Here it is with the optional optical viewfinder, mainly for use with the 21mm (equivalent) add-on auxiliary wide angle lens attachment, but with 28mm (equiv.) framing lines as well (4:3 only).
Okay. This isn't exactly what the GR1 was to film cameras: a very small camera with excellent controls and a couple of useful, unique features, capable of equaling or exceeding the image quality of any full-frame 35mm camera in existence, right up to the 4th generation of 28mm M-Elmarits. To do that, a digital version would need as a starting point something like an APS-sized sensor. And it would need a decent finder. What it is, however, is a small digital camera capable of top-notch image quality, most likely unequaled or unsurpassed in controlling curvilinear distortions. In other words, theoretically there shouldn't be any of the usual exaggerated barrel distortion you get with practically every other digital camera with a wide angle zoom lens. (I know one person who mistakenly regards converging verticals as "distortion," but that's a by-product of the wide angle perspective.) The rest of it - color, saturation, contrast, noise, and so on all contribute to the camera's output. The bottom line is that image quality is subjective.
The lens is an f2.4, fixed focal length 28m equivalent, with "special emphasis on resolution, noise level, colour aberration correction, colour reproduction, tone, and distortion characteristics," and "having high resolution and depictive power" (according to Ricoh). Although it uses a physically small 8MP imaging sensor with an ISO range is 64 to 1600, Ricoh claims to have an engine and software capable of handling it. Of course, they would. All the manufacturers are claiming that sort of thing (and worse) these days.
The LCD is 2.5 inch. Notice the GRD is smaller than the GR1 next to it. It has Snap Mode, which is useful for everything from everyday snaps to landscapes to pictures beyond the AF assist lamp's range in the dark. How well does it focus in the dark? Can it blend flash with ambient light as beautifully as a GR1? Flash out-of-distance warning would really be nice, but there's no sign of it as far as I can tell. Finally, just how useful, really, is its ISO 1600?
Well, this one looks really fantastic - on paper, at least. It' strikingly similar to the GR Digital in appearance, but it has a zoom lens with a 35mm film equivalent focal length range of 24-72mm, and apertures of f:2.5 to 4.4. Its most intriguing new feature is its removable electronic view finder, which has to be better in most respects than the poor, real image zoom viewfinders on most small cameras. In common with all LCDs, it won't quite be real time, though, by a tenth of a second or thereabout. So it's not quite the "Decisive Moment Digicam." For that you need a good quality, proper viewfinder, perhaps like the one on a Contax G2. It would suit me with my eyesight, though. I either need to wear varifocals or take my glasses off to see a standard back monitor.
Then again, with Snap Mode plus an Ikodot wire frame finder... (reminds me of my grand dad's old Graflex I used to play with as a kid).
 |  VF-1 LCD viewfinder in raised position |
Oh, yes. It has a 10.01Mp sensor, size 1/1.75" - that's a little bigger than a 1/1.8. I think the GX100 is utterly gorgeous, but I'm not likely to ever even see one anywhere near where I live.
What about servicing and reliability? We love our GR1 and GR10 and still have them. I've owned two GR1's and a GR1v. Since 2000 I've had to replace three shutter mechanisms, a viewfinder prism assembly, an internal viewfinder LCD, a top plate LCD, a lens motor (it may have been the flex), etc. etc. Luckily most were covered by the 5 year warranty - but not all. I am not sure who services Ricoh digital cameras in the UK. They only have a 1 year guarantee.
The GR10 has been faultless, by the way. It appears to have the toughness of the R1.
the last GR1 - the GR1v
You can set practically anything just as you would on a modern SLR. It's got manual film speed setting - ideal for black-and-white film, and auto-bracketing for slide film, and some extra manual focusing steps. I like the back-lit LCD and the cute little lens hood, too (though the hood blocks out some of the view in the viewfinder). The GR1v's power button is recessed further into the body than the one on my GR1. Now, that has always been a minor gripe with the original GR1, as the camera could occasionally get switched on inside a case. I am pleasantly surprised to find that someone, somewhere, actually continued to perfect and improve this camera as time went on.
And, it has to be said, it is a great pity that the Ricoh Company decided to drop film camera manufacture altogether. If they think we'd all rather have power-hungry digital cameras, which only run for a few hours before they run out of power, they're mistaken!
After spinal surgery I needed to lighten my load. The surgery coincided with my first GR1, and that re-kindled an almost dormant interest in photography with its wonderful lens (it spoils you with its total lack of distortion), its easy handling, thoughtful design, superb flash exposures, its simple efficiency and above all its portability - that proved to be the key. There were other small cameras at the time, but this is the one that did everything well.
Convenience and versatility without the weight and bulk of an SLR: we now take more pictures, in more places, than ever before - without sacrificing image quality.
Imagine a modern jet fighter with all its high-tech electronic wizardry. Now imagine one with a 1930s vintage instrument panel! That's what practically every other compact camera on Earth is like. In spite of state-of-the-art electronics, even some very expensive ones have little or no information in the finder at all - so you never know when they're not going to behave as expected. Not so with the GR1.
In addition, the control layout allows fast response to the rapid changes that can occur in the real world when taking pictures. There are no long menus to button through; instead, there are two dials, one for exposure compensation and one for apertures, a sliding switch for flash, a single Mode button, and a small self-timer button.
| Initial enthusiasm quickly evolves into confidence |
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Intelligent design / sound engineering
On a tiny camera with a wide-angle lens, the range of a built-in flash is bound to be limited - it has to cover a 74º angle of view, yet not drain the camera's battery unduly. Ricoh's solution is to indicate to the user whether the flash is going to be adequate or not, and then strictly control its output with a high degree of precision. Power is conserved by making full use of available light - which synergetically results in more natural-looking photos!
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| NEVER judge camera lenses on the basis of commercial color prints - they only show the quality of the printing machines! |
"The more convenient things supposedly get, the more inconvenient they become." - Bill Bryson
On most ordinary compact cameras automation can leave one with the uncomfortable feeling that if only one could, say, focus by hand, it would be a lot less trouble.
"In my opinion, autofocus is the worst innovation in cameras ever. I still hate it. There are times when autofocus can be used to advantage, but it is a small percentage of all photography. To me, what is more "auto" than setting your (wide angle) lens at a focus of 8-10 feet at f/8-11 and firing away?" - P. Grady, Boise, USA, reviewing the Contax G-2 for photographyreview.com
Well, the GR1 incorporates exactly this desirable feature... Ricoh calls it Snap Mode. With the lens focused at 2m, it's great for everything from groups to landscapes. Ricoh have taken the advantages of automation and made them supremely usable. Take some time to familiarize oneself with the system, and rich rewards will soon follow.
