Is this one of the best Street Photography cameras available?
This is a camera, that I believe, a lot of street photographers have been waiting to see, what Ricoh did with the upgrade.
The answer to that question, has arrived in the from of the new Ricoh GR IV camera.
The Ricoh GR range of cameras has been popular, with street photographers for its easy of use and simplicity.
Working with a camera like this on the street, you tend to throw it around more and definitely do not appear to be a professional photographer while using it.
One advantage of the GR camera, is that you are never bringing the camera up to your eye, when making images, you are just casually pointing it in any direction while using it. This for the shy or nervous street photographer, makes it an easy camera to work with.
The verdict, is for now out on how much of an upgrade this camera is, for street photographers, as we have not even seen one yet. So far the details look good and it could be a fine camera to use. For those photographers, who like a casual relaxed style of street photography.
Redesigned 18.3mm lens -with a new optical structure of 7 elements in 5 groups (including 3 aspherical) that promise improved sharpness, resolution, and overall image quality.
53GB of internal storage
Internal Storage
As a Leica M11 user, I have really learned to love cameras with internal storage. With the Ricoh GR IV now including 53GB internal storage this is a useful feature to be added to the camera. The other media storage change, is that the camera now uses a micro SD card, instead of a regular SD card as a backup. I am in two minds on this, and only a test of the camera will tell how this plays out. However, if it works well and keeps the camera small and compact, then I think this is a good option, for a removable card in this camera.
Lens is still 28mm equivalent
The 18.3mm lens has been redesigned, it is a 28mm focal length equivalent which means that as it is a 18.3mm one on a APC sensor. It will give great depth of field, even bigger than that which you would get from a 28mm, for any given aperture. This really is useful for those street photographers, who love to have large areas of their images sharp, across the frame. I am one of those photographers, who likes having subject and background rendered in the image, so this is really appealing to me.
Camera Review Links
As we have not had the chance to review this camera yet. When we get to look at how this camera works specifically for street photographers we will do so. In the meantime, below are a collection of camera review links, so you can see what others think of this camera.
Let us know in the comments below, what you think of this new Ricoh GR camera.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this camera, Will you consider buying one, has the price gone up to much from the previous version, or does it have enough compelling features, to get you to consider buying one or upgrading from your much loved existing Ricoh GR digital camera?
As a Leica user I have been using Leica Rangefinder camera since the Leica M9, the original full frame digital rangefinder camera first came out. I have now used and owned all Leica M digital cameras (except for the Leica M10-R).
Red Dot Cameras contacted me the day the Leica M11 was released, on the 13th January 2022. I was lucky to be able to pick up the Leica M11, that day. After a brief conversation with Terry, the Editor of Professional Photography Magazine, who said he would be interested in a camera review for the M11.
I am convinced that using a Leica Rangerfinder camera is a different experience, to that of using either a DSLR or Mirrorless camera. It is partly down to the rangefinder, as you see the world outside the framelines enabling you to make ver quick decisions on your composition.
The downside of a rangefinder over a mirrorless camera is that there is no live histogram in the viewfinder. So you need to be aware of the exposure settings prior to making the image and in fast changing light situations your manual settings, might not be so good. I do find that sometimes if the light is changing a lot, because of clouds or where I am, then often for speed I use aperture priority mode to get the image. I am also convinced that the little dial under your thumb in your right hand when set to Exposure compensation is invaluable to get accurate exposures, when in aperture priority mode.
Manual Focus, I hear you say.
But the camera only does manual focus, no multipoint auto tracking autofocus. How do yo ever get your focus where you want it. I also use a Mirrorless camera and that is a pain getting the autofocus point where I want it as well. especially in fast moving and changing environments like street photography. I find with zone focusing I can be more accurate than I am with my mirrors camera. This is not just with the Leica M11 but for any rangefinder camera.
Lessons learnt since the original article.
I have since I published this article learnt even more about how I use the camera and even brought a second Leica M11 one with a. monochrome sensor.
The thing with the Leica M11 that I have learnt is that it really punishes you if your camera handling is sloppy. As in you give the camera and camera shake or movement while making an image. The sensor is a 61 Megapixel sensor with no image stabilisation. So consequently any camera moment shows up in the images. FO this reason I have taken to working with the camera at higher shutter speeds (and ISO’s) to freeze my motion especially when making images on the streets as I am invariably moving or slowing to a stop to make an image so faster shutter speeds have helped me to achieve crisp sharp images. Whereas when I was using the Leica M10 at 24megapixels this was not such a problem.
The other issue is diffraction, as I no longer tend to try for f11 depth of field. I now tend to use f5.6 or f8, to have the lenses that I am using, at their sweet spot of good depth of field for zone focusing and optimal optical image quality.
And for Street Photography?
Taking what I have learnt about the Leica M11, since I first got it, especially in relation to using it to make street photography images. I touched upon the camera handling aspect above. I now tend to use the camera at higher ISO’s, than I originally used too. As I work on the streets of London and often find my subjects are not in direct sun. To get sharp images I need to use higher shutter speeds than I used with the M10, because of the higher mega pixel count images that this camera is creating. For this reason, I now regularly work at 1/1000th of a second.
