Hi, it’s KA-TSU.
This time, let me introduce Hiroyuki Narisawa- a unique GR user in my starry sky photography network.
Mr. Narisawa works for Vixen- a famous company for astronomical telescopes and astronomical observation accessories- and an astrophotographer.
His time lapse movie is wonderful. It starts from city views with star trails and continues to images of oceans and mountains. He has put such a variety of images into 3 minutes.
The scenes between dusk to night and from night to dawn are exceptionally excellent.
Watch it in HD!
Let's take a look at what he does and what he has to say about GR.
*****
"Me and GR"
When I was in my twenties, she made her debut. I was working at a camera shop then.
GR DIGITAL · · · It was when the compact digital camera market might be at its peak.
With new and more multifunctional products being released, her “not-so-fancy” kind of style of being compact with a 28 mm prime lens left some scratches in one area of my heart for some reason. So she got in my Camera Wish List.
Mr. Naruzawa's GR
With grip rubber and thumb rest.
Some years later, digital cameras became more advanced and I became more inclined to astrophotography.
Being a “weekend photographer” who worked as a salaryman on weekdays, in case it was cloudy and unable to shoot starry photos, I photographed cities instead.
I researched compact digital cameras that were easy to carry around when going out, the one with an APS-C sensor came back to my mind.
Time has come. It was just like that.
With the GR, at first I enjoyed photographing night views using a gorilla pod, a vacuum mount and a ninja reflex, but I was so amazed at her image quality that I decided to use it for starry sky.
I was especially surprised when shooting with the wide conversion lens.
As far as I know, there are no other 21mm/f2.8 lenses that can produce this image quality at this price point.
"From Top of Hakone Komagatake Ropeway"
RICOH GR + DW-3, ISO 800, 21 mm, f 2.8, SS 30 sec
Blending 109 images with the free software "Starstax", Blending Mode Lighten
The functions "Interval Composite" and "Interval Shooting" are remarkable.
Even in the middle of the city, I can create starry sky pictures.
"Guardian of North Sky"
RICOH GR + DW - 3, ISO 1600, 21 mm, f 2.8, SS 20 sec
Blending 155 images with the free software "Starstax", Blending Mode Lighten
Also, it is very humid in Japan and the lens can get foggy all the year round.
Foggy lens during the long interval shooting can spoil several hours of shooting.
When shooting stars for light blending, what I care most about is "whether the lens heater can be used."
All the compact digital cameras with reputation for starry sky have small lenses, and it is difficult to wind the lens heater around them.
But, you can wind it around the GR’s wide conversion lens.
Not to mention its performance, the GR matches my shooting style the best even in those small details!
The GR is "the best compact digital camera for astrophotography" for me.
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As you see, the GR's has a lot of potential as an "APS-C compact" camera.
In his time lapse movie, you can see the field of view moving up and down, left and right, and zooming.
For vertical movement and zooming, he trims images taken with with the 21 mm wide conversion lens by using the video editing software in the post-process. The field of vision is narrower than 21 mm.
For the panning, he uses the Vixen's portable equatorial mount "Polarie" and pans the camera itself.
Also, the part where the GR is taking interval shots shows how the GR can be used.
Try your own starry sky photos.
(KA-TSU)
