The Online Photographer

Using the Ricoh GR Digital III at ISO 1600 for B&W

By Mitch Alland

The Ricoh GR Digital III

Let's start with the bottom line: for my work, the new Ricoh GR Digital III produces ISO 1600 files that are greatly improved over those of the GR Digital II. The GRD III files have much better image quality in terms of noise and dynamic range, improvements that are revealed dramatically when processing to achieve the high contrast look that I like. GRD III raw files (DNG) can be substantially "roughed up" while maintaing a longer and more attractive mid-tone range. With the GRD II I could only rarely achieve the look that I wanted without the files falling apart: my experience was that only a small proportion of ISO 1600 files shot with the GRD II were usable. Similarly, the image quality of the original GRD, which could produce only JPEG files at ISO 1600, was also much inferior to the image quality of the GRD III's raw files.

GRD III, 21mm converter, ISO 1600, ƒ/1.9

GRD III, ISO 1600, ƒ/1.9

Ricoh has made a huge step forward in the GRD III. The improvement in ISO 1600 files parallels the improvement in lower-lower ISO files that if wrote about in my review of the camera on the Rangefinder Forum.

However, with the GRD III's fast ƒ/1.9 lens there is also less need to shoot at ISO 1600 than there was with the earlier versions of this camera (the GRD II had an ƒ/2.4 lens). The following picture, taken in dark lighting, I would previously have shot at ISO 1600, but the faster ƒ/1.9 lens of the GRD III encouraged me to try ISO 400: the slight motion blur (1/55 sec. shutter speed), for me, does not detract from the mood of the photograph.

GRD III, ISO 400, ƒ/1.9

Exposure for night shots is another issue, as one usually faces a high contrast situation. With street lighting the tendency is often to overexpose, particularly using high-ISO on a digital camera whose files usually don't take well to lightening (dodging). When I started shooting with the GRD III I discovered that using manual spot exposure, rather than aperture priority multi exposure, I generally got better exposures.

Manual exposure on the GRD III uses the same method as the GRD II: by pressing the "rocker button" the camera immediately centers the needle on the suggested exposure, and one can then use the ADJ lever to increase or decrease the shutter speed. Viewing the LCD allows you to select the best exposure for the subject that can been seen easily and accurately when using the LCD for framing, which is what I do in any case.

Using manual spot exposure I find that my shots are more correctly exposed and the exposure is generally less than I was getting by using aperture priority multi exposure together with an EV adjustment. The fact  that the manual exposure method leads to less overexposure for night scenes is important because these are shot at high ISO, which has less dynamic range than lower ISO shots. My feeling is that people generally tend to overexpose night shots by letting the exposure meter do its 18% gray thing, without adjusting sufficiently for the reality that the night is not 18% gray. The following picture is, in my view, a reasonable representation of the the general darkness of the actual street scene.

GRD III, ISO 1600, ƒ/1.9

Fast and wide
You will note that the first photograph in this post was shot with the 21mm wide converter. In my RFF post on the 21mm converter, I wrote that this was an excellent lens and a cheap way of getting an effective field of view of 21mm with ƒ/1.9. Fast 21mm lenses are not common and are expensive: for example, it's only recently that Leica has gone beyond ƒ/2.8 for its 21mm lenses, and its current 21mm ƒ/1.4 lens costs US$6,000.

Here is another picture that benefits from the 21mm FOV, complete with some motion blur that I feel adds to its expressiveness:

GRD III, 21mm converter, ISO 1600, ƒ/1.9

You will note a good amount of grain in most of the pictures above. When contrast is enhanced, just as with film, digital photographs increase "grain." From the following photograph you can can an idea of how ISO 1600 from the GRD III can look if contrast is not increased strongly.

GRD III, ISO 1600, ƒ/1.9

Finally, unlike most digital cameras, the Ricoh GR Digital III might under-rate ISO somewhat, which means that the performance of this camera set at ISO 1600 is actually higher than 1600, which would make it even more impressive. Indeed the overall performance of the GRD III helps validate the idea of the small-sensor camera as a new, serious format, in the way that 35mm was a new format when the first Leica was introduced.

Mitch

U.K. links:
Ricoh GR Digital III Digital Camera
Ricoh GW-2 wide converter

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Panasonic GF1 vs. Olympus E-P1, Part II

Part I is here.

