On Display
The GXR has an excellent 3.0-inch 920,000 pixel TFT screen. However, visibility is affected when ambient lighting conditions are at extreme, either too strong (sunlight) or too dark. The screen is then barely visible or appear noisy. But size does matter, as it allows as much as 31 settings to be displayed without appearing cluttered.
A great feature is the Control Panel which allows 13 settings to be readily available. They are shooting mode, white balance, flash mode, metering mode, AF mode, bracketing, exposure setting, image setting, quality setting, battery level, drive mode, exposure scale and info. I particularly like this essentials selection as it allows operation without navigating the otherwise comprehensive and intimidating nine pages of menu.
The GXR's optional electronic viewfinder also offers the same 920,000 resolution as the main screen. The viewfinder tilts through 90 degrees and is invaluable for both discreet streetshooters and macro photographers. Offering 100% coverage, it is, definitely, an excellent accessory to invest in.
On Focusing
The GXR offers five focus modes:
Multi AF,
Spot AF (center of frame),
Manual Focus (only available on the two primes unit),
Snap (preset focus distance) and
Infinity.
One nice touch is the focusing distance scale that appears on screen to provide instant feedback. This is especially useful when using the macro lens. However hunting occurs when focusing on low contrast areas. To make matters worse, the GXR can indicate a focus lock even when the subject is not in focus. Hence image preview is encouraged.
On Shutter Speeds
While all four camera units share a maximum 180s exposure, they differ with their fastest shutter speed. Both A12 units, the 28mm and 50mm macro, are capable of 1/3200 while the P10 and S10 are restricted to 1/2000. Though marginal, the A12 units may appear more proficient. However, the user must take heed that the fastest shutter speed is not available at all f-stops for both A12 units. At f2.5 the fastest shutter speed is limited to 1/1000, 1/1250 at f2.8, 1/1600 from f3.2 to f3.5, 1/2000 from f4 to f4.5, 1/2500 from f5.0 to f6.3, only at F7.1 and beyond could 1/3200 be achieved.
On Step Zoom
One great feature is the step zoom which allows user to fix the zoom at standard focal lengths. Thus the user no longer needs to hold onto the zoom button. Each press of the zoom button now enables fast and accurate zooming for the P10 (equivalent to 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 105mm, 135mm, 200mm and 300mm) and S10 (equivalent to 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm and 72mm). For the number crunchers, that is seven presses to zoom from 28mm to 300mm for the P10 and four presses to zoom from 24mm to 72mm for the S10.
On ISO
It is puzzling why ISO100 can only be found with the zoom units, P10 and S10. The A12 prime units have ISO200 as the slowest ISO. Another grievance is the inability to change ISO settings by 1/3 or even ½ stops. Thankfully, the Ricoh delivers more than decent result, retaining strong image details even at high ISO (1600 & 3200). All images are shot without noise reduction with no post processing, i.e., levels, sharpening etc are applied.