GR3x HDF Takes A Soft Approach

[@MichaelGerrard]

For the GR4, I think Ricoh should improve the sealing and the wheel on the back. These are the biggest criticisms of the GR.

[@mattisulanto]

Some fine tuning here and there.

[@RJ-dv5mg]

I often use a Pro Mist filter when shooting jpeg so I quite like this HDF version. HDF looks best for atmospheric night time street photography for Instagram which is probably what Ricoh are aiming at

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for sharing. Low light scenes with some lighting variations are probably the best for this camera. I'll try and see if I can make another video with the HDF and shoot some low light city scenes.

[@seaeagles6025]

Hi Matti, Ricoh are on a real winner with all there series of GR cameras. The soft Filter is a cool feature, but having a 2 Stop ND Filter would be used more by photographers. Nevertheless that soft Filter will still be popular. Thanks for showing that you can use an Adaptor for the ND filter, as it is a small camera it's good that you mentioned it as some photographers wouldn't know this. Thanks for this video Matti 😊.

[@caw25sha]

@@seaeagles6025 There seems to be a confusing range of Ricoh and third party adapters but some of them are for circular threaded filters which to me would be the better option.

[@seaeagles6025]

Thanks Matti 😊

[@chrisbale11]

It seems there's a lot of demand from KZbinrs, including your friends Peter and Robin, for an electronic viewfinder (EVF) and a fully articulated LCD for vlogging. These features would increase the body size significantly. On the other hand, some prefer a compact size for the GRIII/x. It's difficult to create a perfect camera for everyone.

[@mattisulanto]

There are already so many cameras with an EVF if that’s what you want. Not every camera needs to be the same.

[@SpudUna]

I have the GRiii HDF. The loss of the nd filter hasn’t bothered me at all. It’s always been set on auto on my previous GR’s. So to be honest I’ve never actually known if it’s ever kicked in or not. I’m guessing not, as my aperture is usually f8 anyway. Suffice to say all is well with the HDF model. Apart from one thing. The HDF icon is only visible when the shooting information screen is set for everything. I prefer just the basic information with histogram. With the info screen in this mode when you enable HDF the icon pops up but goes out shortly after. So you don’t know if it’s enabled or not. And as it’s extremely subtle anyway it’s hard to see just by looking at the screen.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for sharing. Looks like the HDF is better for you. I guess the HDF icon could be slightly more substantial because it's not always easy to see from the live view if the filter is on or off.

[@geogu3images]

Thanks for another honest appraisal. Agreed, the addition of HDF filtration in these cameras makes little sense for most users, especially if they’re a predominantly B&W shooter. And it can be done in post anyway. However, if Ricoh considered a monochrome version of the GR, it would be backordered into eternity.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks. I agree, the possible monochrome version would probably be hard to come by😀

[@aviatorman8]

I totally agree with you that Ricoh should not change the form factor in the GR 4. We all love the GR 3 what it is. Those who want a view finder can get a different camera. I’m one of those photographers who like the diffusion filter and I’m going to buy the GR 3 HDF when it becomes available in Seattle. Thanks for this video my friend and the side by side comparison of photos, exactly what I was looking for. Cheers!

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks. The HDF is definitely for you then and I hope it'll soon be available in your area.

[@aviatorman8]

@@mattisulanto thanks, I hope so too.

[@TimoVarakas]

Oh man I got to ask focus Nordic if they’d lend me one! I’ve wanted to try out a Ricoh for a while now.

[@mattisulanto]

Why not, it's worth a try. Nothing to lose but a lot to gain😀

[@michaelajoseph6856]

Thank you for your honest opinion. You have to wait untill fall or winter to give the mist filter a try. We’ll be here for the sample images. I agree with you that ND filter is much more useful.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks! I'm going to give it another try once the days get a bit shorter which is not that far ahead any more😀

[@JessDemant]

I will definitely keep my two normal Ricoh GR cameras because I prefer the sharp image and the ND filters in my two Ricoh cameras are also a useful thing for me! Thanks for another great video 👍

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for sharing!

[@Apollostowel]

Yeah I’m the opposite. I haven’t gotten any filters yet, but I’d be more likely to use an external ND filter, and HDF most of the time, I dig the softer look, and haven’t gotten in a situation yet where I was wishing for another filter. It’s just an option to get down the road for me.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks. Yeah, I totally get it why some people like the soft look.

[@daviddyephotography]

thanks for this, for me, this filter doesn't offer anything to justify the expense. if I wanted a little dlow, the software programs do very well

[@user-ww4cg8zy4j]

Hello Matti! Now in the digital age there is no point in having such a function as a softening filter. A sharp, high-quality photo can always be softened when processed in a program.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks. That is one opinion😀

[@caw25sha]

Matti, if you still have the camera maybe you could take some indoor photos with just one dim light. The sample night photos from Ricoh themselves got a huge amount of criticism and deservedly so. They really did look awful, particularly round street lights, so I'd like to see someone else's opinion on how it behaves in such conditions. I don't have any type of GR but if I did I'd buy a standard model and a filter adapter for occasional use. I believe it would have been better if Ricoh had added a small filter thread to make it more versatile.

[@mattisulanto]

I’m going to make one more HDF video and I’ll do my best to include some low light photos.

[@DoKaTS]

I really really like the HDF filter, so I bought it. But autofocus still sucks in low light.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks. The HDF looks nice if you like the effect.

[@chrisbale11]

Should I opt for the GRIIIx with built-in ND & an external mist filter? Or the GRIIIX HDF with built-in mist & an external ND filter? I'm worried about potential issues with the picture quality if I decide to use both filter effects at the same time.

[@mattisulanto]

I’d take the built in filter that I use more often and then add the other one when necessary. I have not tested multiple filters on the GR but I would not worry too much about the IQ.

[@buffalo369]

When will GR4 be released, Matt ? 😊😊😊

[@mattisulanto]

You'd have to ask the Ricoh people😀

[@raulal00]

I think it is a nonsense to replace a usefull ND for a niche HDF, because ND can be used in a lot of situations (using the f2.8 DoF all the time, for example) and the HDF, well, is just to take a technically "worst" photo on purpose, and without being able to recorver that sharpen if you would because is not there

[@DoKaTS]

HDF is more usefull, and still use 2.8

[@raulal00]

@@DoKaTS why is more usefull? you can't shoot f2.8 at 1/100 in daylight because no ND (for some random example, train motion, etc) need to push shutter to 1/500 probably so can't tale that shot. Or making a long exposure on afternoon easily... and also I think you can replicate the HDF effect with little tweaks

[@cameraprepper7938]

For me the Ricoh series cameras are too flimsy build quality, without EVF and too expensive for what you get/not get. I will pay premium price for a high end compact in very good build quality with an excellent 35mm Lens and with a very good EVF in the style as a Contax T (first version without flash !) or Minox 35 ML, so which company will be the first to make a compact Camera like that !? Gimmicks like filters I cannot see any use for.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks. Viewfinders in small cameras tend to be mediocre at best regardless of the camera because a good VF does not fit in a small camera. The Contax T and the Minox 35 don't actually feel that premium any more today if you have a chance to try them out. In my opinion, that is😀

[@RJ-dv5mg]

Then it wouldn't be pocketable which is the whole point of the GRIII, that and the zone focus implementation. Collapsible lenses are always flimsy, the alternative is a fixed lens like the Leica Q3 or RX1 but then it's not pocketable

[@th0big23]

another waste of money from late pentax😢...