Using cameras is fun for me. I've told the story before that when a younger cousin got a Disc [sic] camera for Christmas, years ago, I borrowed it and shocked her by using up all the film she got with it (three Discs, which might normally have been expected to last her until about June) by the end of the day. When my younger brother showed up on summer vacation with an early digital camera, I frequently requisitioned it. I thoroughly enjoy mucking about with cameras.

Both the Panasonic GF1 and the Olympus E-P1 with their respective "pancake" primes are a delight to use. They're fast, portable, unobtrusive, and easy to handle. I frequently carried one or the other around in the pocket of a chuck roast jacket and slipped it in and out to make a quick pic whenever the spirit moved me. Most of the time no one around me was the wiser, and if they noticed, they didn't care. The cameras aren't big enough or serious-looking enough to be threatening.

Out of the pocket, turn on, snap, back in the pocket. Elapsed time, about four seconds.

It's a particular style of play...er, shooting, of course, and it might not be to every photographer's taste...

Olympus E-P2—New Version with EVF

The BJoP (British Journal of Photography, the oldest continuous photo publication in the world) is reporting this morning that Olympus will ship the second iteration of its popular PEN cameras soon. Basically, they've made a new tiltable clip-on EVF for the hot shoe, and, because it cannot be used on the E-P1, they had to make a new version of the camera for it—so they made a black one. The E-P2 also does focus tracking and shoots faster at 3 fps.

The new EVF makes the camera, er...a different shape.

Available in late December or early January. Estimated street price in a kit with the new EVF and either the 17mm or 14-42mm zoom lens is $1100. The full press release is available on Akihabara News.

You can pre-order the kit with the EVF and the zoom from Amazon, or the kit with the EVF and the 17mm. (It's not yet listed on Amazon U.K.)

Mike
(Thanks to Abbazz)

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Panasonic GF1 vs. Olympus E-P1, Part I

The two cameras sitting on the turntable

I've had both the Panasonic GF1 and Olympus E-P1 Micro 4/3rds cameras here for the past several weeks (the Panasonic for longer than the Olympus), so I thought I'd share a few of my reactions. Unfortunately, this post is likely to disappoint to some people because I haven't got much to say about image quality yet, for reasons I'll explain. If you're already deep into the task of learning to eke the best image quality out of one of these cameras, you're way ahead of me, and I won't be of any help to you. Sorry. I've been playin'.

However, on the good side, mine won't be our last word(s) on the subject (maybe not even from me). We've already published a field report of the GF1 written by Edward Taylor, and both Eamon Hickey and Ctein have been using E-P1's and are likely to weigh in on that camera in the near(ish) future (although that's not a promise; whether either of them wants to write about that camera, or any camera, is up to them). Still, I thought I might report a few of my own impressions, such as they are. I have not tested the cameras, merely used them. I'll proceed here by looking at a number of factors and picking which camera I think is better in each category. Then, tomorrow or Friday, I'll write a short summary of what the cameras are like to use and whether they meet my old "DMD" criteria, and talk a bit about my own personal choice between the two.

I used the single-focal length "pancake" lenses (Olympus's M. Zuiko 17mm ƒ/2.8 [$295] and Panasonic's Lumix G 20mm ƒ/1.7 ASPH. [$400]) exclusively.

Warning: bloviation alert. This post goes on for a while.

Large Sensors in Small Cameras

Before last month's PhotoPlus Expo, PDN's technology specialist, Dan Havlik, talked to three of the four makers of large-sensor compacts—Sigma, Olympus and Leica (Leica included on the basis of the upcoming X1)—"to find out what was so tough about putting a large image sensor into a small camera body." He also asked what the future might hold in this new product category. Check out "Small Camera, Big Sensors, Serious Challenges" at pdngearguide.com for his report.

Mike

Canon 1D Mark IV Announced

As you're probably already aware if you follow such things, Canon has announced the latest upgrade to its high-speed "photojournalist" flagship camera, the EOS 1D, moving from Mk. III status to Mk. IV.

For a brief executive summary of the changes, try Lori Grunin's article on the Crave Gadget blog at cnet news. A very brief pull: "The reputation of the EOS' AF system has taken a beating over the past couple of years, and Canon seems to have pulled out the stops to redeem itself...."

For a more in-depth but still digestibly pithy overview, look to Rob Galbraith's article.