A fast and easy way to get high quality snapshots is to use the GR1 on "P," with the focus mode set to SNAP. In this mode focus is locked at 2 meters, or about 6 and a half feet. 9 out of 10 shots will be fine this way since everything from a couple of feet out will be in focus.* This technique is called pan-focus.
You can hold meter readings separately, too, with a half-press of the shutter button. Simply choose any convenient middle grey tone - grass, light stone, clear north sky, a Kodak grey card, etc..
For distant scenes just use "Infinity" mode (mountains icon) instead. It couldn't be simpler.
*Snap Mode works because wide angle lenses have great "depth-of-field." This means that, even though the lens is focused at 2 meters, everything from some distance in front of that to a certain distance well behind it is in focus. As the lens aperture is stopped down from 2.8 (wide open) to 22 (stopped down all the way) the depth-of-field increases, until at f/13 Snap Mode corresponds to the lens's "hyperfocal distance." This means that the depth-of-field behind the subject extends all the way to infinity.Regardless of the mode you choose, it's practically impossible to take a bad photo with a GR1, even if you've set the "wrong" settings.
The less you ask them to do, the longer batteries last. So, to get more films per battery, you can use Snap mode with the flash OFF to shut down both the flash and the AF systems. It could be thought of as "eco mode," for maximum economy and energy efficiency.
On the other hand, I don't recommend Snap mode with flash (except when the subject is at 2 meters), because the flash's output is controlled by the focusing system. There's more about this below.
This is the yellow/green LED on the top left side of the viewfinder window. It simply tells you the camera can't cope with the light as read by the meter. It flashes for over exposure when the "500" in the finder is blinking and for under exposure when the "30" is blinking. If it says there's over exposure, stop the lens down manually; if it tells you the light's too low, open up the lens - in P mode the lens doesn't open wider than f/4.
Leaving the flash on "Auto"...
On Auto, the flash charges up each time the camera's switched on. To conserve battery power, the flash can be left switched off until the 30 in the finder starts to blink. With the flash left off the shutter speed may be too slow for hand holding, but subtle qualities of ambient lighting won't be ruined by the flash. When the light is low, but not very low, the GR1's flash adds just touch of contrast-balancing illumination without overwhelming the existing light. At other times the natural light on its own may be best (sometimes it pays to try both flash off and flash on).
In either Normal or Single AF mode, the GR1 normally autofocuses briskly, with brackets in the viewfinder that light up for focus point confirmation (like top-grade AF SLRs), plus ikons showing distance range. Beyond 1.1 feet (0.35 meter), if it is unable to focus (whenever the focusing brackets in the viewfinder are flashing) the GR1 automatically defaults to 8.2ft (2.5m). The shutter is not locked and you can still take pictures - the shutter only locks if you are too close.
The advantage of fixed focus, or pre-focus modes (see Infinity Mode, Snap Mode, and Fixed Focus Mode, below) is speed. There is no focusing involved, so the shutter fires the instant you press the button.
"Taking charge of two controls in particular - focusing point and flash mode - are critical in getting better pictures out of your snapshot camera." -Dan Richards in "Popular Photography"
In Program mode, in low light, with flash off the GR1 uses slow shutter speeds, but stays at f/4 until its next-to-lowest possible EV is reached, at which point it opens up to f/2.8. (See the Program Lines to see which stop corresponds to a given film speed). Results are generally excellent, but for wider ranging control, use...
In Aperture Priority mode (accessed simply by setting an aperture on the top right hand dial) the camera's full range of apertures is available from wide open at f/2.8 on down to f/22. You can use f/2.8 (wide open) to hand-hold in low light, for instance, or stop down to f/16 for huge depth-of-field, or choose a wider aperture to get a faster shutter speed.
It's possible to use small apertures with flash, paying attention to the GR's convenient out-of-distance warnings, to isolate subjects from backgrounds. But this can give rise to printing problems from many high capacity commercial processing machines. (These machines scan the negatives and work out an average density; if the only dense parts of a negative cover a proportionally tiny area, typical of flash pictures, they are automatically printed so they look over-exposed. Don't mistakenly blame the camera for this; the only solution is to find a processor that can do it right.)
In dim light with the flash switched to "On," Aperture Priority mode provides another flash option: "slow synchro" flash. Slow synchro means that the camera will use shutter speeds slower than a 30th of a second, whereas normally it wouldn't (to prevent blurring of anything in the picture bright enough to register on the film). Using Slow Synchro flash, the shutter can get down to two seconds, so hand-held pictures, especially of a subject in motion, can show a degree of blurring. The in-focus subject will be properly exposed and sharply frozen by the burst of flash.
This dial is for adding or subtracting EVs or f/stops to the basic exposure. Dial in more or less exposure in half stops up to ±2 stops. It's a way of over-riding DX-coding, of changing the film speed on cameras without manual film speed setting. Use it for shooting Tri-X at ISO 200, for instance; or for "compensating" for the effect of strong light shining into the meter sensor (which fools the camera into thinking there's more ambient light than there really is); or for intentionally darkening or lightening exposures.
You sometimes have to do this for a natural representation of scenes with an overall high or low key character (generally light or dark). A snow scene or white clouds would be mainly light or high key tones; predominantly dark rocks with dark tree trunks in shade would be an example of a low key scene. Without compensation, a white horse and a black horse both photograph as middle grey (in black-and-white). That's the way meters see: everything is assumed to average out to an 18% grey. Therefore you have to manually tell the camera to make high key scenes lighter and low key scenes darker. Cameras without evaluative metering aren't smart enough to figure this out for themselves.
How many stops to lighten or darken depends on how many zones (or tones) either way you judge the overall average to be. Dark stone, dark foliage or new denim in the light are, say, minus one stop; average snow scenes are upwards of plus two. But when the problem is light shining directly into the meter cell, it's down to guesswork. The exact amount this light upsets the average reading as the meter sees it is really unknown. For many years cameras have been made with backlight buttons, and there is no set standard adjustment; on some it's 1 stop, some it's 2. Often it's 1½ stops. There's no set rule.
