Simplistic armchair psychologist that I am, I believe that most everyone’s personality — no matter how nuanced or complex — can ultimately be defined and thus predicted through a series of basic either/or questions. Are you a dog person or a cat person? A coffee drinker or a tea aficionado? Mac or PC? Give us humans a choice, and we’ll likely have a pronounced preference. Give us humans enough choices, and our entire personality is revealed.
It’s a bit like a trip to the optometrist — by asking whether you prefer the view through lens “A” or the view through lens “B,” the technician hones in on a prescription tailored just for you.
I like to think that a similar tactic works for photography — follow a line of carefully considered either/or questions, and you’ll arrive at your personal photographic core. Once there, you’ll possess the knowledge to not only decide which camera and lenses to purchase, but you’ll even know what you should photograph with them!
However, as anyone who’s taken a company-sponsored personality test will tell you, the results can only be as accurate as the questions. Ask a stupid question and… well… you know the rest. Most personality tests, I believe, are too flat. Rather than tailoring each question to how the previous one was answered, everyone simply answers the same set of questions — many of which seem more indicative of the test author’s personality than the subject’s.
My test, which I hope to submit to the little-known and highly-clandestine International League of Enlightened Photographers, would involve more “funnelling” — with each block of questions dependent upon how one responded to the previous block. Obviously, with such a technique, the first question becomes key.
And it was only recently that I finally determined what that opening question should be:
“Question 1: Is it the destination or the journey?”
Curiously, it was my approach to using and enjoying two thoroughly modern, yet completely different digital cameras that lead to this epiphany.
Olympus OM-D E-M1
A few years ago, after realizing that the industry had changed and that people were increasingly unwilling to pay (or, at least to pay me) for shots, I ditched all my SLRs — focusing on the sort of photography that I preferred and enjoyed. As a consequence, my big bag-o-camera-tricks has been missing quite a few tools for quite a few years. It’s been without long lenses, macro lenses, shift lenses, fisheye lenses, auto-focus lenses, and lenses adapted from other camera systems. It’s also been without many of today’s so-called “necessities” like video, wi-fi connectivity, rapid frame rates, art filters, multiple exposures, in-body HDR, image stabilization, and super high ISO speeds.
It struck me as somewhat absurd that everybody and their Aunt Bertha had access to all these basic photo capabilities and yet I, a man who defines himself substantially through photography, did not.
And so I searched for what would likely become, for lack of a better term, my “Swiss Army Camera.” It would be the camera to restock my capabilities cabinet, but it wouldn’t necessarily be my “go to” camera for the soul-defining projects.
And it was precisely for this purpose that I purchased an Olympus OM-D E-M1.
Over the last few months, many eagle-eyed readers have spotted a smattering of Olympus digital shots in some of my posts, and I’ve received dozens of emails asking that I write a review of the camera. It’s a reasonable request. After all, nearly every photo-related website and publication awarded the OM-D their “Camera of the Year” honor for 2013. And while it’s flattering that, with all this existing evidence, some people still want to know my take on the camera, what can I possibly say that hasn’t already been said? The bottom line is this: the camera functions much like a modern digital SLR (in spite of the fact it isn’t actually one), and it does everything that any reasonable person would expect it to do, and it does it reasonably well.
Frankly, it’s the most boring camera I’ve ever used in my life.
Hmmm, maybe I do have something “new” to add to this discussion, after all.
Mind you, “boring” does not mean “bad.” Some of the least boring cameras I’ve ever used are actually the most infuriating — persnickety film transports, light leaks, sticky shutters. Unpredictability is rarely boring, but that doesn’t mean it’s something we necessarily desire in a camera. The Olympus simply works and works well. Like I said, “boring.”
