Ricoh GXR M Mount Review (Phoblographer) + Shutter noise Vid

vincechu

Veteran
The Phoblographer's review of the GXR M Mount is up:

Review: Ricoh GXR with A12 Leica M Mount Module at The Phoblographer

I like his honest writing style and found the review very informative.

The camera's IQ seems very good, very clean with lots of detail at ISO3200 which is the max ISO - so clean I'm suprised there's no ISO 6400. Headroom also very good.Seems like a very good Leica back up, though personally I'd need to try out focusing before buying it.

Here's a vid of the shutter noise: <iframe width="560" height="345" src="
" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Pretty quiet and some say Leica like? but remember it does have a silent electronic shutter option
 
The shutter noise seems quiet, but not as much as I had hoped. I would have preferred to hear it with the lens on, as that would have damped it. It's nice to see a GXR being turned on with no whining lens extension sound, though!

I just watched the video again but turned the volume down so the background hum was just inaudible. The shutter is a lot quieter and less obtrusive, but I would still like to hear it with the lens on, and a demo of the electronic shutter.

The review is very interesting and mostly positive, but I am a bit wary of the manual focus issues he mentioned, like the camera saying it was in focus when it was in fact not.

I'm still looking forward to this very, very much. Only a few more days, and then with luck my dealer will have one for me soon after.
 
I was wary to hear about the MF issues too. However I revisited his site and read some comments, it seems that he's missed some of the manual focus assist functions. So fingers crossed the camera will be much easier to focus in practice.

Be sure to share your experiences if indeed you get one :)
 
I thought the video review was strange. He kept saying, "look, everything is in focus." And then he'd say, "but it looks a little soft." And then he'd say "that the focus is a little off."

Any M-module users that can give us your 2 cents on whether or not the MF assist aids in the M-module are working properly?
 
They work properly for me, but like any MF system it requires practice to get used to. I will say a couple of things though...

  • Mode 2 works better than Mode 1, but then you lose the ability to see the image well. It works better in brighter lighter.
  • In really bright sunlight it is very hard to see the EVF well enough to focus accurately.
  • Very thin DoF can be a challenge to focus 100% accurately, but then again, practice.
  • This is not for sports (and really hard for kids).

To be honest, I have not spent as much time as I hoped by now with the Mount unit. Nonetheless, I am extremely impressed.

r0012257_800px.jpg
 
Yes, they do. Mode 2 is most useful. Mode 1 is not particularly easy to use. the magnified view is both irritating and largely un-necessary. It certainly screws up composition. The EVF is essential in bright light.

The shutter sound is quieter than a Leica II, but like the crack of doom compared to an M2 or M7. The lens on the front does make a difference; the denser it is the better. My FM3a sounds like a rifle shot with plastic bodied Nikon lenses mounted, but stick on an Elmarit and you could mask it with a consumptive cough. The same lenses on the GXR are a tad less effective at damping sound, but then they have a large volume of air inside due to the Novoflex adaptor. A solid M lens reduces the noise further. Bear in mind that there is also a "silent shutter" mode.

Fact is, stealth is all in the mind. Cameras don't attract attention, photographers do, in their movements and attitude.


Bill
 
I don't have the M module but have used it. Mode 2 is easy.
I am with Bill on the EVF. I have not had an issue in any light.
I don't like using it for other reasons but it works fine, for me.
 
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