While walking along this old Roman road, my first impulse was to dial in some minus exposure, because it looked a bit dark on average and I didn't want the scene artificially lightened up. But then I realized the sun was peeping over the hill, prompting me to add some exposure to compensate for the confusing effect this would have on the meter. So the two more or less cancelled themselves out, and with no compensation the print is pretty much as I saw it on the day (though shadow detail was lost in the scan).
The righthand shot had a central area of darker tones, plus bright sky, but spot-metering the sun-lit region of wall/grass at lower left eliminated any guesswork, and no compensation was neccessary.
Personally I have always felt exposure compensation (in conjunction with wide area averaging meters) to be somewhat less than precise, and fortunately for GR1 users there are reasonable alternatives. Spot mode is the obvious way to take readings off mid-tones. If you don't also want to focus there, use Fixed-focus mode and hold a light reading from some handy mid-toned area in the right light (if necessary shielding the cell from direct light). See: Metering Specific Tones, below.
Compensation is not always useful for machine-processed color prints, because when automated high-capacity machines do the printing they usually undo your compensation, and print based on an average negative density.
The latest digitally enhanced color printing machines seem to do a better job here. A minus 1½ stop compensation was set for the waterfalls photo above, and it printed quite well. Incidentally, these machines also do a better job with clouds. We intentionally shot similar shots on the GR1 and GR10 and sent the films to different processors, and the ones done by the digitally enhanced printer showed cloud details missing entirely from the ones done by the normal printer.
Some writers complain that small cameras have wimpy flashes. Well, obviously they need to, by definition - if they had big flashes they wouldn't be small cameras anymore. Built-in flashes don't have separate power supplies like big flash guns; they run off the camera's own small battery, and no other camera function uses more power than the flash. Because the strobe isn't charging up every time the camera's turned on, you'll get maximum life out of the battery by leaving the flash OFF most of the time.
"...probably the greatest improvement in your P/S pictures will come through the use of fill flash outdoors." -Dan Richards, "Popular Photography"
Outdoors in daylight switch flash on for backlit pictures of people, then switch it off afterwards. Backlighting puts rim light on hair and gets rid of harsh facial shadows, and the flash adds catchlights to eyes. Just remember that the flash output is controlled by the autofocusing system, and hold focus on the subject you want correctly exposed (focus, keep the focus locked, recompose, shoot).
No other current small cameras have a flash control that's as quick and easy to turn off and leave off as these Ricohs (the Nikon 28Ti did).
Henri Cartier-Bresson, André Kertész, and other great artistic photojournalists of the early "miniature camera" era flatly refused to use flash because it destroyed the mood of a scene. In abstract black-and-white especially, lighting is fundamentally crucial where form and texture mean everything. Limited to slow film emulsions, these photographers used tripods extensively indoors. Today, photographers can use faster emulsions in low light to hand-hold yet avoid using flash. Kodak T-Max 3200 has allowed Sebastião Salgado to discard his flash altogether.
GR-1's can be used with ISO 3200 film for low light applications, but they don't have the range of shutter speeds to enable its use outdoors in light above EV12 (very dull). See the Program Lines to see why you're better off with ISO 100 or 200 for general purposes.
While the GR1 can be left with its flash off 100% of the time, the beauty of the way its flash works is that if there's some ambient light, the camera gives it priority and utilizes it, adding only a tiny extra burst of additional flash. This is subtle - sometimes you don't even notice that the flash fired indoors under artificial room lighting, and photos taken next to windows can look entirely natural. IMHO, this is better than having a big powerful flash that drowns out any natural lighting there might have been. You can hand-hold, and you can use the existing lighting.
| Auto flash / Program mode | Flash fires when needed; shutter speed range: 1/30-1/60 |
|---|---|
| Flash ON / either mode | Daylight fill-in flash |
| Flash ON / Aperture Priority mode | Slow synchro flash - speeds to 2 seconds |
| See also Aperture Priority mode above | |
| Importance of focusing | Remember, focusing controls flash exposure |
| Push two top buttons simultaneously | Red Eye Reduction flash mode |
The camera fires the flash whenever it thinks it's necessary, choosing appropriate settings automatically.
The flash fires every time, regardless. The camera sets the appropriate exposure whether the light is bright or dim - useful as "fill-in" flash: intentionally using flash whenever the important part of a subject is shaded or backlit.
Regardless of exposure mode, the camera can be trusted to mix its flash with the ambient light automatically. In this hand-held flash photo (at right) the flash is scarcely noticeable, but previous experience with identical photos has shown that the lighting would have been far less uniform without it.
Normal Flash
The GR1 uses its focusing system to control the flash at any given f/stop, whether set by the camera in "P" mode or set by the user in Aperture-Priority mode. Flash exposures depend initially on the focused distance. Ambient light may be factored in to modify the output, and the out-of-distance warning flashes if the subject is too far away.
For off-center flash pictures, this system out-performs most SLRs with TTL flash metering, since it's not affected by subject tones or the lack of a background.
In group photos, focusing on subjects nearest the camera ensures that no one gets too much light from the flash.
Pay attention to the flash out-of-distance warnings for astonishing fill-in flash pictures - it takes away all the guesswork. On most other compacts you cannot know if fill-in flash exposures are adequate until you see your results*.
The GR1 handles flash output with great precision, but with such a tiny (hence energy-efficient) flash unit, at any given f/stop the range of distance within which flash exposures will be exactly correct is very narrow. At ISO 100, for instance, 13 aperture settings cover 1.1 to 8.2 feet!
When there's strong backlighting, any camera's programmed exposure system will set a small aperture. If you want to use fill-in flash, you might find the flash range is too short. You can extend the range of the flash to its maximum by using Aperture mode - stop the lens down until the AE LED just stops flashing (in the finder the shutter speed should read "500").
Of course, fill-in flash can still be used even though the out-of-distance warnings are blinking, though - be warned - the effects may not be visible if the subject is too far away. In aperture-priority mode you can determine exactly how much the fill-in flash level has been reduced by counting the f/stops after the warnings start to blink.
Since the flash exposure is set using distance data from the camera's focusing system, it follows that Normal and Single Autofocus modes should be used for properly exposed flash pictures, rather than the pre-set distance modes Infinity and Snap. (In Snap Mode, the flash exposure appears to be fixed at the Snap Mode distance setting of 2m; regardless of the actual subject distance. The warning flashes change as you change f/stops, but the flash exposure is set according to a distance of 2m.)