“Boring” also describes the photos I find myself pulling off the Olympus’ SD card. Since we all know that “it’s the photographer, not the camera,” I’ll be the first to state that the reason my photos from the EM-1 are “boring” is entirely because of me. This is a camera that would excel at photographing your friends at a party, or a lion on safari. It’d be great for scenic vistas at a National Park, or for architectural details in a medieval city. It would effortlessly capture all the action at the local hockey arena, or a bunch of kids running wild at a family reunion. In other words, it’s a camera that’s ideally suited for subjects that I don’t photograph very often or very well. But that’s the point of having a Swiss Army Camera, isn’t it? It’s about having access to a whole set of photographic tools you might not always need, but never know when you might want. Frankly, “boring” is probably a step-up from what usually occurs when I step outside my photographic comfort zone.
I’ve come to think of the OM-D EM-1 as my “destination” camera. It’s the camera I might pull out of the bag when I get to where I’m going; the camera I’ll use to take a photo to commemorate a trip, event or special moment. Of course, I don’t tend to commemorate trips, events or special moments. That’s just not the sort of photography that interests me. I might even go so far as to say that it “bores” me, which is probably a third reason why I declared this “the most boring camera I’ve ever used in my life.” It actually encourages me to go ahead and take all the sort of photos I wouldn’t normally have any interest in taking.
Photographically, I’m much more interested in the “journey.” I’m interested in the jumble of life that happens all around me while I’m simply getting to somewhere else. For this, I need something less “Swiss Army” and far more specialized…
Ricoh GR
I’ve shot it for only a little over a week, but I already feel completely familiar with the new Ricoh GR. It’s not the sort of camera line that reinvents itself with each new product freshening, because the original designers pretty much nailed it on the first try.
One of the many things I love about Leica’s M-series cameras is that, once you’ve owned one, you can pick up any model in its 60-year lineage — film or digital — and you’re immediately acclimated. The same is true of the Ricoh GR. Whether you owned one of the original Ricoh GR film series cameras, one of the earlier GRD digital models, or the GXR (like I do), the ergonomics, handling and philosophy are the same.
Also akin to the M-series Leica cameras, Ricoh GRs have a way of “cutting the crap,” and getting right to the point of photography — particularly if the point of your photography is “the journey.”
Slim enough to fit into the front pocket of my jeans (with me actually in them), it sports a lens with a 28mm equivalent field of view — my ideal focal length for photographing whatever life throws my way. Elegant in function and austere in appearance, the Ricoh GR puts every control directly where my fingers expect to find it. Furthermore, Ricoh allows even the most obsessive photographer to assign these controls to match their needs precisely. I know people claim the Olympus OM-D EM-1 features a similarly rich amount of customization, and compared to its competition (dSLRs), this might be true — but compared to the Ricoh, it’s not even in the same league. I can completely change functionality on the Ricoh, using only one-hand, in the time it takes to bring the camera to my eye. And yes, I bring the camera to my eye because I can’t stand to frame photos with rear-panel LCDs. So my GR has a tiny Voigtlander 28mm optical viewfinder on top.
Most of the time, I’m scale-focusing using Ricoh’s fabulous “snap focus” mode. It’s a bit like using the distance scale to focus an old-school manual lens, except you don’t need to employ a second hand to change the focus distance with the Ricoh.
In those instances when I do use autofocus, Ricoh was clever enough to put the focus confirmation light up high, near the hotshoe. Since I work with my eye pressed to the optical viewfinder and all camera sounds silenced, it’s a huge benefit to see focus confirmation within my peripheral vision. Now, I know what you’re thinking — you’re thinking, “hotshoe-mounted optical viewfinders don’t display any camera information and they don’t correct for parallax. So even if you use center-point autofocusing, how do you know where the true center of the frame resides? How do you know what, exactly, the camera is focusing on?”
I hate to tell you this, but the answer is the one no one ever likes to hear — because the answer is “practice.” That’s right. Simple, basic, rote practice. I first spent about 30 minutes using the rear LCD to focus on objects at various distances, making note of where those objects appeared in the optical viewfinder. With that knowledge, I then started using the optical viewfinder to guess where I thought the autofocus patch would be. Within a single afternoon, I trained myself to achieve a 100% success rate. It helped that Ricoh was thoughtful enough to center the hotshoe over the lens, so one only needs to practice compensating for vertical parallax.
