This collection is summarised from information mostly supplied by or found in the DPReview Ricoh Talk forum. Many items are probably hidden deep in the manual somewhere, but I will try and build a suitable reminder list and handy hints to help all R series users.
To review images, turn the camera on by holding the Playback button for a couple of seconds. The lens stays retracted and all the normal reviewing of images can be done. Either turn camera off with the normal on/off switch or go to photo taking mode by pressing the Playback button again.
When reviewing images, if you press zoom once, then press OK you immediately get maximum review zoom, to get back to normal size you press OK again.
In low light there may be focus problems, some readers have found that switching to Macro provides a slower but more reliable focus. In Macro the full focus range from closeup to infinity is available, but the focus is slower due to the extra lens movement required and the use of the CCD image to focus instead of the IR beam. This is also a good way to get very accurate focus in full daylight for critical shots. The normal auto focus does switch to CCD focus under some circumstances during normal photography. If using Multi focus, the little green rectangles mean it is using the fast focus, and the large green rectangle mens it is using the CCD focus method. At what point it changes over focus methods is unknown by me.
If really worried about fitting that holiday on one SD card then use the lesser image modes with no fear. On my R3 I tried the same shot on 5 MP Fine, 5 MP Normal, 3 MP Fine and 3 MP Normal and then printed them all to 6"x8" size approx and it was real problem to tell which was which. So based on file sizes and space requirements I would use (on the R3) 5MP Fine quality setting normally, but drop to 3MP Normal to fit maybe 3 times the number of images on a card, and not really suffer in the resulting images. Especially if destined for only 4"x6" size. On my test for the R3 I could get maybe 2,800 shots on one 2 gig card in that "lesser" mode. Soon will be able to test the R5 for the same situation.
| On the R4, here are Brian's
current Settings 1........ Pic size/qual: 3:2 (6m) - Fits 6x4 photo paper [I use 3:2 also on my R3 for the same reason.... Guy] Focus: spot AF - Finds most accurate focus when pointed at subject Photometry: multi - Best exposure under most conditions Exposure comp: -0.3 - Does not blow out highlights (needs more post processing) Sharpness: normal Fairly good unless a lot of post processing is needed Colour depth: normal - Good setting for natural colour [I use Neutral on my R3 for maybe more realistic colours.... Guy] ISO setting: AUTO - limits to ISO200 and works well with flash WB: AUTO Works well [I find all R3/R4/R5 auto white balance too "cold", slight adjustment needed in Post Processing... Guy] Slow shutter limit: 1/4 sec - Allows slow shutters but you must stay aware [I keep my R3 at OFF = 1 second.... Guy] Flash: OFF - More realistic photos IS: ON - beneficial with slow shutter shots [I always leave Image Stabilisation ON all the time.... Guy] ADJ button set1: ISO - Handy for quick adjustment ADJ button set2: Focus - Handy for quick adjustment AUTO PWR off: 5min - Saves power but not annoying Vol setting: low - Minimize possible image interference [mine is always off, can't stand artificial noises.... Guy] LCD confirm: 1sec - Faster saving Seq No: ON - All images have unique number [Can swap cards between R3 and R4 and file numbering is continued OK... Guy] Step Zoom: OFF - Fast smooth zoom [Step zoom only used for tests and experiments... Guy] LCD brightness: MID - works best overall (cannot be saved in setting) Settings2 can be optimised for night shots if you want. [Settings 1, 2 on R4 and R5, not available on R3.... Guy] |
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Using the LCD to compose dim nightscapes may be difficult, because the displayed image is very dark. An easy way to solve this is to switch the R5 to SCN (Scene Modes) and then select HIGH SENS (High Sensitivity mode). The camera switches the LCD to gain mode, which is a low-refresh method which is much brighter and easier to use. The catch with using this mode is that it also ups the ISO, which is the last thing you want when shooting nightscapes (it makes the images a lot more noisy than they should be). The easy solution is to switch the mode slide switch back to regular mode (green camera icon). In this mode you should use ISO 64 for the best image quality, 2” self timer for shake-free shutter release and long-time exposure (feel free to experiment with 1, 2, 4 or 8 seconds to get that one good picture). It goes without saying that a tripod is a must. Using the two modes is very easy. Just flick the mode switch to SCN for easy composition (using the High Sensitivity mode), then toggle it back to regular mode to make the actual shot. It works a treat :-) |
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I have been doing some experiments to find out how to improve the focus for night images. I have tried using auto focus with multi or spot but don't get a reliable lock. I then found I could get a lock with spot with macro or infinity, but it was not actually focussed well and tended to be soft. I started playing with manual focus to try to understand where the infinity setting was at different zoom settings. If you set your camera to manual focus and press the four way controller to the right it will toggle between zoom and manual focus control for the zoom lever. Then if you press the fourway controller down, it will magnify the manual focus view. This higher magnified view makes it slightly easier to see if you have a sharp focus in manual focus mode. When toggled to manual focus control, you will see a scale on the left starting with orange at the bottom representing when the focus is in the macro end of the scale then up to infinity at the top. When the camera is at full zoom, infinity falls very close to the infinity end of the scale, but the alarming finding was that when in wide angle, infinity is almost at or just above the orange macro end of the scale. Now if you try to use auto focus using macro and get a lock at wide angle on a distant light for example, then switch to manual focus you will see that the camera has set the focus to the infinity end of the scale but sharp focus actually resides at the end nearest to the orange macro part. This explains why when the camera gets a focus lock at night that it is never sharp. I have found that I must revert to manual focus to get it right. Trouble is that for all ranges between wide angle and full zoom, the focus point moves between the range of the macro end to the infinity end. I have set my night settings (settings2 on R4) up so that when I turn the camera on at wide angle that it is already in manual focus and at the perfect focus setting to be ready to take a shot without any delay. Problem is that if you now change the zoom then the new focus point has to be found manually again. This can be done but takes time and is difficult in very low light. |