*The new APS Contax Tix has flash out-of-distance warnings uncannily similar to a GR1/GR1S; it also has permanent flash settings, passive autofocus with dark red AF assist beam, multi and single AF modes, and an infinity setting. It even has a metal lens hood and filters! But it lacks fixed-focus settings like the GR1's Snap and Fixed Focus modes - when a Tix fails to achieve focus, it locks the shutter; this is different from the GR1S, which will still fire, focused at a default 2.5 meters/8.2 feet. I know which system I prefer.
There is also a general problem with APS compacts: since there's no back you can open, there's no way to puff out or brush away the little particles of film or other dust that accumulate inside cameras. I know of an APS owner whose prints developed a case of spots, and the only cure was to have the camera professionally dismantled and cleaned - at considerable cost.
This phenomenon is a fact of life whenever a flash tube is mounted close to the lens of a camera. The flash shines into a subject's eyes and gets reflected back off their retinas; it's most apparent in low light when irises are wide open. It happens when the angle from the flash to the subject and back to the lens is very small - when the light from the flash is almost directly in line with the axis of the lens. As the camera gets further away from the subject, this angle gets smaller, until red-eye becomes inevitable.
Fortunately the GR1's designer put sufficient distance between flash and lens so that this point is not very close to the camera. That is, the GR1 (and GR1S, GR10, R1, R1e, R1s, and R10) do not normally produce red-eye at close distances, even without the anti-redeye flash.
The GR10 has a separate red-eye mode button. On a GR1 simply press the two little mode buttons simultaneously for an instant. Repeat the procedure to turn it off.
Ricoh's anti red-eye strategy is a rapid flickering of the flash just prior to exposure (more fun than an irritating beam of bright light). This is meant to close down the irises of subjects' eyes. This cute flickering has the (unexpected) advantage of surprise and serves to grab everyone's attention. Does it work? I read somewhere that it works about as well as expected, but I also read that it can make people blink.
These are additional control features that aren't obvious when you look at a GR1, but are accessed by combinations of control settings.
Manual control dials and switches are undeniably better than having everything reset to default values after every shot or every time the camera's shut off, but the more control options you have, the more aware you need to be.
I aimed for a habitual routine so that all I'd need to check was the focusing mode. When I first started using the GR1, I checked everything before shooting and again when turning the power off, but after the controls become second nature, it's easier to get careless.
I check the flash setting. Occasionally, I'd find the switch wasn't set where I thought it was (I used to leave it switched off, then found it quite useful on A). I check the compensation dial, too, though fortunately the easily spotted ± warning in the finder is hard to miss!
Occasionally, however, I find the Aperture Dial set somewhere other than where I assumed it was - I fell out of the habit of checking. Since Program mode usually chooses the same f/stops and shutter speeds I'd choose myself, and it makes using flash quick and efficient, I usually leave it on "P". Sometimes, though, I set specific apertures for increased depth-of-field, faster shutter speeds, or longer flash range (thanks to the flash out-of-distance warnings), only to find later the camera still set off "P", either on too small an aperture for low light, or too fast an aperture for normal light. With a faster aperture you will either notice the over-exposure warning flashing or you will have been using faster shutter speeds - no harm done - but with too small an aperture you can have problems in low light (or back light) from shortened flash ranges or too-slow shutter speeds.
It would probably be safest to use Aperture Priority mode all the time, but if you favor Program mode, be sure to check periodically that the camera's properly set on "P". (In spite of the odd glitch, it has to be said I've yet to actually notice anything wrong with any pictures, thanks probably to the huge depth-of-field of the 28mm lens.)
I'd prefer an optical, manual focusing rangefinder (or distance meter, as the old Zeiss catalogs called them), given the choice. They're quick and positive to use in any cirumstance and they're very precise. You'd lose fewer shots - you can pre-set the lens to a hyperfocal distance, for instance, and shoot all day without having to focus each time. You can also confirm focus visually in the viewfinder. You can take the pictures you want, instantly. They're silent. You are in control. Unfortunately, they are expensive to manufacture, and in any case just wouldn't work reduced in size to the scale of a GR1.
AF SLRs employ a system that operates through the lens assessing contrast. Autofocusing compact cameras use either
A) an "active infrared" system to measure distance by actively sending out infrared beams, or else
B) a "passive" AF system that uses sensors similar to those used in SLRs in a small unit that measures distance.
Active infrared provides fairly rough distance measurements, and the IR beams are blocked by clear glass and can be distorted by curved shapes. Passive AF is very precise and economical on battery power, but needs vertical lines to focus on. Both systems measures distance, and so they are still referred to as rangefinders, though electronic rangefinders are very different from optical ones, and passive autofocus is very different from active infrared.
Most active infrared AF compacts first store the measured subject distance at first half-press of the shutter button, but don't rack the lens out until after the shutter is tripped the rest of the way. This time lag is infuriating - whatever happened to the "decisive moment"? Furthermore, when a typical AF compact fails to find focus, it usually just locks up - so you can't get the shot if you tried - or else they focus somewhere else, like infinity. They don't show you exactly where they've decided to focus, either. You usually don't find that out until it's too late. (The GR1 does not have shutter lag, nor do they lock up if they can't detect focus.)
I really like the high optical quality of the prism viewfinders on the GR1 and GR10. They remind me of the finders on old pre-war rangefinders. The old Leica and Contax I finders have high optical quality but are quite small, which accounts for the bold compositions of the great 35mm photojournalists of that era. These small finders really force you to "see" pictures. The larger Contax II pencil-prism finders have one prism surface silvered and the other gilded, giving the finder a dark greenish tint that emphasizes distinct regions of light and shadow (the smaller focusing rectangle is a contrasting red-orange). The GR1 finder is neither as small as the Contax I or Leica, nor as dark as the Contax II and III.
"Weaknesses: ...lack of visual focus feedback, ..." - George P., New York, USA, reviewing the Contax G-1 for photographyreview.com
"The focusing system is autofocus with no visual confirmation (focus display is quirky and too kludgey for immediate feedback)." - Ken Younts, Seattle, USA, reviewing the Contax G-2 for photographyreview.com.
"This camera suffers from one serious flaw, but it is a grave one: the inability to verify the autofocus. I have gotten back film and found the camera did not focus on what I wanted it to focus (a problem that caused me to dump the Fuji GA645wi). With rangefinders, you always depend on an indirect system for determining focus; but with this AF rangefinder, you don't even have the peace of mind of knowing that it is focused on what you believed you aimed it at." - John Beckman, reviewing the Contax G-2 for photographyreview.com.
