Отзывы о Цифровой Фотоаппарат Ricoh GR

The camera seems awesome and I know I'm going to love it- if I can just get the battery charged! The charger they supplied is NOT the charger (AC-U1) specified on the side of the box and in the manual. In it's place was a VERY cheap looking Chinese made model P8 "travel charger". Did I get snookered? After trying to charge for over 3 hours, the camera lasts for ONE picture, then it says "Replace Battery" and powers off. I hope the cheapo switcho charger it came with didn't fry the battery and/or the camera!!

Trying to charge it off the computer now, will update this review when I know what's what.
Not happy.

UPDATE: It could only be returned and not exchanged as this was a third party seller. Amazon was awesome about fixing the issue and took a good discount off of the price, saving me the trouble of returning and repurchasing the camera. Happy again.
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Also, I've now used it for a few days and can give a review from my short time using this camera:

The camera in a word is Fantastic. It'll put a smile on your face.

If you want DSLR resolution in a point and shoot body, here it is. They built this well and intelligently. As another reviewer noted they must have had some true photographers working with the design team as it just feels like a no-nonsense grown up pocket camera for photographers. The buttons, grip and menu are form through function.

The JPGs are easily on par or exceed what I was getting with my Nikon D7000 resolution wise. The colors are different though. Not bad, but not as warm as that Nikon look that I'm used to. The JPGs are maybe a little more yellowy(?) than the Nikon standard look. I used Capture NX for post and don't have Lightroom, so I haven't been able to work with the DNG files this camera makes and can't comment on that yet.

The metering is definitely on the hot side, not nearly as good as Nikon's. Most pics are just brighter with blown highlights somewhere in them even with their evaluative metering. Dropping exposure compensation helps but does not completely fix.

The firmware update to 4.0 has fixed a lot of the problems seen on older reviews. It powers up nice and quick, ready to shoot by the time you get it out of your pocket and aimed. Auto focus is also decently quick and works for me the vast majority of the time. Snap focus works great if you're good at judging distance to subject and predicting where that subject will be. I expect a little slow down focus in low light, so no real complaints here. 4fps shutter works nicely in JPG mode. The shutter is very quiet but you can hear it.

The Silkypix editing software it came with is borderline useless. Maybe I'm just getting to old to take the time to learn a whole new editing tool. But safe to say you'll want Lightroom if you want to work on this cameras DNGs.

Battery life is fairly short, you'll have to be selective on what you shoot if your going to be out all day with one battery on you. I haven't completely used one up yet, but I was under 200 shots when the battery indicator started showing 2/3rds charge.

Wifi card works flawlessly on it.

If 28mm is too wide for what you need, you can crop to 35mm or 47mm at the press of a button. Resolution drops to about 6 megapixel at 47mm, still very useable. You've heard about all the customizations you can configure the buttons for, and there are many, but you can't configure every single thing as some reviews would have you believe.

Overall, a very confidence-inspiring tool for taking photos where ever you go. It feels trustworthy and reliable, and just takes damn fine pictures. No regrets so far, other than the above mentioned charger debacle. But I'm really liking this camera, can't wait to use it again tomorrow. Here are three samples from this past weekend:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/34167259@N06/14577027758/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/34167259@N06/14774637293/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/34167259@N06/14751547241/

I bought this for a trip across the USA, I did not want to take my work DSLRS with me as they are heavy so I researched a good compact which I could carry on our Journey. This seemed to be the best for my needs. As I am also a keen Wildlife Photographer I took my old Canon 550D and a 400mm lens for that purpose (in retrospect should have left the 400 at home and took my 70-200 instead packed into the suit case) . We travelled to NY City , DC, chicago, Denver and finally San Francisco by train- This camera is ideal for that sort of work, it is small and unobtrusive. Again with the 28mm fixed lens you have to get in close to your subject, which makes you think about what you are doing rather than relying on a zoom to frame your subject. results are first class, there is no Low pass filter, that 28 mmm f 2.8 prime is superb, I get sharper images than with the 550D using a 20mm f 2.8 lens. I shoot raw all the time and I use Light Room to process. Ricoh supplies their own Software called 'Slinkypix' (silly name that would put anyone off) to handle the DNG files but I found a bit quirky. I do not use the different picture styles you can select such as High Contrast, Positive Film etc, I just do this in the process if I need to. To use this camera you must think as photographers did before the advent of Zoom lenses etc and actually compose properly.. In NY I found a few people were a bit paranoid about getting their picture taken but most were fine when I asked. The video mode is not the best I have seen though. I have not given it 5 stars because of the following: The battery life is pants. I have two batteries and I am lucky if I get 5 hours use from them both. So always carry a spare and charge the other one pronto. The camera is quite small for my big hands. An annoying aspect is the position of the exposure compensation button, which is on the back right top of the camera just above the display.. it is easy to move this when using the various menus with out noticing , so suddenly you get really over or underexpose images, but if you are aware of this quirk, you keep an eye on it. All in all nothing else to fault.. It is a solid Titanium camera and very robust, if Ricoh produced a better capacity battery would be even better.

