Ricoh GR review – Viewfinder, live view, LCD and video
Although the Ricoh GR has no built-in electronic or optical viewfinder, two optical accessory finders are available that slide into the camera’s hotshoe. The GV-2 mini viewfinder is the smaller of the two.
It is slightly more discreet, with its 85% coverage being bright and clear. The GV-1 finder is larger and offers 90% image coverage, and has guidelines that cover the 28mm equivalent focal length of the lens, and 21mm equivalent when the optional wideangle adapter lens is in use. These finders cost from around £150-£200, and although I found the screen reasonably good on a bright day, I would suggest that anyone thinking seriously about buying the GR should factor in extra cash for a finder – there is something about the Ricoh GR that makes me want to grasp it and hold it to the eye like a traditional compact camera.
Without one of the viewfinders, images must be composed using the 3in, 1.23-million-dot rear screen. With a refresh rate of 60fps, live view is smooth and the image bright and clear. I didn’t have too much difficulty shooting in bright sunlight, and the screen is of good quality and capable of displaying fine details.
Finally, the Ricoh GR can also shoot full HD video at 1920×1080-pixel resolution. However, sound is recorded in mono only, but with stereo output. I can’t really see that the GR will be used a lot by videographers, so the slightly limited video function should not be much of an issue. However, it is still a nice feature to have for those who like to record short videos of their travels.
