Vietnam holiday with the Ricoh GR
I spent the last week on holiday with my family in Hanoi, Vietnam. I lived there for 10 years, and I try to get back with some regularity to spend time with the great friends I made there. It doesn’t hurt that the city is incredibly photogenic, and the food is world-class. Visiting as often as possible is a no-brainer.
Anyway, don’t take my word for it, apparently the New York Times is rather fond of the Vietnamese capital as well.
These images were all shot with the Ricoh GR. Its not a new camera, although it is new to me. I almost never take out my Canon DSLR gear anymore to make pictures of my kids, and its rare that I want to take it out into the streets of Manila (where I live) to do some wandering. Its just too big, heavy and attention-grabbing.
So I had my Canon 5D and my iPhone, and felt I really needed something in the middle. I wanted to pick up a pocket camera that was fast, shoots RAW, and has the manual controls and customizability of a pro camera. Enter the Ricoh. Definitely not on most photographers’ radar, but the GR has a very dedicated following among serious street shooters. After shooting with it for a few days in Hanoi, I can see why. It’s quick to focus, and has a great, intuitive button layout to be able to manually manage exposure lightning quick. I usually shoot with a 35mm on the Canon, and the GR’s fixed 28mm lens is close enough to feel familiar. Its pretty much perfect for a walk around street camera.
I didn’t take a laptop with me to Hanoi, so I just saw the images on a computer for the first time today, and the files look great. They need a little extra nudge to get information out of the shadows, but overall I’m super happy with how they look. I could easily use this as a secondary camera on assignment, or a primary camera for street photography. Most importantly, I now have a camera that will always be at the ready to document my family, which are the most important pictures for me.
For much more on the Ricoh GR, head over Eric Kim’s street photography blog.
Gorgeous photos! Are you selling any prints?
Wow, amazing stuff. Amazing detail. I’m a Ricoh believer. And a Wainwright believer.
Thanks Ben!