Proper coupled rangefinders are complex and expensive to manufacture; identical autofocus modules can be mass-manufactured in modern factories. Small rangefinders in tiny cameras with wide angle lenses wouldn't be very usable in any case - the Olympus XA was borderline. So the question is how to make a tiny autofocus camera almost as usable as a proper rangefinder. Ricoh have managed this brilliantly, adding a few unique features that help immensely without being distracting. There's the flash out-of-distance warning, for instance, and the three brackets for focus point confirmation.
Other compacts use a simple LED along an edge of their finders to indicate that the camera has focused. You don't have this serious disadvantage - not knowing where the point of focus is when you look in the viewfinder - with Ricoh R and GR cameras. On the contrary - you have both a focus point mark right over the actual subject plus a distance zone ikon at the bottom.
An optical rangefinder has a central superimposed rectangle where you line up vertical lines to focus. The Ricoh system with its 2 focusing brackets and central rectangle has a familiar look about it, making traditional rangefinder users feel right at home. The system even requires you to look for vertical lines in the same way. For rangefinder users this is automatic. And, like optical rangefinders, these passive AF systems have no sensitivity to horizontal lines... but you don't have to rotate the cameras very much for the AF to catch focus on a detail.
Anything flashing is a warning - if focus brackets are flashing, it means the camera has not caught focus, but it still takes pictures, focused at 2.5 meters (about 8.2 feet) - the shutter is not locked.
Normal (default) wide area autofocusing is especially handy with its two-pronged visual feedback in the viewfinder - 3 focusing brackets show where the camera focuses horizontally across the image area, while distance symbols give a rough idea of the range. Together these give a relatively precise indication of where the camera is focused (better than virtually any other AF compact camera in existence).
Infinity lock, or Landscape Mode is useful for just about any outdoor or landscape situation.
In Single AF Mode the focusing is more precise. Using the central square only, it's a lot like using an optical rangefinder. As in Normal Mode, focus is held by constant half-pressure on the shutter button. In this mode, the GR1 uses only the central segment of it's dual-segment light meter, giving a more selective reading as well, reverting to both light sensor segments only in extremely low light.
The manual and brochures never say the camera has a true spot meter - rather, Ricoh prefers to call it "center-weighted" metering. A simple test on a small lamp confirms that the region metered is quite large and (on mine) covers a largish area below and to the left of, as well as including, the central focusing mark. Simply make sure the tonal area measured is sufficiently large.
Start with the camera in Single AF mode.
While holding a focused distance by half-pressing the shutter button, push the Mode button to lock focus at this distance for as long as the camera is switched on, or until you exit the mode. The word "SNAP" flashes on the LCD to let you know. This way it's possible to take pictures at the same focused distance in quick succession. Though it sounds tricky to set, it's quick and easy once you get the hang of it. It's better than dial or LCD scale focusing, because the number of possible settings is - for all practical purposes - infinite. Focusing scales, on the other hand, typically only have 4 or 5 possible distance settings (plus infinity) to choose from.
Fixed Focus Mode is useful for self-timer pictures, especially if flash is being used. This is because it's impossible to know if the autofocus has been able to lock on to a vertical line without looking through the viewfinder.
This is also the mode to use for hand-held self-portraits - focus first on the hand, lock it, and it's ready to fire away.
Some GR1 users report using Snap Mode for most pictures. This works because of the tremendous depth-of-field of the wide angle lens focused at 2 meters. It's similar (but not identical) to using the hyperfocal distance on lens depth-of-field scales. In this mode the camera's got virtually a real-time shutter release. In Snap Mode light readings can be taken from a specific area of tone and held by half-pressing the shutter button. Chose a safe shutter speed with an aperture of f/11 to f/16, and virtually every picture of any typical outdoor scene will be perfect from the foreground interest to the horizon.
In the Normal and Single autofocusing modes, the camera locks exposure and focus together. However, in the three pre-focus modes where the focus is pre-set at a certain distance - Infinity, Fixed Focus and Snap - the metering can be locked independently on specific tones by holding half-pressure on the shutter button. If you want to spot meter a specific tone while focused at a specific distance it can be done with precision in the "Fixed Focus Mode."
Until the revolutionary Ricoh R1 most compact cameras used active infrared autofocusing systems, which more or less vaguely measure distance by reflecting pulses of invisible infrared light off objects (including glass windows, which are opaque to infrared). In practice this means they have a limited range. Beyond about 14 feet or so is "infinity," and if just a portion of the IR beam happens to miss the intended target, active AF can produce unexpected results, usually by accurately setting focus on the background behind the subject.
Active infrared AF consumes battery power. It can be confused by curved surfaces or any other physical properties that disrupt the beam's reflection. The user is unaware that anything's gone wrong until it's too late. My friend's Contax T2 with active infrared AF often focused on something other than his intended subjects. There were several out-of-focus pictures on every roll of film, which was one of the reasons he traded it in.
This can't happen with passive autofocusing systems because they use visible light; the user sees what they see and thus can decide for themselves about the suitability or otherwise of targets for focusing. The Ricohs, uniquely, indicate this for you in the viewfinder.
...especially the way Ricoh does it: 3-point focus-confirmation brackets in the finder show you instantly whether or not the camera has focused where you intended. Passive AF systems determine distance by detecting quality of contrast between vertical lines. Since it doesn't depend on projected rays being reflected back, the operating range is unrestricted, with 2,925 electronically-controlled steps from 35cm to infinity. This means, among other things, more accurate flash exposures, and at greater distances.
There are no beams that can be blocked by glass - in fact, it's possible to focus on reflections in mirrors. The instruction manual mentions keeping close to glass when photographing through it. This is probably because the focusing is so sensitive the camera is able to focus on the merest hint of a reflection in a glass window - it will focus on your own reflection rather than the view beyond. Thankfully, the finder's distance symbols will show this.
Such miniaturised autofocusing systems can at times have difficulty "seeing" the vertical lines they need in order to work, especially at extremely close distances. Rotating the camera to a different angle, or aiming it at a different part of the subject can help. Failing that, try another nearby object at the same distance until the camera catches something it can focus on.
