5 Tips to Shoot Better Photos on RICOH GR II

How to make better photos on RICOH GR II:

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1. Always have it with you

I always keep my RICOH GR II in my front pocket. This means, whenever I see a good photo opportunity, I can shoot it.

Tip:

When you see something that you think even has a 1% chance of being an interesting photo, JUST SHOOT IT!

2. In praise of P mode (KISS)

Keep it super simple. The simpler your camera settings, the more you can focus on composition, approaching strangers, and shooting riskier photos.

Use program mode (P mode)— and ‘just set it and forget it‘.


3. ISO 1600

ISO 1600 is a good default ISO: not too high, not too low.

Don’t worry about noise or grain. Recognize the truth:

Grain is beautiful.

Furthermore, with a higher ISO, your shutter speed will be faster. Which means, your photos will be sharper– giving you the ability to capture those ‘decisive moments‘.


4. Use center-point autofocus

I’ve found shooting center-point autofocus the easiest setting on RICOH GR II. You can do other things like zone-focusing (using the ‘snap focus’ mode) and such– but still at the end of the day, center-point autofocus seems to be the fastest, simplest, and the most accurate setting to use 90% of the time.

To compensate for the slow autofocus on RICOH GR II:

  • Use center-point autofocus.
  • Turn on the ‘High Speed Autofocus’ performance mode on the settings in the camera.
  • Keep the camera in ‘Single Shot’ mode.

When I shoot monochrome, I generally shoot in RAW then apply ERIC KIM MONOCHROME 1600 preset afterwards. But if you want faster performance, just shoot in JPEG (I like the color, positive film preset).

5. Rep the #RICOHMAFIA

Check out HAPTIC SHOP for perfect RICOH GR II companions:

a. ERIC KIM Wrist Strap

If you prefer a minimalist and elegant strap, pick up ERIC KIM WRIST STRAP to always be ready for the decisive moment in street photography:

b. ERIC KIM Neck Strap

If you want to always stay strapped, keep ERIC KIM NECK STRAP on you.

c. RICOH MAFIA ARTWEAR

Join the #RICOHMAFIA by picking up a RICOH MAFIA ARTWEAR >


Learn more about RICOH GR II:

RICOH GR II, shot with Flash in macro mode
RICOH GR II, shot with Flash in macro mode