I take great pride and comfort in having a “brother in arms” with the GR as well. This time my great friend Zun Lee. Long time readers of this blog will surely recognize him as my first interviewee in the Togs Series. A couple of years I had this to say about his photography:
Every once in a while something truly special happens. It can be an encounter with an old friend, a chat with your special loved one, or perhaps meeting someone new. Well, I had such a moment a few months ago when I discovered the work of Zun Lee over on Flickr. I’ve perused a multitude of streams and some have left me in awe but yet others have left an indelible impression on me — such is the power behind the images of Zun Lee. Folks, today Tog Series is proud to inaugurate with an amazing street photographer — Zun Lee.
Well, its been about 2 years since that statement and today I still feel the same way. Zun has been published in the New York Times and has a long list of accomplishments and he recently had to this say about the Ricoh GR:
As promised, some quick thoughts on the Pentax-Ricoh GR. For me, it’s the best street shooting tool I’ve had thus far. The APS-C sensor’s size and quality really make a difference and the GR is definitely more than just an upgrade from the GRD4. This beast is now a wonderful all-around tool for just about any kind of purpose, if its 28mm focal length agrees with you.
And adding to that, the 35mm view as well. With that said, I highly recommend you take a cruise over to Zun’s Flickr stream and visit his main site and dive straight into his visual poetry.
Photograph by Zun Lee – “Crosses We Bear”
Ledesma Photography 
A wonderful photo from our mutual friend! I’ve been thinking about getting the GR (if I can find and/or afford one). Although, I shot with Eric’s (Kim) a little bit recently and while it’s a wonderful camera I’m still not convinced it does as well as my film Ricoh’s. That being said, I WANT one, lol.
Its a cracker of a camera. Josh, talk to me about the viewfinder in your GR1, do you use it often. Its the only thing I would want in the next iteration, sometimes I just yearn for a viewfinder view. I think you’ll like it and find super versatile.
Yeah, I can understand the versatility! Although, my GR1V gives me the same thing in a smaller package plus the full frame! Looking at similar photos from both Eric’s GR and my GR1V of the same situation it took us a bit to figure out why they looked so different. It was definitely the “full frame” look of 35mm. A big stronger dynamic range as well. That being said, I’m in need of a digital camera and it’s by far the one I’m lusting after the most!
As for the viewfinder, I use it 99% of the time. I don’t shoot from the hip, so on lower angled shots I still crouch and frame in the viewfinder. It’s something I wouldn’t be able to really live without. The viewfinder in the GR1V is far from outstanding, but it’s still a necessity. If I bought the GR I’d certainly buy a viewfinder. It annoys me that it would be harder (or impossible) to pocket in that situation as my GR1V is a little smaller than the GR and has a built in viewfinder. Shooting with Eric’s I found using the LCD fine for macro type photographs but I still missed the viewfinder. So, it’s an exciting step but probably one step away! I will still buy one though if I can afford it, haha.
I hear that! Yeah definitely the increased dynamic range of the GR1V is the king in this situation but let me tell you, I quite impressed with this little gem man! I also wonder if there is a huge difference from the inbuilt OVF of the GR1V to the GV1/2, on the latter, the added bulk seems a bit more tedious. Wouter is using the Voigtlander 28mm with great success at withing 3-5 meters, so that’s an option. From what I hear, the Voigt is a lot brighter than any other viewfinder. Yeah the LCD is great for my vertical shots and all others but I have a certain hesitance sometimes of framing via the LCD, it makes me feel, how can I say it ― “naked.” I feel like I’m out there open, its like a published a few days “the viewfinder has an intimacy” which is insurmountable. I suppose will wait for the next GR, we’ll see.
haha, we will wait but I’m sure I’ll end up with this one, one way or another! One thing I will say about the viewfinder on the GR1V / GR21 is that while they aren’t particularly bright, they do offer shooting information and more importantly, focus confirmation! So, while using something like the voigtlander offers good framing ability, I think the lack of focus confirmation makes them at least a step behind what was offered in their film brethren.
Anyway, I still think it’s a sick camera. I hope I’ll be able to get my hands on one to use it a little more seriously for a more educated opinion!
haha, all the best Josh! I’m sure one will find its way to you, sooner than later.