In general, it's very rare for the AF system to be unable to achieve a focus lock on something, even in very dim light and without the AF assist light. (The GR1 has a near-infrared AF auxiliary light for when it's too dark for the AF system to see, and at reasonable distances, as long as you aim at some contrasty verticals, it focuses as fast in the dark as it does in daylight.)
In the event of a problem there is always a bracket flashing in the finder to alert you. You can spot whether the GR1 has focused on something other than your intended subject by watching the focus brackets (which tell you where the camera's focused across the frame) and the distance symbols (which give clues to focused distance). These visual clues taken together give a very accurate indication of where the camera's focused.
Some writers recommend Single AF mode for close-ups of small objects, but I've noticed that my GR1 often catches a small object quickest with normal wide area AF. Remember, the little camera doesn't have the ability to see or to think - it can't necessarily just isolate a small subject against a cluttered background, especially when the subject and background are almost the same distance.
Ultra-small cameras have only rudimentary parallax* correction, but the GR1's is the best among all pocket-sized cameras. It consists of two full-width framing bars along the top of the finder, one or the other of which will appear when required (depending on the distance), altering the framing for close-ups.
The focusing brackets remain fixed, however, so at close range they won't show exactly the area covered by the AF sensors (which is probably below and possibly also a bit to the right of the focusing brackets).
*The view in the finder isn't quite the same as what the lens sees, and this gets exaggerated the closer you get to things. Larger rangefinder cameras often have viewing frames that shift with distance as you focus.
Switching mode to Single AF effectively isolates a small portion of a subject for speedy, positive focusing. This picture of a macho rooster (right) was just a test to see how precise the GR1's AF system is. The camera said it had focused on the rooster's head (with the square AF mark in the viewfinder), and that is indeed what is in focus. Single AF mode was sufficiently precise to avoid catching the nearby fencing, leaves or sticks.
In my experience, ordinary active infrared autofocusing frequently focuses somewhere other than where intended, leaving the user with a certain percentage of out-of-focus pictures. In contrast, after almost a year of constant use my wife and I have not had a single GR10 or GR1 photo that wasn't focused where intended. These cameras focus quickly, even in very low light. The camera's specification lists a low light limit of EV2. This is a 2 second exposure with the lens wide open at f/2.8 with ISO 100 film. I have focused by candle light, in dark pubs, and, as a test, on plain grey curtains on the opposite side of a room lit only by a single shaded lamp with a 60 watt bulb. They focus in any ambient light they can meter, and within the range of the deep red AF-assist light focusing is possible total darkness.
Passive autofocusing is fine as long as it's used intelligently.
The GR1 grabs focus and moves the lens into position the instant the self-timer cycle is started, so be sure not to be in front of the camera when pressing the shutter button, or it will focus on you instead of the intended subject!
If there is any doubt about the AF system's ability to lock focus on the subject, set the camera up in Fixed Focus Mode.
The self timer button also accesses the Time Exposure mode. Since I've managed to take pictures outside at night without using this mode, I've no experience with it. It's for real enthusiasts. The camera's LCD stops displaying the count at 60 seconds - after that, you're on your own. Well, you were on your own before, too, since exposures have to be "guestimated," extrapolated from a known setting (like f/2.8 at 2 seconds), or metered with a separate meter.
Push the little "Manual Film Rewind Button" to rewind a film before it reaches the end. Use something like a ball-point pen or the round head of a pin.
Pressing the Film Rewind Button during rewinding will tell the camera to leave the film leader out - it won't be wound inside the cassette (handy if you use a daylight developing tank). And because the GR1 prewinds the film, you can then pop a partially-exposed film into an SLR and shoot normally up to the GR1 exposures, and vice-versa.
I have encountered airport security personnel who insisted on visually inspecting inside all cameras - for whatever reason, if one manually rewinds the film, it's only common sense to provide for the possibility of using up the remainder.
Nine years ago Nikon charged me £35.00 (about $53.00) to convert my new and unused SLR so it would do this. I believe it costs about twice that now - in spite of all the custom functions on their latest SLRs, you still have to pay them to re-program their cameras to leave the film leader out!The GR1's instruction manual suggests that there might be ample warning before the battery conks out completely.
So far, experience indicates the opposite: the low battery warning might flash for an instant before the camera goes completely dead, but it's easy to miss. I didn't notice it the second time mine died; the camera just wouldn't pop the lens out. The low battery indicator was just on, not flashing. Not having the spare with me, I finished the film by turning the flash off. Preventing the flash circuitry from charging the capacitor enabled the camera to work normally.
Installing a new battery is quick and easy, but one must have one at hand. Mine die every 9 or 10 months. Since focusing uses up power, there's no way to predict battery life, so having a spare handy is advisable especially if the current battery has already been in use for some months.
Although it's totally convenient in use, this little recessed button can be pushed inadvertently when the camera is in any soft case. It's never happened to my wife's GR10 because she carries it differently, but it's happened to me quite a few times. It can happen when the camera's in a pouch on my belt, or in a packed bag, or even when I'm just carrying it.
If it happens, just push the button again - through the pouch - to retract the lens before taking the camera out.
I read somewhere that GR1s cases now come with a little piece of plastic built-in over the spot where the button is. My solution was to turn my padded belt pouch inside out, sew a microfiber pocket to the seam, and slip in an old credit card.
As mentioned at the top, this problem has been dealt with on the GR1v by recessing the button further into the camera body, so it takes a deeper, more precisely focused poke to turn the power on & off. In comparison, the GR1 takes a relatively lighter touch with a finger tip. I can't say whether or not it applies to the GR1s, since I've never seen one. But the previous owner of my newly aquired GR1v says it never happened to his.
Since we've only had our GR1 (and GR10) for a little under three years, I have only anecdotal evidence as to the reliability and toughness of the GR design. I assume they're pretty trustworthy after reading through some of the links at the bottom of this page, where one can find such stories as: the GR1 that fell off the roof of a vehicle at 60mph and bounced along a paved road - and still works; the one that was dropped onto cobbled streets four times - the flash conked out after the fourth fall; and so on...
After 5 years, my guarantee finally ran out. I have had two problems, both in the last couple of months of the guarantee period, and both were fixed under guarantee (the camera is as good as new).
The first was the same thing that had happened to my sister's GR1. The shutter made a funny tick-tick-tick noise but didn't open for exposures. A month or so later, two of the viewfinder prisms came partially unglued. So, I got a new shutter assembly and a new viewfinder assembly.
