Mojo
Established
Is the GXR A12 M good (enough) for low light and indoor?
I do not have a digital but have been entertaining the idea of acquiring a low light solution for my M and LTM lenses. I like using my Leica film cameras therefore the digital will be a backup when lighting is poor or focus assist is required. My understanding is that the GXR still holds it own against the Sonys when using Leica 35's and wider. Anyway the GXR cost is within my budget for a backup. Is the focus assist adequate in low light? Anyone uses the pop-up flash?
I do not have a digital but have been entertaining the idea of acquiring a low light solution for my M and LTM lenses. I like using my Leica film cameras therefore the digital will be a backup when lighting is poor or focus assist is required. My understanding is that the GXR still holds it own against the Sonys when using Leica 35's and wider. Anyway the GXR cost is within my budget for a backup. Is the focus assist adequate in low light? Anyone uses the pop-up flash?
johannielscom
Snorting silver salts
Could do better when shot with color (I saw much noise in ISO 800 and higher shots I did from a wedding a few years back but both cameras got very warm so that may have had impact on the sensor) but in B&W the noise is very much like grain, it has a very organic feel to it.
Shooting the GXR in B&W mode while still obtaining a RAW image is explained here:
http://www.johanniels.com/index.php/camera-gear-articles/48-ricoh-gxr-the-piccolo-leica-monochrom
Best of both worlds, I'd say!
Get the aux. viewfinder for much better shooting. BTW, the GXR does not have a pop-up flash and I would nor recommend using it if it did, I'd prefer to use the hot shoe for that viewfinder!
Shooting the GXR in B&W mode while still obtaining a RAW image is explained here:
http://www.johanniels.com/index.php/camera-gear-articles/48-ricoh-gxr-the-piccolo-leica-monochrom
Best of both worlds, I'd say!
Get the aux. viewfinder for much better shooting. BTW, the GXR does not have a pop-up flash and I would nor recommend using it if it did, I'd prefer to use the hot shoe for that viewfinder!
kuuan
loves old lenses
Maximum ISO for the GXR is ISO 3200 and unlike of most other branded cameras I find it's maximum ISO very much useable.
I also agree that the GXR does better than the Sonys with rangefinder wideangle lenses, haven't noticed any issues at all.
However most Sony APS-C mirrorless do rather well with rangefinder wide angle lenses too, when using my C.Voigtlander Super Wide Heliar f4.5/15mm ( old version ) and CV f4/21 on my Sony NEX5n I only detect minor purple cast at the outmost edges and that not always. The NEX5n goes up to ISO 25600, which is stretching it, but it will have less noise than the GXR at same ISO and newer Sony APS-C models should fare a bit better again.
I find the focus asist of the GXR superior of that of the NEX, I can trust it, but that I also need to, because the resolution of it's EVF is much less while in the EVF of the NEX5n I can more clearly see if it is in focus without focus peaking.
With very little, at extreme low light the image of the EVF of the GXR gets quite noisy which makes focusing more challenging, imo the EVF of the NEX5n amplifies the signal much better.
Personally I enjoy the use of the GXR very much and grab it when I want to have maximum fun, and the colors it produces during day are wonderful. But for maximum versatility, that includes low light, if I want a fast camera or may take an in-camera panorama, I rather grab the NEX5n ( resp. Sony A7 ). This also includes the possibility of the Sonys to use a "helicoid" adapter which reduces the minimal focus distance considerably, very useful since typically the min. focus distance of rangefinder lenses is rather long.
( if you click on the link to my flickr you will see sets of photos taken with C.Voigtlaender 4.5/15, 4/21 and 4/25, cameras used were GXR M module, NEX5n and Sony A7. You will find that I have been using the 4.5/15 mostly on the GXR though the first 50+ seen, taken lately in India had been taken on the Sony NEX5n. You might be able to find some samples of minor purple coloring, look for photos that show landscape / ocean + sky. that's the set with pic taken with CV 4.5/15: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kuuan/sets/72157632037409165/ )
hm..how could you have missed the pop up flash? The GXR does have a pop up flash, external flashes can be used on the hotshoe instead of the EVF. ( the NEX5n has no pop up flash and only one shoe for EVF or flash. later Sony models have a pop up flash included and / or a hotshoe for external flashes, the EVF being integrated, e.g. NEX6, A6000 and successors )
Have hardly ever used it, but strenght can easily can be adjusted, that's configurable and e.g. with the zoom toggler, imo it's good for portraits and also for lighting up face if shot against light.
Mojo
Established
Thanks both for the responses. Informative write up and great photos.
I also read in other reviews that the Nex5N works well with Leica wides, better than newer Nex's, less purple cast. I prefer the GXR but worry that I will have difficulty focusing in low light. Hearing the noisier screen in low light does not help. Can zoom-in focus peaking white highlights be distinct enough to ensure focus? If not Nex5N may be the alternative. New GXR with A12 M modules are still available in local camera stores (under USD 550 with 1 year warranty). Upon comments from this forum, I will bring my lenses to the store at night to check. I am not in a hurry to buy. BTW I have 21mm SA 3.4 and 35mm cron and lux.
I also read in other reviews that the Nex5N works well with Leica wides, better than newer Nex's, less purple cast. I prefer the GXR but worry that I will have difficulty focusing in low light. Hearing the noisier screen in low light does not help. Can zoom-in focus peaking white highlights be distinct enough to ensure focus? If not Nex5N may be the alternative. New GXR with A12 M modules are still available in local camera stores (under USD 550 with 1 year warranty). Upon comments from this forum, I will bring my lenses to the store at night to check. I am not in a hurry to buy. BTW I have 21mm SA 3.4 and 35mm cron and lux.
johannielscom
Snorting silver salts
Ha, doing this from memory, I sold my two GXRs some three years ago... I'm pretty confident I never used the pop-up flash on my cameras, that's likely why I forgot about them!
kuuan
loves old lenses
most welcome, and is that so? I am surprised and did not know ( have not researched neither )
Once the noise in the EVF of the GXR M at night was that high that I concluded that in future I would only use the NEX for manual focus at low light, but later again deemed that the GXR M does alright. I must verify! I suspect that the noise in the EVF only becomes an issue at extreme low light. I plan to compare the use of these two cameras at low light as soon as I have access to my GXR M again which will be in about 8 days from now.
Please note that these comments only refer to the image inside the optional EVF, which, for either camera and specially for manual focus I recommend VERY much! I always use them, never the LCDs and don't know how images on the LCD, with very litte light, compare ( and I really dig the many advantages of the EVF to articulate, all NEX5n successors have a fixed EVF, that's why I have no interest in nor have researched much on later models. )
trying yourself will be best and all you need, the store must have some Sony models around to compare too. For trying out your rf lenses one would need an adapter, but for comparing manual focusing at low light one even could use any AF E mount lens.
ISO 3200 samples taken with "Pen-F" Zuiko f1.4/40mm on the GXR M:
Untitled by andreas, on Flickr
Untitled by andreas, on Flickr
and the NEX5n:
Untitled by andreas, on Flickr
kuuan
loves old lenses
Ha, doing this from memory, I sold my two GXRs some three years ago... I'm pretty confident I never used the pop-up flash on my cameras, that's likely why I forgot about them!
haha, right, similar here. knowing your authority on the GXR M, hardly having used the flash myself and not having the cam with me right now I admit that I googled first to make sure that my memory doesn't trick me
Mojo
Established
Thanks kuuan. I did not intend in buying the evf thinking it is mainly for sunny days when glare may affect LCD viewing. Now I wonder. Please update me on your comparison.