The nutshell-nutshell version: 16 MP vs. the Mark III's 10; 1080p HD video similar to that of the new 7D; Nikon D3s-matching 2-stop boost in the highest ISO; and $5,000 vs. the Mark III's $4,000 (although remaining stocks of the Mark III are mildly discounted now). Somewhat surprisingly to me, the new Canon retains the oddball APS-H 1.3X-factor sensor size. Are Canon-shooting p-js just used to it?

The new camera is expected to ship in December. It's available for pre-order on Amazon, although Amazon warns that demand will be high and supplies from the manufacturer will be limited.

Mike

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GF1 Madness

For those of you besotted with the GF1, the clip-on EVF (officially, the "Panasonic DMW-LVF1 External Live Viewfinder") is now available for pre-order from Amazon. The price is $200.

Oh, and this is fun:

Mike
(Thanks to John Camp)

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Panasonic GF1 Field Report

The Future of Compact Cameras?

By Edward Taylor

A little history
Back in the days of film, photographers had their SLRs and big lenses, but also had the option of carrying with them a small camera that was capable of taking photos that were comparable to the ones taken with their big kits. Everything from a Canonet to a Leica M series camera was small enough to carry all day, and was quick and capable. Some photographers did their best work with these smaller rangefinder cameras and skipped the big SLRs altogether.

That all ended when digital took over. DSLRs have been capable of making outstanding images for some time, but the smaller, more pocketable digital cameras (though pretty amazing in their own right) have not been able to compete in terms of image quality or responsiveness. The main reason: small cameras had small sensors, slow focusing, and longer write times. We kept asking for a small, quick camera with a bigger sensor capable of making images as good as a DSLR, but no one listened. Then, out of the blue, Sigma announced the DP1, and joyfulness spread over the world of photo enthusiasts. Initially, I liked the DP1 because it did produce DSLR-like images, but the camera was way too slow and had too many shortcomings for me to sustain my excitement.

The Micro 4/3rds format seemed like the next logical place to look for a more responsive, larger sensor, carry-around camera (often referred to as a "decisive-moment digital" or DMD here on TOP), but the first few cameras in the Micro 4/3rds format (Panasonic G1 and GH1) were mini DSLRs with only a slight size advantage over what was already available. They were very good cameras, but I wondered if they represented a side-step or even a step backwards in our quest to get a higher quality, small carry-around camera.

 

Olympus E-P1
Then, Olympus announced the E-P1, a small Micro 4/3rds camera that looked like a 1950s-style half-frame SLR. The E-P1 generated a tremendous amount of press—mostly positive. I immediately ordered one. By the time it arrived, some of the luster had already worn off. I had read that images were of DSLR quality, but that the focusing was slow and the camera was not as responsive as it should be. And it had no flash. As it turned out, though, I felt the camera is quite usable and the image quality is very good. The E-P1 is solid and has the feel of the rangefinder film cameras of old. I was pretty happy with my E-P1, but I did miss a few shots because of slow response time, and I started to miss having a built-in flash for fill. The LCD screen was not that great, either. But, what I found most annoying was that it seemed impossible to avoid turning the wheels and dials while simply holding the camera. Settings would change all the time, ruining many pictures. I still like the camera, overall, but when the Panasonic GF1 was announced, I ordered one of those too. I figured that with the experience Panasonic had gained with the G1 and GH1, the GF1 would be an improvement over the Olympus E-P1.

In my opinion, it is.

Handling
The GF1 is "pocketable" the way the Canon G10 or Olympus E-P1 is—you have to have big pockets like maybe those in a sport jacket. Better yet, a purse works well—even if, for husbands, it isn't your own purse, but is usually nearby. The GF1 isn't much bigger (with the pancake lens) than the Canon G10, and is the smallest camera made with interchangeable lenses and a built in flash.

The camera will fit in your pocket better without the neck strap. A wrist strap makes the camera easier to use in my opinion.

The GF1 feels solid and well built. The buttons and dial are well placed and very useable. Those controls that are most important, such as shutter speed, aperture, ISO, exposure compensation and bracketing are easily accessed. I had no trouble setting up and using this camera even before I had unwrapped the instruction manual. (I had to play with it a bit to figure out that the easily accessible "wheel" performed the exposure compensation function). Some people have said they would prefer two wheels for adjustments, but I'm okay with one. The LCD screen is high definition and bright. It does not articulate, though, which would be very nice, especially for video. There is an optional electronic viewfinder available, but it was still not available for purchase at the time of this writing.