The latest Ricoh GR has also inherited my favorite feature from my old Pentax K5 — TAv mode. As every photographer (hopefully) knows, there are only three variables that contribute to photographic exposure: Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO (which we used to call “film speed” in the pre-digital days). In the film era, one’s choice of ISO was determined by one’s choice of film, so the camera was responsible for only two of the three exposure variables.
As cameras became more automated, manufacturers introduced a pair of exposure modes to assist photographers: Av (Aperture priority) mode and Tv (Shutter priority) mode. In Av mode, the photographer sets the desired aperture and the camera selects the appropriate shutter speed. ISO was already pre-determined by the film selection. In Tv mode, the photographer sets the desired shutter speed, and the camera selects the appropriate aperture. Again, ISO was already pre-determed by the film selection.
Simple, right? You give the camera two exposure parameters and it sets the third based on its internal light meter.
So now that modern times are upon us, and the ISO parameter has moved inside the digital camera (since it’s no longer determined by film type), why don’t all digital cameras offer a third ‘priority’ mode — one that lets the photographer set both the shutter speed and the aperture, while letting the camera select the ISO? This is exactly what TAv mode accomplishes.
I know some slick-talking marketing types will tell you that all cameras have this feature, but they don’t. What all cameras have is an “auto-ISO” feature, and most work only in conjunction with either Av or Tv modes. They work by allowing the photographer to specify a range of allowable shutter speeds. If the camera needs to set a shutter speed that falls outside this range, then it will alter the ISO to compensate. This is most definitely not the same thing as saying, “give me f/4 at 1/250 and let the ISO fall where it may.” It might seem like a small point, but when you’re shooting on the street, it’s huge — I need to have control over both depth-of-field and motion-blur. Frankly, I don’t really care about noise — that’s going to be the least important factor in the shot. Ricoh understands this, which is just another reason why I consider the Ricoh GR a true “journey” photographer’s camera.
I haven’t even mentioned the stellar image quality, the whisper-quiet leaf shutter, the built-in neutral density filters, or any of a myriad other features that make the Ricoh so incredible. All I really need to say is that, because of its size, performance and responsiveness, the Ricoh GR is a camera that is now always with me, no matter what my destination. Whether I’m going to the grocery store, the dentist, dinner or the ATM, the Ricoh is in my hand. Sure, none of these destinations may be the least bit interesting, but the journey almost always is. And that’s what I like to photograph.
Conclusion
Modern camera developers can build some truly wonderful products when they put their backs into it. Unfortunately, in today’s disposable-minded society, it doesn’t seem to happen as often as it should. Fortunately, both of these cameras fall squarely into the “wonderful” camp. True, they may have been designed for two entirely different types of photographers, but that’s OK — we’re not all one and the same.
So what type of photographer are you? Has your life been a series of places, events and achievements, or has it been a richly textured meandering?
Is it the “destination” or the “journey?”
Whichever way you answer, I’m rather certain I can recommend a camera for you.
©2014 grEGORy simpson
ABOUT THESE PHOTOS: “In Viscera” was shot with an Olympus OM-D EM-1 fronted with a Lumix/Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 lens. “From My Window” was shot with an Olympus OM-D EM-1, this time fronted with a 120mm f/2.8 SMC Pentax-M lens via a Voigtlander K Adapter. “False Creek, Vancouver” was also shot with an Olympus OM-D E-M1, now adorned with an Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 optic. Everything else was shot with a Ricoh GR: “Pet Friendly” on the way to grab some carry out Indian food; “Branch Manager” on the way home from Costco; “Prelude to a Fracas” on a walk to retrieve my car after the dealer completed its oil change; “The Leaf Stalker” on my way to the grocery store for a jug of milk; “The New Hoodie?” on my way back from the drugstore (both shots in the diptych taken within 1 minute of each other); and “Innocents” on the walk home after dropping my car off for the previously mentioned oil change.
