Thanks to my friend Anthony for letting me play with his new RICOH GR III— with the ERIC KIM WRIST STRAP and ERIC KIM CASE.

My thoughts:
- The new menu system on the GR 3 is very good. More streamlined, better resolution in the LCD screen, and the menu system is super fluid. I want to play more with the menus of the GR3– seems like a ton of intelligent and creative thinking went into the menu UI-UX (I think more camera companies should copy Ricoh-Pentax menu design)
- Image quality of new GR3 looks superb. The high ISO of GR3 seems to be at least 3x better in low light.
- New positive film preset in GR3 looks really beautiful aesthetically.
- The smaller size of the GR3 gives me slight hand cramps, and I imagine shooting with it all day won’t be as comfortable as the GR2. However, the benefit of a smaller camera size is it is more pocketable and easier to carry everywhere.
Further testing to come!


EQUIPMENT >
There is no “perfect” camera. Don’t fall into GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) and falsely believe that buying a new camera will make you a better photographer. If you’re not feeling inspired in your photography, I recommend you to buy books, not gear. Also check out these 75+ Inspirational Photo Books You Gotta Buy. You can also download my free books.Equipment Articles >
- Gear Adaptation Syndrome
- Satisfice
- What is the Benefit of “Standalone” Digital Cameras?
- All Cameras are Good Cameras
- Why The Future of Photography is Software
- RICOH MAFIA
- Use and Abuse Your Gear!
- Why RICOH GR II is the Best Street Photography Camera
- The Best Photography/Vlogging Equipment Setup
- My Favorite Travel Street Photography Equipment
- Zen Body-Hand-Mind Connection with the Camera
- Why It Doesn’t Matter What Camera You Shoot With
- What is the Best Camera and Lenses for Street Photography?
- The Best Travel Street Photography Equipment 2018
- 6 Lessons I’ve Learned After Shooting All the Expensive Cameras
- How to Make Good Photos on a Shitty Camera
- Why I Shoot With One Camera and One Lens
- My Travel Equipment, Winter 2017
- What is the Perfect Camera For You?
- What to Consider When Buying a Camera
Smartphone Photography >
- The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Smartphone Photography
- Benefits of Shooting Street Photography With a Smartphone
- In Street Photography, The Smaller the Camera, the Better
Film Photography 101 >
- Film Street Photography Manual
- What I Learned Shooting 100 Rolls of Black and White Film
- What I Learned Processing 164 Rolls of Film
My favorite camera for street photography
There is no perfect camera for street photography and everyone’s tastes are different. My favorite camera for street photography is the Ricoh GR II.
- Read my review of the Ricoh GR II
Best Equipment by ERIC KIM

Cameras
My favorite cameras:Digital cameras:

Best value digital camera for street photography
Fujifilm X100F Review // Buy on Amazon for $1300 >Best digital compact camera
Ricoh GR II Review // Buy on Amazon for $600 >Best 3-inch screen protector
For Ricoh GR II: Expert Shield 3” LCD protector ($14)Best designed mirrorless camera
Olympus Pen F (silver): $1200 + Olympus 17mm f/1.8 Lens: $500 //my reviewBest value mirrorless camera
Fujifilm XT-2 ($1600) + Fujinon XF23mmF2 WR Lens ($450)Best digital rangefinder
Leica M10 + Leica 35mm f/2 ASPH LensBest digital video camera
Sony A7S II ($2700) + Sony 35mm F2.8 Sonnar ($800)Best SD card
Transcend 128 GB SD card UHS-3: $73Best fashion digital camera
Pentax Medium-format digital 645Z ($6500) + Pentax 55mm F2.8 AL ($960) // 7 Lessons I’ve Learned Shooting Fashion Photography For the First TimeFilm cameras
If you’re new to shooting film, pick up a copy of FILM NOTES.
Best film rangefinder
Leica MP + Leica 35mm f/2 Summicron LensBest affordable film rangefinder
Leica M6 + Voigtlander 35mm f/2.5 LensBest compact film camera
Contax T3Best medium-format film camera
Fujifilm GF670 (discontinued, find on eBay)Best black and white film
Kodak Tri-X 400 (pushed to 1600): $5Best color film
Kodak Portra 400: $8.50Best film scanner
For medium-format/35mm: Epson v800: $800 For 35mm: Plustek OpticFilm 8100: $270Camera accessories

Best camera shoulder bag
SAIGON SATCHELBest camera backpack
Fits 13” Laptop and Camera: Thinktank Perception 15 (black): $120Best photography neck strap
Best photography wrist strap

Best photography inspiration website
MagnumPhotos.comBest photography news blog
PetaPixel.comBest photography software
Adobe LightroomBest video editing software
iMovie (free) or Final Cut Pro X ($300)Books

Best educational photography book
Magnum Contact SheetsBest black-and-white photography art book
“Exiles” by Josef KoudelkaBest color photography art book
“The Suffering of Light” by Alex WebbBest photography handbook
Street NotesBest philosophy book
On the Shortness of Life – Seneca ($8) // 10 Lessons Seneca Has Taught Me.Best digital tools

Best laptop
Any MacBook Air or ProBest tablet
iPad Pro 10.5 inch, 64 gb, space greyBest phone
iPhone XBest value phone
iPhone SE (cheapest model): $400Best android phone
Samsung S8Best value android phone
OnePlus 3T ($440)Best Mac Apps
Best writing app
IA Writer (for writing) + Ulysses (for note-taking)Best screen recorder
CamtasiaBest image resizer
JPEGmini ProAudio

Best noise-cancelling headphones
BOSE QC 35 (black): $350Best earbuds
Apple Beats XApparel

Best watch
Casio Men’s F108WH Illuminator Collection Black Resin Strap Digital Watch: $13Best underwear
ExOfficio Men Boxer Brief (black): $26Best T-shirt
Outlier NYC Merino Wool T-ShirtBest socks
Darn Tough Socks Merino WoolBest shoes
Nike Free Flyknight RN Motion (black/white) // my reviewBest pants
Merino Wool Leggings (black)Best glasses
LINDBERG – TitaniumFinance

Best bank / credit card (USA)
Chase / Chase Sapphire credit cardBest entrepreneurial tools

Best blogging platform
WordPress.org + Genesis theme (I use the ‘Academy Pro’ theme).Best paid online services

Best cloud storage
Dropbox (Pro)Diet & Nutrition
Food
Intermittent fasting — with one big meal a day (only dinner)Workout
Deadlifts (one rep max) + squats + dumbbell press + chin-ups + pushupsConclusion