As a new Ricoh user I found the GR to be a complicated and difficult machine. I have to say that it took me a few weeks to warm up to the camera.

If you're like me you are going to want to explore the camera extensively. You'll soon find the camera to have a myriad of features and optimizations that could be daunting to those who are impatient. Unfortunately, I am a bit impatient and found myself struggling in operating the camera effectively. Of course, leaving the camera on Auto will eliminate the complexities of the camera.

The camera is well built and balanced. The large grip is a big plus that gives the user a boost of confidence in shooting the camera without concern of slipping. The GR is a small camera; about the size of an Olympus XZ-1 or Panasonic LX-5. The fact that they were able to put an APS-C sensor in a small body is a great feat of engineering. It is one terrific reason for purchasing the camera. To be able to carry a small camera that produces DSLR like quality has been the dream of many photographers for a long time. The Ricoh GR is successful in building that type of camera.

The many customization's and features the GR possesses is both a delight and a maddening experience. In that regard, the GR requires some experimentation and trial and error to get the camera to shoot the way you intend too. There is no question that the GR can be very versatile and quick to use - it has all the manual controls and customization's to satisfy your shooting habits - but getting there can be a little bit of journey. And the reason is because the Ricoh is a machine that has to be finely tuned to your habits. Some of the features and customization's the GR has are unique to Ricoh, and can therefore be somewhat troublesome to those who are new to the Ricoh system.

Once you get the settings correct, however, the camera is quick and responsive. The auto-focus on the GR is fast and does well in low light. I've read some reviews from other people who have complained about the speed of the auto-focus and the poor performance of the AF in low light conditions. Honestly, I haven't any problems with those issues at all, but maybe that is because I am using the latest firmware that might have corrected those issues. The GR also has the snap-focus feature which can utilize hyper-focal and zone-focusing techniques.

It's safe to say that the GR has many features and gives the user the ability to shoot how they prefer. The features the user uses the most can be assigned to any number of customized buttons or the handy customized lever. In essence, giving the user a highly customized machine.

The GR has many different filters within the camera, and the reason I specifically mention them is because I find them to be very good. Filters like the high contrast B/W, positive film, or beach bypass filters I found to be very useful on many occasions. You can shoot these in JPEG or process the raw files in the camera.

The pictures the GR renders are sharp. I find the JPEG's to be a little flat in color and contrast, especially if you're going to compare it to the Olympus or Fuji pictures which have a lot of "pop" to their JPEG's. In that regard I would compare the GR JPEG's to that of Pentax JPEG's. However, as I mentioned earlier, the filters on the GR are terrific.

RAW files are very good and malleable in post processing. The GR also produces good tonality for B/W pictures.

Pictures on the GR can get a little noisy rather quickly when raising the ISO number. Even at low ISO numbers (400-800) the GR can produce a small amount of grainy noise. This can be a negative to some but I personally don't mind the grain. The grain is not unattractive as it is in some other cameras with smaller sensors. But that is a personal preference.

Ricoh is also very active in firmware updates. Releasing updates to fix certain glitches and adding even more features to an already stacked featured camera.

The Ricoh GR is not the most user friendly camera. There is a reason why Ricoh is considered to be the camera maker for geeks. The vast amount of features on the camera to many, including myself, can seem to be unnecessary and over the top. However, the user can make it as simple or difficult as they want in utilizing the GR; at the end of the day the GR is a compact, powerhouse of a camera that delivers DSLR quality pictures. The initial awkwardness dissolves as the GR gets finely tuned by the user, and eventually becomes the versatile, high performance machine that it is meant to be.

