Ricoh New GR Apparently

There's a leaked image of the new GR:
ricoh_grii_f001.jpg

Looks like we don't get a faster lens, and the flash is still there. But then again there seems to be a "hump". I wonder if it's for a viewfinder or a hinge?
 
As much as I love my GR, I'm not interested. Wifi and NFC just doesn't make it for me. Faster AF would be nice, but to be honest, I've been happy with the old 'slow' one. If it had faster lens or different focal length, I would have been interested. But then again the size would probably have gone up too, which is no no to me...
 
I carry my GR every day. It is my constant and trusty companion in adventures of a photographic nature. I love it to bits - but this is evolution not revolution and there is nothing here to encourage me to "upgrade". Weatherproofing would, as would a larger sensor, but "social" functionality, that eats battery life, leaves me cold.

As to hinges, they are great on doors, but they have no place on a camera of mine; I currently have two with that "feature" - X-T1 and X-M1 - but I have sorted them out with the judicious application of some black insulating tape...
 
More scene modes ! Looks like it's all down hill from now on.
Ok I use bleach bypass and high contrast b&w now and again. Yes weather proofing would have been nice.
 
The more I think about this "upgrade" the more depressed I get. It's for snappers not photographers. The GR series has, since film days (I had a GR1v) been quite uncompromising - not the "easy" choice; a bit expensive, a bit quirky, a bit niche, but carved from a solid block and fettled by photographers for photographers. The GRII has the air of something that has been got at by both the marketeers ("make it easier and more FUN to share your pix!") and the bean-counters ("tweak the software, keep the sensor the same - who needs a bigger one, anyway?").

Depressing. Might go out at lunchtime and shoot with my proper GR...
 
When I'm on assignment, I backup the morning's photos at lunch to my iPad via an SD card reader and then pick one or two to post online for family, friends, and readers. While serviceable, I can lose the dongle (done that before) and the process slows down when the card fills up. I've tried Eye-Fi cards and they've been notoriously unreliable.

For me, in 2015, I want WiFi or Bluetooth in my gear, as do other bloggers, photographers, and writers for whom being social and realtime are job requirements not nice-to-haves. This more important to me than an extra 4 megapickles or a FF sensor or an extra stop of low light performance/dynamic range. If that makes me a snapper, so be it.
 
Last edited:
John, I agree. I find wifi to be a very nice feature, though not indispensable for me. Having said that, it certainly would not compel me to spend the cash for the new GR. I was hoping the "update" would drive down prices of original GR on the used market, but now I wonder if the opposite might be true!

As I said a few posts back, it is hard to see the upgrade path for this camera, as it is so solid to begin with. And the brand equity is around simplicity and a focus on what matters, not tons of bells & whistles. Until the sensor is improved or a faster lens is implemented I imagine a lot of users will remain happy with their first gen GRs. And there is nothing wrong with that.
 
Huh. This update is a little underwhelming for me too.

Who knows, maybe they did make some improvement on dust sealing and not call it out as a feature? I would count that one as a big improvement over the previous.
 
When I'm on assignment, I backup the morning's photos at lunch to my iPad via an SD card reader and then pick one or two to post online for family, friends, and readers. While serviceable, I can lose the dongle (done that before) and the process slows down when the card fills up. I've tried Eye-Fi cards and they've been notoriously unreliable.

For me, in 2015, I want WiFi or Bluetooth in my gear, as do other bloggers, photographers, and writers for whom being social and realtime are job requirements no nice-to-haves. This more important to me than an extra 4 megapickles or a FF sensor or an extra stop of low light performance/dynamic range. If that makes me a snapper, so be it.

The Mrs requires this (not "needs," "requires") for her business shots. When we're out documenting a new city or an event /ride for her website, she needs shots hitting Instagram in real time. There's a stream of fellow photographers doing the same, and online attention on the event now peaks during the event, not the next morning when everyone's gone home, downloaded and tweaked and sorted, and is now posting about it. Miss the stream, and it largely dries up. Catch the stream, and suddenly you get a flood of like-minded eyeballs who say "oh who's THIS posting good pictures of the event?" And they become followers. She's usually strongly pressuring me to just shoot with the iphone, for how much easier it is, so the wifi in the XT is all that saves me and allows me to shoot a "real" camera. Literally the first break we get, she says "ok gimme" and we throw pics from the cam to my phone, and off they go with hashtags.

And bill your fear of hinges is a clinical problem that probably will have a pill available in our lifetime. Viva La Hinge! :)
 
I am not disappointed in any way.
A minor upgrade for sure. Nonetheless it keeps the GR concept alive.
Perhaps Ricoh are putting many resources into the full frame Pentax.

I had been looking hard at Wifi cards for the existing GR. Not for social media use, but merely ease of data transfer when out.
This has Wifi built in and the WiFi is a fairly extensive, offering a tethered control though any web browser. Something I may dabble with.
The wireless flash support is another thing to play with creatively, I have some ideas for that already.

There is fairly detailed review here - Ricoh GR II Review

I am not skipping this iteration. I likely will be IN on this one too.
About the only thing would make me reconsider is if Nikon release a Coolpix A major upgrade.

I'd be keeping my existing GR as a spare too.
 
Back
Top