If you want the smallest possible finder, the Ricoh GV-2 mini finder is the one to get. Depending on how large your pockets are, you may still be able to drop this combo in a jacket pocket. Ricoh GV-2 Mini External Viewfinder The GV-2 is significantly smaller in size vs the GV-1. Get the Ricoh GV-1 21/28mm viewfinder on Amazon. One thing to note is that the finder is offset to the right, in order to allow the flash to pop-up in older GR models (the GR3 does not have a built-in flash). Here’s a closer look at the off-set metal foot of the GV-1 It’s well built, and fits into the hot shoe with no play.īut because it supports both the GR III’s native 28mm field of view as well as the 21mm field of view of the GW-4 adapter lens, the GV-1 is much larger in size than the GV-2. If you’re the type who likes seeing outside the frame (like on a range finder or the Fuji X100 series or X-Pro series) then you should also consider the GV-1, even if you don’t plan on using the wide angle adapter. This means the GV-1 is the viewfinder to get if you plan to use the Ricoh GW-4 wide angle lens (21mm equivalent) (see above). The Ricoh GV-1 viewfinder comes with frame lines for 28mm and 21mm. It’s off-set to the right, to allow clearance of the flash unit in older GR models and other Ricoh cameras such as the GXR. Ricoh GV-1 Viewfinder Notice how the GV-1 isn’t centered with the lens. Not sure why this is, but it can be an annoyance. NOTE: On the current firmware of the GR III, disabling the back screen doesn’t disable touch abilities, you have to disable it separately. On the GR cameras, you can disable the back screen (there is a little light on the upper right of the LCD that tells you if you’ve achieved AE lock (or AF lock) once you half-press the shutter) for when you use an external finder. (But this also depends on a lot of factors – whether you have IBIS on or off, whether you shoot in bursts, whether you chimp or not etc…) I don’t have actual numbers, but just based on actual experience and the way I shoot, I can squeeze out another hour of two of shooting by just using the finder with the LCD off. Unfortunately, even at max settings, the GR III’s LCD isn’t visible in direct sunlight.Īnother added benefit is shooting with a finder with the back screen off can help conserve batteries. Having an external finder is also useful in extremely bright light. I find that it helps me decide if it’s even worth exploring the scene further or not. Having an external viewfinder offers a quick way to check your frame without even turning on the camera. It’s like a having a different camera, but the controls are still very familiary. And that’s what I love about attaching an external finder. It changes your flow, it changes subjects’ reactions towards you, and therefore it changes the kind of images you are able to make. Putting the camera to your eye will change the shooting experience considerably. With most viewfinders (with the Ricoh GV-2, see below, being the only possible exception) the GR will no longer be pocketable. It’s small, extremely portable, fast to power on, and doesn’t require waiting for focus if you use snap focus.Īdding a viewfinder turns it into an entirely different kind of camera. This is why this camera is the king of snapshots. One of the things I love about the GR series is that the lack of a finder + the small size encourages a very loose, very fluid way of shooting. If you MUST have a real viewfinder, with AF indicators and exposure information, then you MUST use the back LCD on the GR III, or you must buy an entirely different camera.īut it does help in changing up the shooting experience. Why even bother? Are they even necessary? If you want critical framing, you will have to use the back LCD.Īlso, if you use the Ricoh GW-4 or GW-3 wide angle lens converters, the lens will block a significant portion of your view from the finder. That means that it is only used for approximate framing. Like any external finder, they will also suffer from parallax. That means that you WILL NOT see your AF point, you won’t see your exposure parameters when you look through the viewfinder. These viewfinders do not “see through the lens” like on a DSLR, and because there are no electronic contacts, it won’t see what the LCD sees either. That means that it’s a finder with no electronic contacts to the camera. The only way to get an external viewfinder on a GR camera is with a “dumb” finder attached to the hotshoe. My real world review of the original Ricoh GR is here. You can check out my long term review of the Ricoh GR III here. If you’ve never owned a Ricoh GR yet, the first thing you have to know is that there isn’t any provision for attaching an electronic viewfinder (EVF). Photographer Ichigo Sugawara with the Ricoh GR III in the streets of Paris.
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