I purchased this camera because I was looking for an everyday carry camera. It needed to be small, compact, with decent image quality. I was debating among three cameras: the Olympus EP-5 w/17mm 1.8, the Fuji X100s, and this one. In the end, I decided to go with the most compact camera, which is this one. After four months of shooting and 2000 shots later, I have found that the stellar reviews that I have read seemed to have given me such high expectations that I ended up feeling somewhat disappointed with the camera.

So, first, what I dislike about the camera:

1) You cannot customize the exposure compensation buttons (up and down buttons on the side). I normally like shooting on M mode, and in M mode, that button just automatically adjusts your exposure to be correct (how silly - why would you want automatic exposure functions in manual exposure mode?). I would have loved to have this be set as ISO control, but alas, you cannot customize the exposure compensation buttons.

2) So why not TAV mode? It's practically manual mode, just with no ISO control. Basically the camera decides the ISO. This however is not the same as Auto-Hi ISO, meaning that you CANNOT set a maximum ISO. How infuriating. Shooting in low light is nearly impossible with this mode.

3) In-camera noise reduction is awful. It renders faces in artificial lighting very poorly and makes them look plasticky. So JPG shooters, ought to consider reducing the noise reduction or just removing it entirely and use software to lower noise.

The meh:

1) Image quality is okay; I was expecting a stellar performance since nearly every critic raves about the image quality. To be fair, image quality is good for a camera this size, but if I get this kind of image quality from an APS-C sized sensor in any other body, I would be a little let down. Maybe it's a matter of preferences, but I find that my 7D looks better even though DxO Mark rates the Ricoh sensor 12 points higher (78 to the 7D's 66).

2) Focal length being at a fixed 28mm FF equivalent means you're stuck with this length. While those who love this focal length will have no problems, make sure that you are absolutely okay with it. Shoot at 28mm often and try to think if you will adapt to it and produce beautiful images with it. I felt like I would, but in the end, I still gravitate towards a more standard focal length (around 40-50mm).

3) Ergonomics and build quality - like I mentioned earlier, this camera is not as customizable as one would hope. Only three buttons are customizable essentially (Fn1, Fn2, and Effects). Of course you can switch the aperture and shutter speed dials in TAV and M modes, but really, customization isn't as good as it seems. However, the rest of the ergonomics are excellent. Everything else is kept simple and clean and are intuitively placed. Build quality is just okay. I like the rugged textured body, but it was surprisingly lightweight and felt more fragile than it looked.

What I loved:

1) It is super small and super compact. To get an idea of the size, it's about the size of two iPhones placed back to back. This means that it will fit in most pockets, and that you can carry it with you everywhere. And like I said, the image quality isn't bad for its size.

2) Snap focus mode. This is an amazing thing. Without this feature, the Ricoh would be an utter failure. It has pretty slow autofocus in low light conditions and it doesn't have good manual focus ergonomics, so the snap focus is definitely a redeeming quality when you cannot rely on AF. Just don't forget to turn off Macro mode; otherwise, when you snap down on the shutter, hoping for a quick shot, the lens will hunt forever. You'll be walking away trying to review your shot, wondering why the playback button won't work when you realized that the lens is STILL trying to focus.

3) Good AF in good light. The AF is unreliable in low-light but that's expected for most compact, contrast-focusing cameras. In well-lit areas, AF is pretty fast - not as fast as the incredibly fast Olympus EP-5 or Fuji X100s, but definitely fast enough.

So all in all, a decent camera. I just wish the image quality was as good as I had hoped. But I suppose that's my own fault for reading so many reviews and having high expectations. And I wished the exposure compensation buttons could be used for ISO adjustment in M mode. For now, I will keep this camera, but I expect to jump ship as soon as the next "small" thing hits stores.

Lets begin by saying that contrary to what most might imagine, anyone, regardless of skill or artistic sensibility would be well served by owning this camera. After all, its fixed focal length, small pocketable size and extraordinary ability to yield B&W images make it the 21st equivalent of an uber Instamatic, albeit a very expensive one. A few decades ago, cameras of this ilk were the common man's snapshot engine and there's really no reason to think that in auto mode the GR can't perform well beyond expectations of those who simply want to record head to toe images of their friends and loved ones.

Of course, in modern times snappers generally expect far more amenities such as zoom lenses, portrait and sports modes, wifi etc, none of which this camera provides. And as the consumer mantra today tends to emphasize sugar over substance, more doodads obviously make for a better product. Not so in this case. Nevertheless, for the vast majority of folks looking for a new camera, all the image quality in the world could never trump this camera's lack of 'basic' conveniences. If that's where you're coming from, hit the backspace key and get the hell out of here. This camera wasn't made for you.