| More on the R8 from Tom Caldwell.... (slightly edited from DPReview forum) Well at least it should be "my" final evaluation - everyone else is welcome to have their say. The R8 comes set up for very basic use by basic-minded users:Auto ISO (default) is limited to 200 without and 400 with flash and Auto-High to 400 ISO. You can manually go higher - but which basic user plays with high-ISO? - Ricoh keep this a hidden secret from those who just want to point and shoot. Slow shutter limit defaults to 1/8 second.Picture quality size is N3648 Focus is Multi AF and Exposure Metering Multi also The Exposure Value (EV) adjustment is easily reached via the "Adj Button" as is the Automatic Exposure (AE) and Automatic Focus (AF) target adjustments. The default setting seems optimised for smooth imaging with low or no-noise pictures captured. The smoothing engine works big-time and the camera has been criticised for this by those who prefer sharper images (without sharpening being applied) at the expense of some grain. My set-up suggestions for those that want the R8 to perform more in the fashion that makes it an enthusiast's camera: Don't use Auto ISO - use Auto-High if you want the camera to control the ISO and set the Auto-high to 1600 ISO. If this proves too high for your taste then you can always scale it back - the camera will start using higher ISO preference to lower-ISO + smoothing. If the camera only needs 200 ISO or less it will still use the appropriate ISO setting. However if the Auto ISO might opt for 100 ISO plus smoothing the Auto-High setting might use 200 ISO with less smoothing. (This is my general observation based on their manual and my own experience but not a "tested" conclusion). I also note that the camera on auto seems to try to keep a small aperture for greater depth of field and compensates for slower shutter speed by greater smoothing. Turn off slow shutter limit - you do have steady hands or use tripod and flash if necessary (don't you?) I don't know what bearing this has on when the smoothing kicks in but I suspect that when you get close to the limit speed the smoothing gets nervous. Set the image capture quality to F3648 (the highest). [In most of these cameras the N mode works well enough for 99% of cases, it also saves card space when on holidays... Guy]Use fixed higher ISO freely if you need it - overdo it and it will over-expose and the noise is awful - but by judiciously pulling back the EV setting and balancing the ISO with it you can actually introduce noise into your image if this is what you actually want. The gem is held for last:If you wish to use spot focus and/or spot exposure metering and the moveable target for either spot EV or AF you have a very versatile combination of camera exposure and focus capability. This is more especially so when combined with the EV control and exposure bracketing and even exposure controlled by varying the ISO setting used. I have known about the moveable focus point in other Ricoh cameras for some time - it is only used in macro and only adjusts the point of focus. It had little use for me but now the versatile control in the R8 allows AF or AE or both to be used in spot fashion in both macro and normal focus modes and combined with the focusing and exposure metering set via menu. This allows a great deal of control by the interested photographer. I am still getting my head around all the possibilities this opens up. I know that macro-focus-mode in other Ricoh cameras for all focusing and not just macro-focusing - it is slower and more accurate. The limit of moveable focus point is more limiting than the set-up in the R8 but I certainly will now be using it more freely there now that I have discovered its more fully developed joys in the R8. ie: set spot exposure metering in the menu and the exposure will come from the centre - now focus on the subject using the moveable macro focus point - bingo exposure from one area and focus from another (crop to suit) - not nearly as good as the R8 but useful no less. I expect this feature of the R8 to be included in the GR-DIII and GX200. If you want it in the R series you will have to buy an R8. The big problem (for me that is) is what I first noticed - no native b&w mode in the R8 - relegated to a smoothed fixed-200-ISO mode in a Scene Mode - though you can colour bracket to get three images including a sepia and a b&w and this is captured at whatever ISO and other setting the camera is using - so the high-ISO b&w native captures are obviously possible but have been "taken out" as a specific colour-mode setting. Should not take too much a a firmware fix to put them back in - and sepia for those that like it. [I don't see that as a problem, keeping colour and B/W copies is a good idea so you can later work out what is best, the sepia copy is a bit of a waste of time though....Guy] Conclusion:The R8 is sold as an "everyman's" camera and come out of the box in that mode - it is a pity that Ricoh don't just leave those settings all tied up in the default "Auto-ISO" mode and have other more exciting default settings everywhere else. They seem to have taken to heart the seemingly unstoppable wish from the general user for no noise whatsoever and the preference of any mush will do as long as there is "no-noise". However you can play with the settings and get a more normal Ricoh look to your images - I would venture that this camera is in fact superior to the R4 and has been given a bad rap by those immediately disappointed by the mushy-looking images from its default settings. I am glad I persevered as I was one of those who was first disappointed. Listen to me and you will enjoy it - and there is a path to follow that is "Ricoh" once that R4 finally dies. |