Ricoh GR III

I’m sure that Apple did tons of A/B testing, focus groups etc. with different image processing parameters to arrive at the settings that their phones use for photos, and from these comments it’s clear that a lot of people prefer the iPhone photos. When I was in grad school (in the pre-iPhone era) I photographed lots of weddings on the weekends, and one thing I noticed during the process was that people often have a set idea of what good photos look like. This idea of a “good” photo is often not tied to what the scene in front of them looks like. For example a “good” photo that includes a sunset will show a highly saturated orange/red sky, even if that’s not what the sky looks like at the moment the photo is taken. Personally, I carry around a Ricoh GR3, and shoot random shots with the iPhone, but when it really matters I’ll use the Ricoh. The way the iPhone flattens the lighting is what bugs me the most. Recently I was at a kid’s birthday party and each kid had a cupcake with a candle in it. The room was a bit dark, and the Ricoh photo showed that each kids face was illuminated just a bit by the candle in their cupcake… The color temperature of the candle light is warmer than that of the room light. The photo makes you feel like you’re really there. My friend shot a photo on her iPhone at the same time and we compared afterwards. In her photo, every kid’s face is well lit and the candle effect is gone. She likes her shot better and I like mine. Some people want a shot that re…

I bought a Ricoh GR III. Nice camera, shame about the app - it's pretty bad in and of itself (you need it for remote shutter), but it has a horrific data collection/sharing T&C. Fortunately, in Android, you can block network access for an app. If I couldn't do that, I'd need to root e/os/ to install firewall to prevent, or , not use the app - which would mean no remote shutter on the camera. AFAIK, there is no way to discover the T&C until you have installed the app.

Personally I love my Ricoh GR III. There are two versions, one is 28mm and another is 40mm (GR IIIX). They are fixed lens which sounds bad, but in reality it prevents you from constantly thinking about buying new lenses and switching lenses. There is essentially no other camera that can fit in your pocket. So if you want interchangeable lens, it kinda doesn't matter what you get at all because they will all require a camera bag. EDIT: btw, when buying camera gear I highly suggest buying used, places like keh, mpb and b&h used department are great and I've never had a problem.

Coming from rather bulky DSLRs (e.g. Canon 7D), the Ricoh GR III was a game changer for me. The camera has a superb image quality while easily fitting in the front pocket of my pants, which allows me to carry it each and every day. That availability allowed me to take many shots I would have missed with my bulkier cameras as I would have left them at home. The development presets it brought luckily meet my taste, which allows me to skip development on my computer most of the time (I still shoot RAW and jpeg combined for the other times). The designers have put much effort in enabling one-handed handling of the camera even in manual mode. Many current generation smartphones come with capable cameras, though, and I expect many not to see the benefit in this camera for their needs.

What you are looking for is a Ricoh GR III or IIIx [0] (same camera, different fixed lens focal length). It's super pocketable, and you can turn the screen off completely, although it doesn't have a viewfinder, so with the screen off you can't really know what you are framing - it could be fun to try and guess after getting the hang of it. Image quality would be much better even than the latest flagship phones. Finally, you can browse the images on the camera afterwards and wirelessly transmit the ones you want to edit/post to your phone/tablet/computer. You can also have presets for color filters and highlight/shadow tones, so you don't really need to edit in post if you prefer. It's truly a great little camera, and the price is not that bad (usually around $1000, but can be found for less, or you could go with the previous model, GR II). [0] https://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/products/gr-3/

Take a look at a Ricoh GR III or IIIx. Lighter than Fuji's most famous rangefinders, great APS-C sensor. In stock, and cheaper. There's a slight chance today they will announce its successor.