Why Ricoh GR will be my next camera for Street Photography

On the first episode of the Street Photography Show I declared that I want a Ricoh GR III and I am ready to sell the F. XPro2 to get it. Now I explain my reasons.

In the past I have already worked with compact cameras for most of my work as a street photographer: from the Panasonic Lumix LX3 to the Canon G10, from the Ricoh GRD IV to Leica X2. What a compact camera offers you in terms of discretion and invisibility, no camera ranging from rangefinder to reflex can offer you. And this can indeed be a salvation in many cases.

Despite having photographed with reflex cameras and range finders in difficult places such as popular neighborhoods and the subways, a compact camera, a real compact camera really allows no one to notice you. Most of the time people doesn’t look to someone with a camera that is small as a mobile phone and they think you are not going to make something…uh…professional that can be an issue most of the time.

If in these least ears I switched to bigger cameras is because the performance were better. When I photographed with those compact cameras the main issue was a very slow autofocus and a smaller sensor but now things are changed. Only with Ricoh and the snap mode I was able to work with a compact camera in a perfect way on the street.

Ricoh, and not only ricoh, are now proposing cameras with an APS-C sensor that is great because I need a sensor allowing me the minimum in terms of print quality.

But these more technical considerations aside the real reason is that when I photograph with a camera with a viewfinder the approach changes. And so when I use a compact camera. Both are ways of doing street photography. they are simply different. By using a compact camera with a 28mm my way of thinking changes, and therefore the approach also changes. While other photographers would never be able to without a viewfinder, I'm fine with it.

As I said some posts before I don’t need to pose as a photographer. In fact, the opposite is quite true: the less I look like a photographer, the better I work. Now I get excited at the thought of working with a Ricoh GR. Counting with an APS-C sensor, a reliable focus system with the snap mode will be a great asset for my photography because at the same time I will gain by working with a camera that is light, small and inconspicuous.

I know perfectly what a Ricoh camera is. I know also about the issue that many photographer put as a cons when it comes to Ricoh: for some it is a vacuum cleaner due to its retractable lens system. I am aware of this problem but I took the GRD IV to the beach and some sand also entered me but then it continued to work perfectly. By being careful not to keep it stored in an extremely dusty place and keeping the bag clean, there should be no particular problems.

I want to switch to a smaller system for my street photography. While I am OK with my Canon for other works and sometimes also for street photographs. I want also free me from the F. system. I don’t need anymore that, but I will continue to use it until I will make this switch.