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Dear Egor
Here we are again. It was partly down to one of your non camera reviews I ended up buying A Ricoh GXR. As you say, once you have handled one, you pretty much know your way round the others.
On this occasion I had already taken the plunge and am the proud owner/user of the GR. Even though I already have one, I still got a warm and fuzzy feeling from reading your comments. Snap focus, you just got to love it.
I too also use it with a bolt on viewfinder. That is my, MY3 set up. B+W and no screen either pre or post shot. Almost like a pseudo M.
One question. Are you still applying some of that egor post processing magic or setting the cam to B+W contrast high. looks to good for in camera, but have to ask.
Jason the journeyman
You write the best reviews.
January February are always months to dream of a summer destination though the journey is usually the interesting part. Part of the dreaming is which camera will make the trip with me. Certainly not the Nikon DSLR, quite the worst camera I have had in my life, probably my note taking Lumix lx5 which replaced a Richo which had a stroke mid trip one year and I was able to use to demonstrate decluttering to an obsessive hoarder by removing the battery and tossing into the recycling facility! I think it will be the TLR Rollei now in it’s fifth decade and still going strong.
Where are the really desirable cameras, there was always a long list of such film cameras but nothing less than the cost of a small car even comes close…
Jason: I can’t be a photographic control freak and accept what the camera gives me as “the image.” So, to answer your question: “Yes, I do all my own processing of images. And no, I don’t use any of the in-camera ‘modes’.” I’ve only ever shot in RAW because I believe each image “tells” us what it needs, and every single image needs something different. I’ve never used Lightroom presets or plugin presets for that same reason — I figure only I can know what I want an image to ultimately look like, and not some software algorithm. What I haven’t yet figured out is how I’m such a photographic control freak, and yet prefer to photograph random events on the streets over which I have no control at all? Maybe I’ll try to figure that out some other day…
Greycoopers: My reviews may have a modicum of “entertainment” value, but I don’t imagine anyone who’s in the market for new photo gear would get the least bit of benefit from them. I like to think that my “reviews” are actually an attempt to get people to pay more attention to their own proclivities and needs, and less attention to spec sheets and other peoples’ opinion. In reality, I probably just don’t want to feel responsible for someone’s camera selection. 😉
Caroline: I would most definitely consider a Rollei TLR to be a “destination” camera — methodical; deliberate; “large” negatives (relative to 35). At least, that’s the case with the Rollieflex. My Rollei TLR is actually the lesser-model Rolleicord, which is far more fiddly and deliberate than a Rolleiflex. I’m so slow at operating it, that I’d hesitate to even call it a “destination” camera. In fact, I’m rather certain if I pulled my Rolleicord out of a bag to commemorate a hike to some glacier, by the time I got the EV, focus and framing just right, a meadow would be sitting in its place.
Egor, another well written article. Thanks for that.
Strange though to read that you are using a digital camera. Strange indeed.
The GR sounds great as a journey camera, much like my Fuji X100s. I do take issue with the idea that the TAv setting is much different than setting aperture and shutter speed and using Auto ISO. That is what I do on the street with any of the X-series cameras. Perhaps I’m not understanding how you are using it. Good to know that there are multiple ways of scratching the same itch.
All the best,
Don
Hi Don: Thanks for bringing up the Fuji. I must admit I’ve been thrilled with Fuji’s direction these last few years, since they appear to be one of the only companies making cameras catering to the “photography market” rather than the “consumer electronics market.” I fear the latter is very close to consuming the former, so companies like Fuji get my greatest respect. I suspect that I’ll one day own a Fuji (digital — I have some film models). I keep checking out each new model and thinking, “if I were 10% weirder, or 10% less weird (not sure which), I’d probably buy this camera.” I suspect Fuji and I are closing in on synchronicity, but it hasn’t happened yet.