Whereas with the M10/M240 with their 24mega pixel sensors, I would often work at 1/250th or 1/500th. I also often now work at f5.6 or f8 (depending on how much light I have) whereas I would often, be working with f11. Now, I work more with a little shallower depth of field, while still sufficient to zone focus, if I am careful. This means, I am invariably using higher ISO’s, which on the M11 are okay and if they are not, then I use DxO’s PureRaw or PhotoLab to process my high ISO images.
Settings
Settings I have discovered that I prefer is that I have now taken to having the camera set to stay away from standby mode for as long as possible. As the time it takes to wake up, can be a pain when I want to use the shutter button, when it is in standby mode, it is a little slow to fire. It is actually seems quicker to have the camera turned off and restart it, than to awaken it from standby mode. I now set both my M11’s to:
Camera Settings -> Power Saving Mode -. Camera Standby -> 60 mins. So they do not go into standby mode so quickly, when I am using my camera.
I also use Auto ISO more now than I used to, as the ISO performance of both the regular M11 and particularly the M11M is sufficient for my needs most of the time.
Wrap/Skin for the M11
You may have noticed the rather bashed up looking Leica M11 with strange marking at the top of this article. That came about because, I decided that I missed having a black M11 camera. So I solved that, by not trading in the camera (waste of money), but by buying a skin that completely covered the camera. However, as I have a camera that is chrome the edges of the wrap/skin show through, so it makes my ‘Black” M11 look well battered and used. Which, was not the intended effect.
I have found subsequently that when out on the streets, I am even less worried about the camera, as people look at it as an old battered camera. And are even less inclined, to be bothered by me making images of them, on the streets. It is kinda cool and I have really grown to love the look of the “battered” M11. If I do sell the camera I will need to take the wrap/skin off so any potential new owners can see the condition of the camera.
Now most people say that owning a Leica is an expensive thing. I admit at first glance it is, as the initial price of the camera is lets say it not that cheap. An if you buy Leica lens then even more. You can buy Zeiss or Voigtlander lens which are cheaper and often nearly as good or sometimes even better than the Leica ones. I personally have a nice set of lens borough over a longish time period and I am lucky enough to have been able to afford them.
Now down to real prices. I brought my M11 for £7500.00 If I was to sell it right now I could probable get between £5000.00 and £5500.00. Which means that over the past three years that I have had the camera it will have depreciated about £2500 which is about £850-00 per year. I anticipate selling it for less when the M12 comes out, or if I decide that the M12 has not moved the features along that much. I might for the first time, skip a generation of M camera and wait for the M13, when it comes out. This would then mean that I will have an even longer time using the camera and the cost of ownership per year, will reduce a little more.
Leica Lens, Cost of Ownership
I also have one or two lens Leica that I brought new that are now worth as much as what I paid for them so if I ever decided to sell those they will not have cost me any depreciation. I also have a few Leica lens bright second hand and those are now worth more that I paid for them so considering second hand Leica Lens for a Leia M digital camera is actually a good idea, as they mostly hold there value.
Leica Visoflex 2 Viewfinder
I also in tricky lighting situations use the electronic Leica Visoflex 2 viewfinder, as this enables me to have a mirrorless camera experience of being able to pre-visualise my exposure thought the viewfinder then I can chose to use either the electronic viewfinder or the optical rangefinder. The disadvantage of the viewfinder is that it makes the camera more like all the other DSLR and Mirrorless cameras as you can only photograph what you see through the viewfinder. However, if I am using this viewfinder it does save the issue that plagues the Leica M cameras. that of inaccurate Framelines. So on balance having the Visoflex 2 viewfinder sitting on top of the camera while it ruins the sleek lines of the camera. It actually enables the best of bot worlds an electronic viewfinder and by shifting your eye you also have the optical rangefinder there ready to use.
Final Thoughts
I still find that using the Leica M system, while sometimes it almost feels like a cult of dedicated, enthusiastic, camera focused, more money to spend than makes sense, fanatics, it is still the best camera ,for me to carry every day, in most weathers, to be out in the world observing life, as it is lived around me. The camera, still gets out of the way sufficiently, for me to focus on the essentials of Shutter Speed, ISO, Aperture and more importantly observation, so I can fully engage with the world around me. While documenting what I see with a smallish electronic box.
Will I trade in, for a future Leica M12?
Who knows, as I do not have a clue what the future Leica M12 will look like. I doubt it will have an electronic viewfinder, I do think they might have an issue finding the right sensor to go in the next generation of digital M cameras, as it does not need anymore megapixels. The only two things that I really want for the next Leica M digital rangefinder, to have is even better high ISO performance so I can get out into the world more, in dark situations where the interesting things happen in life.
A camera that can get out of the way and let me concentrate on making images while letting me zone focus it with no visible noise at 50,000 to 100,000 ISO would be great. Would I be able to focus it in those low light situations, maybe but if I can zone focus at f5.6 or f8 then yes please.
The other thing is a faster turn on time and faster wake from sleep time, I want to be able to press the shutter and have the camera make the image. Just like I can do on my Leica MA.
