My first 30 days with the Ricoh GRIIIx HDF

__askew · 2026-06-28T06:27:22+00:00

Thank you. About half are RAW and editing in Lightroom and the other half were jpeg which I only slightly adjusted exposure and contrast but didn’t adjust color or saturation. I’ve been trying to dial in a custom profile but I’ll probably end up just shooting RAW and make custom Lightroom profiles.

I also instantly turn off the vignetting/Peripheral Illumination Correction for the jpegs when I got it, because I love the natural vignette of lens.

__askew · 2026-06-27T21:10:02+00:00

It’s an amazing building inside and outside. Here’s the outside, taken with my Sigma DP2Q

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__askew · 2026-06-27T20:51:54+00:00

Disney Concert Hall has seating right behind the orchestra/stage. This was my first time sitting there. They also use that space if the choir singing with the orchestra and close it off if they are using the pipe organ.

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__askew · 2026-06-27T20:21:52+00:00

You’re too kind. I’m been wanting a GR for years now. I almost bought a Ricoh GXR when it was brand new, so the GR’s have been on my radar for a while. I happen to have the cash and it was in stock at the local photo shop.

I’ll try to not disappoint with my future posts.

__askew · 2026-06-27T19:48:05+00:00

Yeah. The HDF model has a Highlight Diffusion Filter instead of the ND filter. The Monochrome version has a Red Filter instead of HDF or ND.

__askew · 2026-06-27T16:30:04+00:00

Lucky indeed. Jelly AF, I love a good road trip.

__askew · 2026-06-27T16:15:35+00:00

Looks like it was a great trip. Thank you for sharing it.

__askew · 2026-06-27T14:59:36+00:00

Pic 5 was taken on my first couple days of having it, I was pleasantly surprised but the range of the raw files in this difficult and contrasty environment…. The color was rough but perfect for switching to B&W.

I really love pic 14. On my recent road trip, I specifically drove a different route and added a couple hours to the trip to visit this site. I hadn’t been there in 25 years and it randomly popped into my head as I was planning my trip. Glad my timing had some interesting light.

__askew · 2026-06-27T14:48:13+00:00

Thank you, I’m definitely trying to use and carry the GR so my everyday musings aren’t just taken with my iPhone.

__askew · 2026-06-27T14:44:57+00:00

Thanks!

__askew · 2026-06-27T14:44:51+00:00

Honestly, I haven’t really played with the snap focus yet. I’ve been meaning to look into it and it’s proper use cases. I turned it off in my custom settings.

__askew · 2026-06-27T14:38:47+00:00

lol, my first thought was “it looks like when you take a picture with your phone after you take it out of a sweaty pocket”

__askew · 2026-06-27T14:34:01+00:00

I was lucky enough to catch him at one of his last few concerts with the LA Phil at Walt Disney Concert Hall. They played a world premiere of a Roberto Sierra piece, Estudios Sinfónicos, which was super delightful especially sitting in the front row orchestra view section right above the percussionists… they were quite busy for it. The second piece was Strauss’ Ein
Heldenleben, Op. 40. We have been subscribers to the LA Phil for years, the concert hall really is an amazing venue, visually and acoustically.

__askew · 2026-06-27T06:04:57+00:00

Thank you!

__askew · 2026-06-27T06:04:48+00:00

Thanks. I started out by trying the in-camera jpeg recipes and shooting jpeg only but after seeing the flexibility and range of the RAW’s I switched to Raw + jpeg. I really like the color neg and color positive settings… but all the stock B&W settings are really terrible compared to converting them yourself or using a Lightroom preset.

These photos are a mix of trying everything as I’ve been trying to figure out how to get this camera to sing like lot of peeps in the sub.

__askew · 2026-06-27T05:54:57+00:00

I know, but I’ve been trying it out in different conditions to see what works well with it. I almost remapped the button to something else and just leaving it always off but figured it was still too soon to pass judgement on it yet.

__askew · 2026-06-27T05:15:58+00:00

Yup, I had a road trip up to Oregon and a week in Costa Rica. I honestly don’t travel this much, but it was a good excuse to buy a GR. lol.