Speed
The GF1 is fast. Maybe not quite as fast as the fastest DSLRs, but I was not missing any shots because of shutter lag or slow focusing. I was surprised at the GF1's focusing speed (particularly in relatively low light), because the GF1 uses the same kind of contrast AF that some of the slowest focusing point-and-shoots use. The GF1 just uses it a lot better, and seems to get a focus lock better than any other compact camera I have used. There is also a focus-assist lamp. I only had the Lumix 20mm ƒ/1.7 lens for testing, but I assume focusing will be fast with other lenses as well. The GF1 has several different autofocus modes and AF points. I generally used the center point. It also has face detection which is one of those "silly" features that actually turns out to be quite useful. Start-up time and shutter lag are both well within my tolerance levels. Unlike the Sigma DP1, the camera does not lock up and the LCD does not black out while focusing or writing an image. My shooting was not limited because of image writing or full buffers. I didn't miss many shots while trying to change the settings while shooting either, because with well placed controls, two custom modes, and some quick menus, this camera is built for speed.

Image quality
In the past, when considering a camera, I would rush to read about image quality first; but in the future, I think image quality will routinely be good enough that it won't be as much of a deal breaker. The Sigma DP1 and all the available Micro 4/3rds cameras produce images that I believe will be acceptable to true photo enthusiasts. The pixels from the GF1 look just like the ones from a DSLR, and like a DSLR, the GF1 produces beautiful images. This is true despite the fact that I could only see them as jpegs, because I wasn't about to try and use Panasonic's RAW processor. Maybe Panasonic's software is really good, but I'll wait for Adobe to support the camera [Note: the GF1 is already supported in ACR 5.5 and Lightroom 2.5 —MJ]. Low light performance is quite good. Images taken with ISO 100–400 are close to noise-free. At ISO 800 there is a little noise but the images were good, and even ISO 1600 is reliably useable. The GF1 seemed better able to handle high dynamic range subjects than the Olympus E-P1. Color saturation and sharpness look good. The transitions are smooth and the images have some depth to them. I really like the images even just as JPEGs right out of the camera, and I am expecting that the raw files will be even better when adjusted in a familiar raw converter like Photoshop's Adobe Camera Raw (ACR).

Lens
The Lumix 20mm ƒ/1.7 lens is impressive. I think these small pancake lenses are really the best way to go if you want to maximize the size advantage of Micro 4/3rds cameras over a DSLR. The lens is very sharp with chromatic aberration or distortion eliminated in software. It has the kind of wide aperture we have been wishing for on a small camera, allowing in more than twice the light of an ƒ/2.8 lens. The aperture is formed by seven curved blades, and this may contribute to the very nice bokeh (out-of-d.o.f. blur). The 35mm equivalent of this lens is 40mm (2X factor) which is actually a really useable focal length for a carry-around camera, especially if you will use the camera for street photography or snapshots.

As mentioned, this lens autofocuses quickly, but also has a nice focusing ring for manual focusing. This lens can focus fairly closely (20cm). Because cameras with very small sensors can render greater depth of field, and can focus even closer in macro mode, the GF1 with this lens cannot match the macro abilities of a camera like the Canon G10. The 20mm lens does not have image stabilization, but the kit zoom does. Unlike the Olympus E-P1, the Panasonic GF1 will not provide full auto focus with all 4/3 lenses, but more lenses that do work with this camera will be coming out. There are a few Leica lenses made for the 4/3rds system that will work, and, with an adapter, almost anything can be attached.

'Convergence'
I know that many photo purists have little interest in video, but I think video capability in a carry-around camera comes in handy more often than I might have imagined, and it has become very important to me. After all, these cameras are often used as recording devices or as a means of communication. Sometimes a short video (with sound) is the best way to relate an event or experience. The GF1 can record 720p HD movies in several different formats. The videos are very high quality and rival or surpass the results of many dedicated, high-end, consumer video cameras. The implementation of video on this camera is the best I have seen. While taking photos, I can just push the record button right next to the shutter release and recording starts with very little delay. Push it again, and recording stops. This is seamless. I don't have to change modes to do this, so it is very easy. I will not consider purchasing a camera that does not offer HD video. The lack of HD video on the Canon G10 was a problem for me, and surprisingly, it is not offered on the G11 either.

