May 5th, 2014 … The Ricoh GRD4, a Very Comfortable Friend

05-14-0161-Edit………see the thing is, the GRD4 fits in a pocket and is always at the ready…………. I gotta split, gotta tend to the blog, catch ya later…………..

So I met a friend on the street the other day and she was wondering why I was using Penelope instead of my others cameras. I just told her…well, read the last thing above…..get it….ok. I had just passed thru the tunnel from Reading Market to go to Market Street……it was a slow process finding photos and Penelope makes that even harder. Because she’s so petite, I guess the Inverse Square Law comes to play. Small camera, more work, more work, less images, less images more satisfaction form each….I could go on but I’m sure you get it.

As I was approaching the doors to exit to Market St, I saw these two guys standing and thought it might make a good photo. I reached the doors and then one guy moved away out of sight and the other just stood there. I opened the door and raised Penelope and then the guy put his hands behind his back and I thought, what an observer…I moved a few feet to see my frame, raised Penelope and………….CLICK!  This shot is uncropped, it’s very close to what was in that reality at that time but it’s exactly what my minds eye saw at release.

So what I’m explaining to Suzanne is that I have a terrible neck/back ache from having the XP1’s around my neck. The weight is killing me. So I am using the GRD4 because it’s in my hand or pocket and never on the neck.

Suzanne asked if this helped my neck ache and I replied, no..it doesn’t help at all but it doesn’t add to it either.

05-14-0165-Edit

We took a walk to Chinatown because Suzanne wanted to eat a little. (Suzanne is one of my students and she is a Doctor and Heart Specialist.) So as we were walking, I came upon a photo at a window. The woman was looking at us as if were were together and we are but not in the way the woman thinks or maybe not in the way I think the woman thinks.

So as I got closer, I felt that the woman was feeling alone and there was no one around her in her space. I understood the loneliness she may have been feeling and I raised Penelope and ……Click. My first reaction on framing was to move in and cut much of the left side out. When I raised the camera, Penelope was right where she was supposed to be. The juxtaposition was perfect and the photo made.

Suzanne smiled and said that was one she wanted a print of.  I replied, I’ll buy lunch.  It’s now 0815 on Monday morning and I’m heading to the street again with Penelope. I feel this may be hr last day out for a while. I miss the OVF for my Dear Andre’ …..but not the neck pains…….

Before you do anything in your life….remember to breathe first and enjoy that…..think of the alternatives…..not pretty…….

shooter out………………………………….transmission terminated by user……………………………………………..

17 thoughts on “May 5th, 2014 … The Ricoh GRD4, a Very Comfortable Friend”

    1. Thanks Keith. Your comments make it all worth while. Others too but right now…yours…

    1. Dan my brother, I learned that when I was snorkeling in Hawaii. “Remember to breath as you go under”… I don’t have great hearing and when the guy stopped punching my chest and trying to get the water out, I realized that breathing is first and foremost except under water…..

    1. Dave, thanks. The GRD4 is pocketable so it’s easy to always have a gritty 28mm with ya. Great camera and I feel it’s one of the best ever digital cameras ever produced.

  1. I’m glad that I found your website and Olivier’s. You guys somehow “poisoned” me to buy this awesome little camera. Thanks for sharing, Don. Another great post from you.

    1. Thanks, I’m glad you found this too. You don’t mean you bought a Ricoh GRD4? C’mon, why would you do that? I mean….all your other cameras will resent the little giant. I hope you know what your doing my friend. BTW…what did ya name it? ….We are all waiting to hear……
      don

      1. I was looking at other brands actually before I came across Olivier’s website. Precisely… this little thing kept my big gun(canon 5dmk2) in the box for quite sometime already. Ohh… I name her “Nur”. “Nur” in malay means “the light”. So yeah…

        1. Great name for a camera. I keep Penelope in my pocket all time…for different reasons…Hey one can dream right….
          It’s tpp perfect sometimes for me because it takes over. That’s why I dubbed it, “The Camera Killer”.

          1. Thanks.. I have it in my pouch everytime too. But I’m contemplating whether to get her elder sister, Ricoh GR, or trade. What’s your suggestion??

          2. First off…the GR is the younger sister, not older. I had one and its great if you don’t mind dust…almost all have dust in a short time….

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