guy as an introductory street photography cam ?!
Absolutely. There's been talk of a GRiii for a long time, and I'm not following the gossip sites closely, so I couldn't tell you how realistic that is, and how soon, but as soon as it hits, you'll probably be able to get a great deal on a used GR ii.
Nice review Johannes! Is the EVF you purchased comfortable to look through for spectacle wearers?, as quite obviously you are a spectacle wearer yourself Johannes, " What I mean really? is the EVF large enough to see through comfortably?"
Palm House Book Restoration Hi there! And thank you for the nice comment. It's comfortable, yes, and bright as well. But to be honest, it's not great with glasses. This is because it works best when you have it nice and close to your eye, and the distance between your glasses and your eye makes it so that you see a lot of space around the image of the view finder. Also, it can't be adjusted, its focus is fixed. So, only a good choice if your near- or farsightedness is mild. Finally, I'm sure you know this, but just to be precise: it's not an EVF (the E stands for electronic). It's an OVF (optical).
Johannes Labusch Hi there! And thank you for your reply, yes I do realise I said evf, and of course I did mean ovf! The GR is a great camera though! But I guess there is no point in getting the external ovf just because it looks nice 🤭 I have read lots of reviews and I suspected is wasn’t ideal if you wear glasses! Thanks again for the info Johannes!
@@palmhousebookrestoration3284 I use it about 50% of the time. One thing I have noticed is that it helps you hold the camera steady and frame your shot carefully. Without it, I sometimes have a tendency to "spray and pray".
I just bought the Ricoh GR digital ii. I just couldn't bring myself to pay 500 for the newer versions with the fear of dust and the purpose of carrying it in my pocket. I'm a Canon girl, owning the newest power shot, an A1-e and a Canon 50D all very beautiful cameras. I'm just a little scared that the Ricoh GRD ii isn't very good, since I don't see too many reviews on it...
How's it going? Do you still have the grii? You like it?
Thanks for this very informative video. Would you recommend buying one of these out of Japan?
DIYPhotoPro what would be the advantage? Are they half the price over there? If not, I wouldn't do it. It's an affordable camera. Why forfeit warranty protection? What am I missing?
Half the price from bought in Japan. Not available locally. With a new price of $500 for this camera, it opens up options that might not make it a good value. A used one out of Japan has got my interest. I bought a camera out of Japan before and it was not able to accept a firmware update and it turned off sporadically. I have a little apprehension.. @@JohannesLabusch
DIYPhotoPro well, I don't blame you. That said I can't really add my own experience here. Personally, I wouldn't risk it.
Thanks
Great tiny tricks
The Ricoh Viewfinder is US$150
I read an unfavorable comment on a seller's site about using the Voigtlander viewfinder with glasses. Yet, I see you are wearing glasses, which I do as well. So you did not have a problem with using the viewfinder with your glasses on?
Great question. To tell you the truth, I usually take them off when I use any camera. On my Fujis, I adjust the viewfinder diopter, after auto-focussing on an object, so I know I see sharp when the camera does. On the Ricoh, your control over focus is compromised with or without the viewfinder. In that way, it's more like a point-and-shoot. I use the Voigtlander viewfinder mostly for composition when the sunlight is bright or for portraits. In both situations, I trust the Ricoh's very good AF. In all other situations, I've relied more and more on the screen lately.
Hilarious and informative ! Btw which would you have recommended for pure street Grii/Griii or Fuji x70 or Fuji Xt30 ?
Thank you! I'm a huge Fuji fan, actually. But when it comes to these little cameras, I don't think you can go wrong with either of them. I personally wouldn't spend the money for the GRiii, since it doesn't have a view finder. For that money, you could get a very nice camera with VF, like the new Fuji X-T30, which is also great for video.
Gr3 for me but I don't go crazy over the LCD screen I trust the camera you can also get the electronic viewfinder for this if you really want it
The only reason I'm buying a 1700 dollar Fuji camera is to mount a 30's Leica multi lens rotating viewfinder. That, and a submarine commander's hat, and I'm good to go.
Ditto on the "this guy" thing. I thought it was just me who was bothered by that.