But for those who do high tail it out of here, it is a shame, because this camera represents a true landmark in the history of photography. Dollar for dollar, ounce for ounce, cubic inch for cubic inch, it is the most powerfully concentrated still imagining tool humans have ever created. Some here have complained its not truly pocketable. Clearly none of these people ever smoked. Its just a touch larger than a pack of cigarettes and just as addictive. Addicts dont care if their fix means their jeans bulge a little, it's actually a source of comfort to be reminded every so often that what you need is just within reach whenever you need it.

In even modestly skilled hands the Ricoh's image quality is truly astonishing. And while its an incredibly effective and inspiring tool for those interested in documenting the urban landscape, it is by no means limited to that venue. I now carry it with me for every round of golf I play, an activity I never before considered as a viable opportunity for image making. Throw the GR in your push cart's cup holder and while your playing companions are mucking around over thinking their next shot, you can grab some amusing shots of extra-urban life as well. And as a bonus, its wide field of view coupled with its full HD video capability is perfect for recording every painful aspect of your playing companions swing. Might even pay for itself if you threaten to take the resultant videos viral.

If it isnt plain by now, I truly love this camera. Not perhaps quite in the same way as with my XE-1, but just as vehemently. The Fuji along with the X mount family of lenses is a camera system and therefore far more flexible. But there are places the Fuji simply can't go that the Ricoh can. As the old saying goes, the best camera is the one you have with you. And these days, I always have the Ricoh with me.

So why then only four stars? Well, for starters despite what you might have read about the GR interface, I find aspects of it very frustrating. The basic controls are extremely good. With the exception of occasionally bumping the EV lever, I never corrupt a shot due to an inadvertent button press. For such a small camera this is miraculous. But the underlying menu system and several options found within are not as well thought out. Items are often confusing and in some cases nearly non-nonsensical. If that was the worst of it, I'd have rated the camera five stars, but the GR has one glaring flaw which I find utterly unacceptable and frankly in all the reviews I've read has never come up. I shoot in raw mode, no jpeg. The trouble is that when reviewing images the rendering on the display in many instances is utterly useless for determining the focus accuracy of the shot. Straight lines can be jagged, noise can be prevalent enough to imply missed focus or exposure. As a result what turns out in post to be a tack sharp, nicely exposed photograph can easily be tossed in the field as unacceptable due to the lies told by the display. I've yet to use the camera in raw + jpeg which perhaps might mitigate this problem. If you do shoot raw only with the GR, I'd advise you keep everything until you've had a chance to review it off camera. Regardless of any workaround, I find this to be a very serious flaw which hopefully will be fixed in firmware sometime in the near future. One other thing to note that is that in a month or of in the pocket use, the screen has gotten some annoying scratching. I suppose I should have anticipated this, but having had iPhones that took years to show significant signs of screen wear, for a camera supposedly designed to go in your pocket, this is a problem. I'd far rather have paid the extra ounce and $50 for gorilla glass than n

Just took delivery of my new Ricoh GR today and felt I just had to write a short review as this thing is so good.

This is my first ever Ricoh and so far I am very impressed - read the reviews and I doubt you will find anything negative. First impressions are how light this camera is, although it still exudes quality. The frame feels sturdy and rigid with a dull black finish (stealth mode) and a good rubberised grip.

The images I've made so far are extremely sharp when viewed on the screen and I'm sure they will be even more impressive on my Mac/ iPad. There are many options or "Effects" as Ricoh labels them - B&W (3 options), Cross Process, Bleach Bypass, Retro and more.

The GR has the APS-C sensor - similar to those found on many DSLRs so in effect you are getting DSLR quality in a (very) compact little package. There is a similarly specced Nikon now available (Nikon A) but at a considerably higher price level. I am normally a big Nikon fan, but this Ricoh seems very competitively priced.

This camera has a fixed lens so will not suit those who want a zoom facility, but there is a really good option of switching from 28mm to 35mm perspective.

There is a wide range of customisable functions - more than I think I've found with any other camera.

It will fit in your pocket, so there's no reason to leave home without it.

If I really want to be critical (although the plusses easily outnumber the minuses) I would say:

No viewfinder (this would of course increase the dimensions of the camera) although you can buy a dedicated OVF which will fit in the hot shoe.