Regarding TAv and Auto-ISO: I’ll gladly state that the difference I’m about to suggest might or might not exist — after all, I don’t own a Fuji and therefore am not totally familiar with all its nuances. Also, I know Fuji aggressively improves their cameras via firmware updates, so my observations might well be out of date. Enough caveats? OK, here we go. What I observed last I looked (all caveats in place) was the Fuji was indeed the only other camera that let me specify an exact aperture and shutter, and then select the ISO. The difference, from what I could tell, was that it was sort of an odd implementation — specifically, it wasn’t implemented as a true priority mode and, as such, I couldn’t set any sort of exposure compensation. Since Av and Tv are priority modes that force the camera to conform to the internal light meter’s idea of “proper” exposure, they both allow the photographer to shift exposure up or down, overriding the 18% greyness of auto-exposure. Since TAv is also a “priority” mode exactly like Av and Tv, it has its own place on the Ricoh exposure dial, which allows me to use exposure compensation exactly as I would if I used Av or Tv mode. When I use Av or Tv mode on a camera, I’m constantly riding the exposure compensation dial, since I rarely want the exposure that the camera wants. TAv allows me to do the same thing. If the Fuji does this, then I grant you full bragging rights for having “myth busted” the great ULTRAsomething. Frankly, I hope you’re right because I really do want ALL cameras to work like this. Even then, you’re still right in pointing out that the Fuji’s auto-ISO implementation is much closer to TAv style implementation than the way most companies engage auto-ISO (and the way I described in the article). So, again, thanks!
Egor, thanks for the clarification. Makes complete sense, caveats not withstanding. No myth busted here.
With the X-cameras, I set the aperture and shutter speed manually and the camera to Auto ISO. However, I can not then adjust EV with the EV dial. Turning it has absolutely no effect on the ISO value. If I frame the shot in the viewfinder, I realize I implement my own EV modifications by changing the area of the scene upon which I metre. Then I can force the camera to darken (most often) or lighten the shot. Of course, this doesn’t work when shooting from the hip, which is how many of my street shots are taken.
TAv sounds pretty cool. Since none of the X-cameras that I use have a mode dial, just shutter speed and EV dial on the camera body, there doesn’t seem like there is anyplace to stick it. However, I wouldn’t put it past the Fuji engineers to add this in future firmware updates, if enough people ask for it.
As for you and Fujifilm X-cameras, I do think that you and the X100s would find common ground! The interchangeable lens Xs are great for work (destination) photos, but the X100s is definitely along for the journey.
I look forward to the next entry in the Ultrasomething oeuvre.
Best, Don
Couldn’t agree with you more about the Ricoh GR. It is an incredible camera that out on the street rivals anything that is out there in the market up to 50mm. I own both a Leica M240 and a Nikon D800, but while these cameras are with me a lot of the times I go out to shoot, the Ricoh is always with me right there in my front pocket. Fast, great IQ, and endlessly configurable, it deserves the cult following it has garnered from photographers everywhere.
Spot on review of the GR. It’s lack of a low pass filter and quality lens makes for amazing files. As stated, the intelligently implemented TAV mode is where I live. I’m disgruntled with Canon for failing to implement this on the Canon 6D, my boringly wonderful DLSR. All Canon has to do is allow EV control when in M mode with auto ISO and they’ve hit it out of the park.
The files from the GR are better than those out of my Fuji X100.
I’ve found my CV 21mm viewfinder works well for framing when wearing glasses.
The GR is destined to be a cult classic.
For me the journey is using different cameras. They all influence what comes out of them (as you were about to find out with the Olympus EE).
I love that you worked out the parallax comp, and that that same mind developed “fractured”, etc. the sort of mind that is obsessive on detail in one area, and sets fire to it in another. Explains in part at least perhaps why you are a very good photographer.
I feel lazy. I’ve only just discovered in your article what TAv mode is. Perfect!