Finally did it! After what seems to have been an eternity I’ve finally decided to take the plunge and get a GR! B&H had a sale on it and threw a $75 gift card into the basket with addition of an SD card and a Ruggard pocketable case. No brainer.

Not going to do a review of the camera here, especially since this is an outgoing model from 2015 and the new GR III just went on sale last week and the amount of reviews online is more than ample. Anyhow, this camera is perfect for street, super tiny and easily fits in your jeans front pocket, has a DSLR sensor, insanely sharp lens, inaudible leaf shutter (no one knows you actually took a shot) and while holding it you look like someone who just came out of the 80’s. Only the mullet is missing. Very unassuming little enthusiast camera disguised as a cheap point and shoot and that’s why the professionals love it.

Ricoh are famous for their high contrast B&W filter and it does not disappoint. That particular effect is my favorite and gives the pictures that old timeless grit and punch, mimicking the old style Daido Moriyama used on his film GR back in the 80’s where he pushed a 400 ISO film to 1600 and then overexposed it in the dark room, blowing out the highlights and adding that typical grain in his prints. I must say that Ricoh did an incredible job mimicking this dirty monochrome street style. It is an acquired taste to be sure and not everyone will resonate with this aggressive tonality. It gives the pictures, can’t quite put my finger on it, …timelessness? Perhaps?