I chose the Ricoh GR3 HDF primarily because of its diminutive size, but also the exceptional lens and image quality.

It truly is a compact camera and fits into the palm of my hand as well as my pocket – this is its secret weapon.

What I found in the past with a larger camera is I just wouldn’t take it with me since it is a burden. I would therefore miss out on photo opportunities that quite often come and go within minutes or sometimes seconds. An image that comes to mind is this one taken on Filey beach front. The very special ethereal light from behind the clouds was literally only there for about a minute then it was gone.

The outcome is that I take the camera with me on our walks and trips out and take more pictures. Lovely.

A unique feature of the camera is the highlights diffusion filter, hence the ‘HDF’ tag.

Pressing a button turns it on or off and results in a slightly misty enhancement that is often used in a cinematography.

I like to utilise it for shots such as sunlight coming through trees, such as in these images the first is without and the second is with HDF.

It doesn’t necessarily make the image better, but it’s a useful option to have. In this example, I prefer it without.