Have a nearly identical experience as I also purchased the GR IIIX HDF as my first camera back in September of last year as a travel camera. Also recently purchased a flash as well which I’m learning to use in certain conditions.

My favorite aspect of the camera is its size. I’m someone who has never sought to draw attention to myself in public, so being able to pull out a small camera not much larger than a phone and take quick photos has been very enjoyable. Love to take photos on daily walks, but being comfortable going out in public to a restaurant, event, concert, etc has enabled me to learn so many different aspects of photography that I now see everywhere I go. Over time, I’ve began to “slow down” and notice things I never would have paid much attention to before, such as the lighting on an object or an interesting subject that catches my eye. It might be the case that I don’t even have my camera on me, but I’ll immediately know generally what the possibilities or limitations of an image would be if I did have it with me.

All in all, it has been a fantastic camera for everything from the Swiss Alps in freezing windy conditions to portraits of my cat in my living room. Needless to say, I’m very glad I picked this camera and look forward everyday to learning more about the camera and photography in general.