I have also been given a 5-year old GR1 Date that had been dropped onto stone. The LCD on the top plate lost half its icons, as did the viewfinder LCD information overlay. It still took very good pictures, though, until something, perhaps a particle of wind-borne sand in Canyon Del Muerto, jammed the lens barrel while I was bouncing around in the back of a pickup truck. It started working eventually, but made a metallic crackling sound as the lens retracted.
It's in for repair; my fingers are crossed.
Although technically still under guarantee, the receipt was lost and the repairs came to £145. The camera was as good as new; it had no scars or dents, and compared to some Nikon repairs I'd had done in the past, it was a bargain. I still prefer the original GR1 to the GR1v I had, because the shutter button has a more positive feel. Incidentally, the GR10 is quietly proving itself to be superior to the GR1 in reliability as well as battery life.
One thing that can cripple just about any camera is a bit of sand. It can work into a lens barrel and jam it, or get in further and jam the shutter itself.
Check out the following story to dispel any lingering doubts about reliability:£100,000 raised for cancer research
The story: First married couple to reach the South Pole
Keep the GR1 away from TVs, radios, speakers or anything else that generates strong magnetic fields.
It has been suggested on the internet that magnetic sheet (used for fridge magnets) can be used to make custom filters for GR cameras; perhaps I tend to be over-cautious, but I wouldn't put magnetic materials close to the GR's chips - they could end up scrambled!
This is the latest version of the GR1. Compared to the original GR1, the GR1S shares a virtually identical spec (it weighs a tenth of an ounce more). It has filter threads and a nice lens hood, and the LCD on the top plate lights up in the dark.
Oh, yes; it costs more, too.
I always use metal lens hoods on my SLR lenses. A nice little case for GR1's with a bump on the front to house the camera with the hood attached would in my opinion be ideal - like an old-fashioned camera case.
She hadn't used the SLR for over two years. She takes a lot more pictures now, because the GR10 is so easy to carry and use, and because she has so much confidence in it. She doesn't miss the zoom lens, either. Usually it takes her a long time to familiarize herself with a new camera. Not so with the GR10; she only had to go through the manual once to feel completely comfortable using it. Not only that, she is now comfortable using my autofocus SLR, which she'd previously only been able to use by focusing manually.
In my opinion the GR10 represents the next best value in a 35mm compact camera (of any make) to a GR1. It is an exquisite, gorgeous little camera, and it has a GR lens. It's one of the most beautiful cameras ever made. It's clean and rounded, with a smooth, matt black, non-slip rubberized grip. The body parts are nicely detailed and the overall design is to my eye very tasteful, bordering on elegant. The cast aluminum body panels have a warm tint and a kind of micro-sparkly surface sheen. The polished shutter button is big and round; the three polished mode buttons on top (red-eye, self-timer and MODE) are long, slender recessed bars. Accessing any mode is very quick and easy. If the flash is switched off, the two extra flash modes are left out of the menu sequence, further speeding up operation.
If you're happy using programmed exposure (or if you think you might accidentally leave inappropriate apertures set); if you'd never use exposure compensation (or if you worry about accidentally overlooking the fact that it is set); then the GR10 is a good way to simplify life and avoid potential problems. My wife definitely does not want the extra complexity (as she sees it) of the GR1. It is in fact possible to turn a GR1 on in haste and not notice a previous setting; there are two ways to look at the GR1's controls. Some see extra versatility; others see just needless complication. The GR10 is for those people. The GR10 is also for people who like a long battery life.
The GR10 uses a bigger battery - a CR123A - than both the GR1 and the R1. This is relatively a much bigger battery. My wife's GR10 was still on its original battery after three years - my GR1 is now on its fourth. Update
Every time my wife picks her GR10 up she mentions how much she loves it. She's got 100% confidence in it, and this is reinforced with every roll of film. It invariably produces perfect exposures, with flash or without. It's difficult to escape the conclusion that if it had an over-exposure warning this could very well have been the most perfect point-and-shoot ever in the history of the world.
This camera is so exquisite and so impeccable it's incomprehensible to us that it's such a well-kept secret. We've never seen one advertised anywhere, yet it's light years ahead of virtually anything else at anywhere near the price.
Apart from the absence of aperture and compensation dials, there's a difference in the LEDs alongside the viewfinder eyepiece. The top LED, which on the GR1 is the yellow AE Warning Lamp, is on the GR10 (as well as R1) an "AF Monitor Lamp." There is no over-exposure warning on the GR10, and although it doesn't bother my wife, I would argue that this is the camera's one and only flaw.
The GR10's anti red-eye mode has it's own button, and so is dead simple to turn on & off.
There is no AF assist lamp on the GR10 but it manages to focus in very dim light nonetheless, and this has yet to cause any problems.
The GR10 shares the ingenious f/2.8 GR lens with the GR1 and GR1S. In fact, the GR10 and GR1S brochures show two more multicoated lens surfaces than the GR1 brochure shows on its lens schematic. It's not clear whether the GR1 brochure's schematic is wrong or Ricoh modified the lens on later cameras in the series.
The metering sensor looks identical to the GR1, but the shutter specification is the same as the R1: 2 seconds to a 400th of a second. The meter coupling range is the same as the GR1: EV 2 to 17 at ISO 100. (The R1 spec is EV 2 to 15.)
Although it looks the same, the viewfinder magnification is 0.46 for the GR10 (and R1), as opposed to 0.43 for the GR1. The frame lines and distance symbols are the same as the GR1, but there is no shutter speed scale (nor need for one, since there's nothing one could do about it anyway). The finder lights up in low light the same as the GR1. Put down a GR1, pick up a GR10 - the GR10's finder is visibly nicer. Of course, there's less information to display.
It has the same 7 zone passive AF system with 3 point finder indication.
It's like using a GR1 in P mode. With the flash set to AUTO, the GR10 is virtually the same as a GR1 in P Mode. The flash switches are the same. Our GR10 has a more positive first pressure step on the shutter release, which my wife finds a lot easier to handle than the lighter release of my GR1.
The FOCUS MODE sequence is different on the GR10. It runs from Normal to Single AF (and Fixed Focus) to Infinity, and then, if the flash is switched off, back to Normal. There is no SNAP mode - but in fact, whenever the camera cannot focus (autofocus brackets and AF LED flashing) the focus defaults to 2.5 meters or 8.2 feet. It's not a bad substitute for SNAP mode; it's fast and it's automatic. Closer than 0.35 meters (1.1 feet) the shutter locks.
