GR Ambassador

I've taken up the role of GR Ambassador and over the next few weeks will be providing Pentax Ricoh with images for the GR site, and feedback of course.

If you want to follow the progress of the project then I'm keeping the world up to date also on my EPZ blog. The first entry is up and can be found here: http://www.ephotozine.com/user/johnriley1uk-22471/blog/ricoh-gr---initial-impres...

What's the GR site?

I'm not sure yet. I've only just sent in my initial info so I guess I'll find out soon.

Any update on this John? Or have you tossed it in the bin

Was this the facebook thing from a few weeks ago?

No detailed update yet, but it's clear that quality is absolutely up to DSLR standards. Some images from the GR are on my EPZ portfolio.

Not exactly the Facebook thing, can't say I'm entirely sure, but they approached me and I was happy to help. I suppose I'm not entirely invisible to the Pentax world so it could have been for a number of reasons.

A sneak preview of the GR images. This was shot at Astley Green Colliery Museum, a favourite haunt of mine.

I get the impression that you were underwhelmed and disinterested in the GR, John. The blog just seems a bit of a lacklustre effort in all regards! I can't help but wonder how things would have been different if someone like PaulyRichard - for whom the GR is a better fit with his shooting style - had been selected as an ambassador.

I tend to agree; no updates to the blog since June

Not at all, you've missed the release of the Ricoh GR dedicated website, where the full story is told. Have a look at that and you'll see I'm far from disinterested.

I didn't want to distract too much from their purpose on my own blog, which moves from subject to subject as the mood takes. It's not a promotional blog!

This is the link to my contribution on the GR site: http://gr.pentax.eu/en/John-Riley.html - it was detailed as well in a short Pentax User article. New articles appear in the right hand column, but perhaps don't see them if you use ad blockers.

My contract was to produce 10 images, but in fact I produced 50 over ten locations over Wales and the North West. Of the 10 locations Ricoh used 8, so 40 images are included on the site. There's also there my final conclusions as a short review. It's encouraging I think that Ricoh have not edited the review and both positive and less positive comments remain intact.

You have given me a real quandary John!
I picked up a Fuji XE-1 with the 18-55 Lens as an alternative to the full bag of Landscape kit. I absolutely love it but really it's no better than the K5IIs and not really all that much more compact than the k5IIs with the 16-50 F2.8 in reality, since being a landscaper primarily I shoot at wider angles, I have little need of too many long lenses. After viewing your images and reading the review, I feel I cannot live without the GR, a real pocket able Landscape Camera!

It's very tempting, that's for sure.