In Gear: Ricoh GRiii

It is often repeated, “the best camera you have is the one you have with you.” In an age of instant gratification, and an era in my life where I am more and more like Victoria Ratliff of the most recent season of White Lotus, when she says, “at my age, I am not meant to live an uncomfortable life,” I made an impulse purchase. Gear is heavy, we all complain about it, and yet we still haul it everywhere. This week, photojournalist Lynsey Addario dropped her workout routine and it’s like the equivalent of a professional athlete. So I’m not just being a baby.

I bought a used Ricoh GR iii HDF for about $800 and wanted to use it for an upcoming trip to Glacier National Park so that if I bring a camera, I wouldn’t have to carry a backpack. The Ricoh is small enough for your pocket, and only really needs a wrist strap. Though it’s tricky to get used to (from 5D/R5), there are customizable “recipes” (basically, a preset) that will save as jpegs and also give you the raw. I’m having fun experimenting and it does feel a bit like a toy, which is kind of liberating, if I’m being honest. A big camera just feels too serious for some moments, so this is perfect for that in between. I used film positive and ekta film recipes. You can find lots of info here on Ricoh recipes.