Why?

Why? Because the Ricoh GRD II is very cool. In a sea of samey P&S cameras the GRD II stands out as one that was actually designed to offer photographers an easier and better way to take pictures. Some aspects of the camera are very modest. It uses a fixed lens when the vast majority of P&S offerings use their zoom lenses as a major selling point. Ricoh has also eschewed most of the madness over the magapixel by cramming no more than 10.1 MP onto the GRD II's tiny sensor.

For me, a primary appeal of the GRD II is the combination of its trim size and how well it handles. No, I'm not talking about a car but the comparison is an apt one. The GRD II is easy to hold and operate. There are actually places to grip the camera and the surfaces that are held have the perfect combination of grip and smoothness. Someone was clearly thinking when they designed this camera.

The lack of a zoom tends to make me really focus on composition. I also am quick to rely on the ever ready foot zoom to get the perspective and framing that I want rather than relying on a bunch of glass to do the job for me.

I have been out of this hobby for a very long time and the GRD II has rekindled some of my passion for it. I am hoping that some of you who also enjoy the Ricoh will help me out here. There is much to learn about how and why the GRD II works and also about its limitations. I am also hopeful that we can find some interesting accessories that will make the Ricoh even more enjoyable for us to use.

Let's see how this works out!