A charger unit is not included, you need to connect a charging cable directly to the camera. I however bought a separate charger unit which means I have a spare battery ready when the battery runs down. I do think Ricoh should have included this with the camera...

The camera body heats up a little with continuous use.

These are no more than little niggles - this is a very surprising camera and I think Ricoh has really stolen a march on the nearest competition with this one!

At the time of writing this review (mid-July 2013) none of the main dealers has stock of the GR. I managed to grab one from an independent dealer, so you may have to be patient - but believe me your patience will be rewarded!

Update 26 August 2014

It's some time since I wrote my original review of this camera and now feel it may be worth updating.

My review above is quite positive - and I still stand by what I wrote over a year ago. However over time (and for some inexplicable reason) the Ricoh GR wasn't being used as I played around with interchangeable lenses on DSLR cameras. I was also seduced, if this is the term, by the Fuji X100S which in effect does all the Ricoh does but with the obvious extra benefit of the OVF/ EVF. Doubtless the Fuji is a "pretty" camera and gives excellent results. However I found I just wasn't picking it up to take out to shoot - I put this down to it being too large to fit a coat/ jeans pocket and at the same time being too small to merit a dedicated camera bag.

I place the X100S in the category of camera you take out when you want to "take pictures" rather than a camera you pick up and may or may not use when out and about. If that makes sense...

The Ricoh however goes out with me and I don't feel guilty if I don't use it.

Anyway the point here is that my Ricoh has now been given a new lease of life and in fact I currently have my Fuji up for sale on eBay.

I recently re-read a number of reviews of the Ricoh, mainly from the time this model was first introduced. Some of the negative comments concerned the limited crop factor of the lens. But having just updated the firmware to V4 (do it via the Ricoh website) there is now a 47mm crop available along with a number of other improvements including faster AF.

My research indicates there will be no updated version of the GR (GR2?) in the near future (I am writing this review on 26 August 2014), but with the recently updated firmware I feel I almost have an updated camera.

So, I feel I have re-discovered something I've owned for some time (in camera years) and am actually taking more pictures than I might with a bigger, bulkier camera.

What does the GR not have that I would like? Well, a viewfinder (although you can attach an optional OVF), a tilting touch screen, built in wi-fi, longer battery life. My philosophy on this however, it that if you wait for every new function to appear on a camera you will wait forever and never actually pick up what is available TODAY and get out and shoot.

Lastly I see there is now a cosmetically enhanced GR out there now with what looks like green camouflage markings - must admit I've missed the point on that one...

If I could give it 5+ starts I would.

I have owned many film and digital cameras before GR, and still do – Canon DSLRs starting with D30, many Olympus compacts (C2020, C2100 ‘Uzi’), Fujifilm X100, NEX 5N, NEX 6 as well as many lenses – 85/1.8, 35/1.8, 30/2.8, 19/2.8 etc. Mostly primes. I tend to shoot wide-open and process RAW in LR5.

Many of the above cameras are fantastic tools and produce wonderful images if used well. However, nothing comes close to Ricoh GR for its unique *combination* of size, weight, ergonomics, and stellar image quality.
This is a true “photographer’s camera” and should be used to be appreciated. It doesn’t look like much, but it does deliver.

Pros:
+ Phenomenal ergonomics that is a match, if not superior to X100 ( It’s deeply customizable and designed for comfortable one-handed operation)
+ Grip (very very comfortable)
+ Light weight (perfect as a street camera)
+ Small size (fits in the pocket, X100 is not even close, and also twice as heavy)
+ Very, very sharp lens starting at F2.8 (it gets razor-sharp at F4, corner to corner)
+ Wide latitude RAW files that are sharp and contrasty
+ No AA filter (16Mp that is close to ‘normal’ 20-22Mp output of other APS-C sensors with AA filter. LOTS of cropping ability)
+ UI is close to perfect (very functional, easy to learn, easy to customize)
+ ND filter that is either Manual or Automatic!
+ LCD is very sharp, bright, and has fast refresh rate
+ Great bargain at current prices, in the low to mid six-hundreds

Cons:
- Auto-focus is kind of slow (it does not hunt in good light, just slow)
- Auto-focus in Multi-point mode is not very reliable (be careful, as it can show green rectangles on the subject but actually focus on other parts of the scene)
- Battery indicator in not very linear, it goes pretty fast from one ‘bar’ to nothing (just get Wasabi charger with 2 batteries for ~$20 on Amazon, this should solve the problem)
- Would love to have Auto-HI ISO in TAv mode (maybe future firmware update)

Most of Cons are pretty minor, with the exception of AF. I suggest using single center point and then re-frame, or use excellent snap focus.