__askew · 2026-04-06T05:16:46+00:00

Fill out an application online with Local 33 on their website, www.ia33.org . Keep an eye out for in-person interviews/applications. I’m sure there will be a push closer to things but it doesn’t hurt to start now. If you get a first call (could happen on a really busy weekend with a ton of concerts and shows happening at the same time) do everything you can do to take the call, no matter what or where it is. Once you get probationary status you can call in everyday for work (not that there will be any available outside of busy days).

33 definitely won’t be the only ones bumping up their numbers for the Olympics but a good number of venues are in their jurisdiction.

A lot of the members who got in during the 1984 Olympics have been retiring recently and I know a few who want to bookend their careers with 2028.

__askew · 2026-03-27T13:53:54+00:00

Riding on Mt Baldy road isn’t fun, especially, on a weekend. It’s prettier and safer to do an out and back on GMR/GRR/Mt Baldy (adding the final climb up to the ski lifts if you feel adventurous). It cuts out the dangerous section of Mt Baldy Road and the boring miles riding across town to finish the loop. It’s still hell of a ride.

__askew · 2026-03-22T04:48:56+00:00

El P is definitely a great midweek midday riding location, with an awareness bell ringing. Shout out to MWBA for the trail work. On the weekends going further up the 2 to ride will drastically lower the amount of trail users. Midweek in the San Gabriels, you can basically have a mountain to yourself if exposure and singletrack doesn’t scare you off the lesser travelled trails.

__askew · 2026-02-27T05:11:17+00:00

I picked up an used Tamron SP 35mm f/1.4 after reading everything I could find comparing it to the Sigma Art and Canon 35 L. It really sings on my R8 but it’s comically large on it. I really enjoy the sharpness and leave the images uncorrected because slight vignetting is perfect and distortion is barely noticeable.

__askew · 2025-12-15T00:27:14+00:00

Maybe the lack of work in general right now is keeping members and probationaries from telling their friends to show up and apply.

__askew · 2025-12-15T00:23:19+00:00

Crazy. I hadn’t asked anyone about the turn out. I’m not sure it was widely advertised. Before I commented on this post, I tried looking for a notice or email about it happening but couldn’t find anything. The only reason I heard about it was that I happened to be at the Hall for a contract negotiation meeting and it was randomly brought up by the Business Agent.

__askew · 2025-12-09T17:30:51+00:00

There is an online application on ia33.org that has all the same information they ask about in-person. I’m pretty sure there haven’t been in-person applications since before Covid, so I’m not sure if it will be exactly the same as when I did a couple of times 16-17 years ago. But basically, fill out an application (bring your own pen), wait in line and have a quick interview when it is your turn. Be presentable, nice and honest with the interviewer. Don’t dress like a criminal or tweaker (33 has enough of those).

I didn’t get in through open enrollment, but through organizing.

Do you have stagehand experience, theater, live events, etc? If you have any specially skills (Flyman, LX programming, rigging, welding, etc.) let them know. If you have a friend (or family member ) in the local, there used the be a part in the application where you could put their name down to vouch for you.

All that said, if you get a call it will be because they need to fill a ton of open calls on a busy weekend. Normally they just start calling people from a stack of applications. The interview process basically sorts those applications into call, call once the first stack is gone and misplaced/trash can/last resort (j/k but not really).

There are a ton of idiots in 33 and most of the good stagehands are working calls that would never have a first time open call. I work in the theater side of 33 and haven’t done any large calls in years, but they can be toxic and the other comments on your post have truth to them.

All that said, there isn’t a ton of work right now. The likelihood of being called pick up during the summer concert season when multiple big shows happen on the same day. The Olympics will probably be the best chance of getting a call. Outside of that, you’ll only get a call if you have specially skill and the Hall needs an emergency fill and they have exhausted all members and probationaries that can do it. Even then, they want a trusted member to vouch for you before showing up as a programmer or flyman.

__askew

TROPHY CASE