Here's the GR3
www.mirrorlessrumors.com/ricoh-announces-the-development-of-the-new-gr-iii-with-24mp-sensor/#disqus_thread
It was supposed to be ready for September, but now the release will be first quarter of 2019. I hope the delay means something positive.
Trop drôle l'intro:):):):... i rewinded it several times
Merci beaucoup!
“This guy” is hilarious! 😆
Great review. Just forgot to mention that the menu is different when you have the lens opened.
Thank you so much! I don't have my gr ii handy right now, but if I remember correctly, the menu is reduced to the viewing, or "play" options while the lens is closed. Makes sense, right? Enjoy!
@@JohannesLabusch If you have it with you please try making a video showing us how to use the right settings for street photography at daylight and at night as well. I have heard it is not so good for indoors (artificial light). Thanks!
I want to buy this lovely camera soon, I’m very interested in the ‘date imprint’ function which I would find useful, do you know anything about it? I can’t find any info anywhere
I'm not sure I understand your question correctly. Please let me know if I got it wrong. As you probably know, when you shoot digitally, your camera (any modern digital camera in fact) writes "meta data" into the file, which is not visible on the prints, but includes info about the camera and lens used, date and time of the shot, even location data in some cases. I believe you can make this meta data part of your print in programs like Lightroom, but I don't know how that works. I found some videos about it on TH-cam, here's one of them: th-cam.com/video/w0OFBA_vK18/w-d-xo.html Now, this video is a few years old, it's possible that this functionality has been improved in the meantime.
The one thing stopping me from gr... The dust
It actually hasn't been a huge issue for me so far. Pretty sure it won't take years of abuse, but with careful storing and handling (and not too many trips to the beach ...), I'm not that worried.
I wish i can buy it one day
You say you don't know why more cameras don't have snap focus..... Well they all do since the beginning of time , focus your manual focus to the distance you want ( normally listed in meters on the barrel of every lens I've used ). Then don't touch it and start snapping - viola
The Giant League very clever. What makes the Ricoh snap focus unique is the fact that it overrides AF. So you don't have to switch to manual first, which in many cases would take enough time for you to lose your shot.
@@JohannesLabusch for sure for sure it is quick and pretty cool, although with my nikon i have it set to snap without autofocusing unless i half press there is a setting that does a very similar thing , most people miss or ignore , i love the GR ii though, that they put that into it.
You rock!
By the way, I use my GRii mostly for B&W street photography. Anything like a viewfinder or lens hood, defeats the purpose of this camera, being mostly for "insconspicuos" street photo.
Great video i've just got this guy too....;)
Very sensitive comments 🌱
I like so much this video, really helpful! I'm afraid I'll ask you more info! :)
Go ahead; not sure I have more info to give, but ... let's see what happens. (-:
@@JohannesLabusch 1) what about using a vacuum cleaner to suck out the powder? 2) will you buy the GR III? I'm a bit concerned about the glass components number reduction in the GR III lens, really will maintain the high quality of the II lens? I'm a bit afraid that the GR III might be more a marketing product than a real need to make a step forward... or Ricoh is maybe *not* cheating like other brands?
*Edit*
I add also, may I ask you what about gr ii in the night shots (urban scenarios and people in the night) without flash? Apologies in advance in case of trivial questions... Nice weekend!
And *yes* : there are people using a vacuum cleaner (low power 😉) to suck *out* powder from the camera after each shooting session! Regards.
Hi hate "without further ado" I fucking hate it. Ricoh fantastic camera. GR3 is coming with sensor shake.
Funny or not, this is a good video. Two things if I may. The “this guy” reference is spot on. I love our American cousins, I’m in the UK, but this really annoys me like the thing they are talking about is a human being ffs. Second. Most of my street photography is done from the hip for fear of being caught, and I do get caught. But you never know when you see people in the street and you ask for permission to take their photos. The optical viewfinder is perfect for this and if I purchase the GR 3 I will buy this too. I hope the author doesn’t mind a cheap plug but I’m posting my Instagram user name as a good example of what I’m talking about. Thank you. Chris.mazda5mx.
Hey, wheres the hot guy in the preview image?!
this guy 😂
Black and White definitely not an effect lol