Back to the future
I believe that the Olympus E-P1 and the Panasonic GF1 represent the beginning of the future of carry-around cameras. The Panasonic is not perfect, but it is the first smallish camera I have carried with which I feel really confident and comfortable.

I think this camera is the beginning of a sea change in compact digital cameras. Similar sized cameras of all types will have to measure up or bow out. Smaller sensors may end up relegated to camera phones. (I am not slighting cameras in phones—I like them, but they are a different animal altogether).

Olympus got the jump on everyone. If the Panasonic camera had come out first (I'm sure Panasonic wishes it had), I never would have owned the Olympus; and you really have to wonder whether Canon, Nikon, and Sony are watching. Leica has its own APS-C size sensor compact offering coming out soon, the X1, not to mention the larger full-frame M9 rangefinder.

Conclusion
Is the Panasonic GF1 a DMD? In my opinion, it has to at least be close. This camera can be carried with you, it's unobtrusive, quick to respond, quick to focus, has a fast lens, produces excellent image quality and has good low-light performance. There will be a viewfinder for it soon (albeit an electronic one). One can attach a multitude of older lenses, and new ones will keep being produced. It shoots great video to boot. Can it be improved? Sure. For starters, I wish it had an articulating LCD, in-body image stabilization, a more powerful flash, and 1080P video. But, I can live with this camera. It does not cause me any real frustrations, and because it is as compact as it is, I can always have it with me.

Even though I have owned it for only a few weeks, I am serious when I say that as an all-around picture taker, this Panasonic GF1 may be my favorite digital camera ever.

Ed

*I just wanted to point out that I got through this whole review without ever mentioning megapixels. The Panasonic GF1 has 12, but in the future, I just don't think such specifications will matter much. For large prints or extensive cropping, there will always be larger formats, but 12 million good quality pixels is enough for most work.

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TOP's Most Popular Small Camera(s)

I'm happy to say that the Panasonic GF1 with its lovely little Lumix 20mm ƒ/1.7 Asph. lens arrived chez TOP last Friday, courtesy of a generous reader who's letting me try his for a few weeks (thanks, Jeff). Also, we expect to publish our first field report of the camera this week.

Rather incredibly, the Panasonic GF1 is already the all-time second most popular camera ordered through our links. It lags behind only that highly esteemed photographic Swiss Army Knife, the Canon G series—just barely if you consider only the G11, which should begin shipping very soon, and by a fair margin if you lump all the G-series cameras together. Still, that's pretty amazing when you consider that the GF1 just began shipping only a week or two ago—and when you consider the GF1's premium price. It obviously has a strong appeal to TOP readers.

The GF1 seems to be out of stock everywhere right now, too, which is probably an indicator of strong early sales. (Maybe order now if you hope to have it for Christmas?) Neither B&H nor Adorama are even listing the GF1/20mm kit right now. Let's hope there isn't going to be a chronic supply problem like there has been with the LX3.

So far I like the camera and my first impressions of the lens are very favorable. The lens seems very impressive wide open and even better stopped down just a little. But I shouldn't get ahead of myself.

Oh, and I've been carrying the camera and lens around in my pocket—the pocket of a fleece jacket, to be precise, in which it fits handily and securely.

Note that the 20mm lens interchanges freely with the Panasonic G1 and Olympus E-P1. I think this lens is going to be popular across the board in Micro 4/3.

If you're interested in the lens, you'll want to check out Andy Westlake's excellent review at dpreview.com. I'm becoming quite a fan of Andy's reviews and lens musings. Imaging-Resource's slrgear.com site also has a review of the 20mm ƒ/1.7—be sure to click on the "Blur Index" box and run through the apertures. Impressed yet?

Mike

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Digital Holgas Everywhere

Our friend Dirk Rösler of Japan Exposures has added the upcoming Exemode-Yashica EZ F521 to his export list. If you're not familiar with Japan Exposures (formerly Megaperls Webshop), they export Japan-only photographic products to most of the rest of the world, including North America, Europe, and Australia.

It costs a little more, of course—$112 or so.

Mike

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UPDATE: Dirk checked with Exemode,who tell him that the prototype camera has menus in English, Spanish, etc. as well as Japanese, but that they need to wait until release to be able to tell "officially." If you order one and the shipping camera turns out not to have menus in the language you need, you can cancel your order for a refund.