Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/10/03

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Feedback on Ricoh GR-1s
From: Paul Chefurka <Paul_Chefurka@pmc-sierra.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2000 11:13:33 -0700

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dennis_Thong [mailto:denthong@singnet.com.sg]
> Sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2000 1:46 PM
> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: [Leica] Feedback on Ricoh GR-1s
> 
> 
> Hi everybody,
> 
> Recently, heard and read some feedback about the Ricoh GR-1s. 
> Most of them
> have very good comments about this camera and the performance 
> of this 28mm
> f2.8 lens. However, minority sad the pictures were not that 
> impressive for a compact camera at that price tag !

I'm in that minority.  I originally bought one to give me wide angle
capability when I had an M3.  I thought the lens was pretty good under
normal circumstances.  Not up to a Leica 28 or my Nikkor 28 AIS, but good.
Unfortunately it flared like an oil-well in backlit situations.

I did like:

- - the body - small, confidence-inspiring, metal
- - sticky infinity lock (i.e. it stays locked between shots)
- - sticky focus modes - manual and ?snapshot? don't remember the other mode
- - manual aperture setting via a rotating switch, not a multi-press button
- - manual flash setting so you can be sure the darn thing is off

I ended up be especially uncrazy about:

- - the lens would extend if I carried the camera in a pants pocket
- - the viewfinder frame line and focus indicators vanish in bright light
- - when the frame lines were visible they were very inaccurate
- - the point of highest meter sensitivity may or may not have been where they
said it was in the frame
- - the button arrangement on top was fiddly
- - can we all say shutter lag, boys and girls?

On balance, it irritated and disappointed me.  I got rid of it.

Paul

Replies: Reply from Mark Rabiner <mark@rabiner.cncoffice.com> (Re: [Leica] Feedback on Ricoh GR-1s)