If the flash is switched on (either ON or AUTO), two more modes become available: Super Night Mode and Slow Synchro. This latter is familiar to GR1 users, and Super Night Mode will be familiar to R1 users. (Super Night Mode makes a double exposure, cleverly taking first one exposure focused on infinity, followed by a second, flash exposure focused on the foreground - this mode is not restricted to night time use only.)
The GR10 couldn't be easier to use for slow synchro flash - you just put it into Slow Synchro Mode.
Unlike the GR1, the GR10 will NOT remember these modes after being turned off (the manual is wrong about this on p.25).You can use an R1 remote control with the GR10.
Our GR10 takes pictures that are indistinguishable from GR1 pictures. It's every bit as good at mixing flash with ambient light ("Flash ON" example at right: the guy in the blue shirt was shaded by the dark umbrella). If there's a flaw in the design (and only God is perfect, so the Muslims say) I would say it's the change from AE Warning LED to AF Monitor LED, because there doesn't appear (unless I've missed something) to be any over-exposure warning on a GR10. It's the same as the R1 in this regard. This doesn't worry my wife, however, as she doesn't use film faster than ISO 200, and, again, her pictures are technically indistinguishable from GR1 photos - that is to say they are uniformly excellent.
The owner's manual has a couple of mistakes, being (evidently) a hastily re-written GR1 manual. For instance, on p.17 it says the yellow monitor lamp doesn't come on when the camera is in Program mode and the exposure is within normal limits. This is obviously incorrect for the GR10 - its yellow lamp is the AF Monitor. It also says on page 17 that the GR10's AF Monitor Lamp flashes to indicate over- or under-exposure (actually it flashes only when you're either too close or the camera hasn't focused - otherwise it's constantly on, indicating proper focus). On p.25 it says the focus mode setting doesn't change when the camera's power is switched off - this is not true except for the Normal Photography position (blank LCD). On p.28 it still has the GR1's method of exiting the red eye reduction mode.
This is the multi-award winning jewel that started it all, and it's still hard to beat. I can't say what the difference is between an R1 and an R1S - the latest R1 brochure shows pictures of both, as if the two are interchangeable. The UK distributor doesn't know either; they only import the R1 date. The R1S is shown in 3 colors, though - the original greenish-black, plain silver like an R1E, plus a beautiful rosy-brown. Described by one magazine as a "superstar of a camera," the R1 is virtually impossible to criticize.
The R1E is an R1 without the extra super-wide panorama lens. It may not have the R1's sophisticated, illuminated multiple LCD display in the finder; at least it's not mentioned anywhere in the brochure.
For those interested in jamming the R1's panorama blinds to shoot full-frame 24mm... it's here in the R1 reviews at Photographyreview.com. (Something like the little rubber stoppers from certain inkjet cartridge refill kits might do nicely for this hack.)
This is an "R" series camera from Ricoh, not to
be confused with the GR10. It's similar to an R1E, but with a thicker, plastic body shell, top shutter speed of 1/750th sec, close focusing to 20cm/8inches, and it will imprint messages as well as dates. There's no pseudo-panorama. The lens, top plate controls, focusing and metering systems are the same as the R1. The rewind button and imprinting controls occupy the space where the sliding switch is on other "R" and "GR" cameras. Alongside the viewfinder are the same LEDs the R1 has. The finder frame lines light up in the dark. Modes are the same as on the R1, but with an additional macro mode for the 20 to 35 centimeter range. It's better for fast film in daylight because of its faster top shutter speed, but, crucially, like the R1E, doesn't appear to have the 3-point focus indication in the finder (going by the brochure).
The GR21 represents yet another technological and conceptual breakthrough: the world's first compact camera with super-wide 21mm lens. This is a serious camera, with auto-bracketing and manual film speed setting in addition to the usual GR-series features.
 | Here are the basic specs: 21mm F3.5 GR lens - 9 elements in 6 groups, including an aspherical elementPassive-type multi-autofocus system Ultra-thin, compact body for portability Aperture priority AE & Program AE Exposure compensation Auto bracketing manual ISO setting PC socket for external flash Socket for electronic shutter release Price is around £765 +17.5% VAT in the UK! |
This is a very special camera. The viewfinder alone is a masterpiece of optical engineering. It feels solid. The lens doesn't retact all the way into the body like the other R- and GR- cameras, so it's got a separate lens cap and a miniature old-fashioned case. But it's otherwise a GR through-and-through.
Ricoh USA may have stopped importing 35mm film cameras (criminal insanity in my view), but, far from abandoning them, Ricoh in Japan are designing new ones, as the GR21, R10 and R100 demonstrate - the rest of us clearly do not need to worry just yet.
Ricoh's little R and GR cameras incorporate a host of breakthroughs in small camera and lens design, and it is my fervent hope that they will continue well into this new century. I've been told (and it may be wrong) that digital camera sales have actually stimulated film camera sales. In that light Ricoh USA's decision to drop 35mm film cameras seems even more incomprehensible.
Mangus Ltd. (www.batteryterminal.co.uk)
Freephone: 0800 146 714
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Call toll free: (800) 459-3968 for technical enquiries
Ricoh Service Centervoice: (916) 858-0450
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Jump to this Canadian section courtesy of Jason Ang
Keith Berry's Concise GR1 instruction manual - this is excellent; step-by-step instructions make it as easy as 1, 2, 3.
Ricoh UK's 35mm page
There are many GR1 threads on Phil Greenspun's site: photo.net, which also includes such interesting essays as: Good Photography with a Point-and-Shoot Camera and Buying a Point-and-Shoot Camera
John P. McCormac's GR1 pages: photo.net GR1 review, Serious Photography with a Point-and-Shoot Camera, GR1 review and GR1 User Comments, which all include more links.
David Primmer's site primco.org includes, among other things, galleries of excellent GR1 photos, showing the GR1's versatility in every conceivable light. This site is a "must see" for anyone interested in GR1 travel photography.
Ricoh Japan's interesting Tech World pages, (vol. 4) showing the radical thinking behind the R and GR camera/lens design. The lens has to retract fully into the slim body. This is only possible by applying zoom lens technology, making the lens barrel telescope - Ricoh terms it a "double sunk" lens configuration.
Another page with links: The Essential GR1 Page
http://www.gr1.artsociety.net/