Other random thoughts:

I got GH-3 adapter plus hood, but it turns out I rarely use them. The hood is simply NOT required, besides it makes the GR not pocketable so it defeats the main advantage. The adapter is useful for 49mm filters, if you’d like to use a polarizer, or stronger ND filter for long exposures.

I got a simple neoprene case on Amazon (Case Logic), but the case, while fitting snugly, significantly increases apparent camera size. I ended up not using it, and instead got thin magic fiber draw-string bags on eBay for a few bucks, and use one to protect the camera while in the pocket.

I have an optical viewfinder (adapted from Sony NEX system). I had to remove mini-shoe from adapter the bottom to reveal standard shoe mound. That was a $70 purchase, a bargain compared with Ricoh optical viewfinders. However, it also makes the camera not pocketable, so it gets little use. My advice is before you buy any of the accessories try using GR as-is, and see if you miss anything.

Overall, if you are looking for large sensor compact that actually FITS in the jean's pocket and produces great images time after time then there are very few choices. X100 is a great camera but not really pocketable. Nikon A is much more expensive and frankly UI seems un-engaging compared to GR. Sony RX100 are fine cameras but UI is, again, computer-like rather than camera-like. They are not one-handed cameras either. Ricoh GR has that rare combination of qualities that make it just right.

The metal body is light and feels solid. As with my full sized dSLRs, all the controls I need are easily accessible through "real buttons and knobs" on the camera body. This is as opposed to the typical arrangement for compact cameras where functions like ISO adjustment are buried somewhere in a menu tree.

I've found the image quality to be top notch. The wide angle lens presents remarkably little distortion, the f2.8 lens provides a shallow depth of field when needed, and the sensor does a great job in low light allowing me to shoot comfortably to at least ISO 3200. The lens doesn't zoom and the field of view is nicely wide, a bit wider than what is in my field of vision.

The lack of a zoom doesn't bother me and I believe its absence contributes to the overall image quality. I'm not an optical engineer but I've talked to enough of them to know that optics are a series of compromises and the number of them grows with each variable you introduce. Having a camera that only uses a specific lens and that lens doesn't do anything besides adjust focus means the camera can be, and from everything I've seen in this case has been, optimized for that configuration.

Another handy feature this camera provides, and it has become my favorite, is the ability to take a picture immediately when you press the shutter, without having to wait for the camera to focus. While it does focus fairly quickly, there is still a noticeable lag. Being able to avoid that has allowed me to capture images I would have otherwise missed. The way it works is you can set a specific distance that the lens will immediately focus to if you depress the shutter. When you see that once-in-a-lifetime situation, all you need do is point the camera and press the shutter. Thanks to the wide lens and something called the hyper focal distance you can easily pick a default focus range for your situation that will properly capture anything you are likely to encounter. And, when I want to allow the camera to focus I just depress the shutter half way (as with any other camera) and it works like "normal".

I do three things to make this setup even more effective:

- I set the camera to continuous mode. This allows me to hit the shutter as I'm bringing the camera up and leave it down as I'm framing the shot. In continuous mode the camera shoots four frames per second. I've found this gets me the shot as quickly as possible. It also acts to counteract any bounce from a clumsy shutter press.

- I use an external viewfinder, the kind that slips into the flash hot shoe. Ricoh makes a great one, I'm sure. However, I got one from a popular online auction site at a fraction of the cost. The quality probably isn't as good and for this application it works just fine.

- When I'm carrying the camera I keep the display turned off (don't need it until I change settings, thanks to the optical finder) and the camera turned on. The batteries last a very long time and the camera is always ready.

A couple accessories I've found very handy are the OP/TECH USA Bin/Op Strap and the Wasabi Power Battery and Charger Kit for Ricoh.... The neck strap connects easily to the camera, doesn't allow the camera to slide around when it's on my neck, and supports my goal of quick access. The batteries fit perfectly and last as long as the "official" one that came with the camera. Besides, Ricoh doesn't provide an external charger with the camera and this allows you to shoot *and* charge at the same time.

Ricoh provided this camera with no obligation other than I provide an unbiased review.