Speaker A
So, this is the iPhone 17 Pro and this is the Rico GR4. And today we're comparing these two cameras to figure out which one is the perfect everyday camera. So, let's get into it. And big thank you to PPA, also known as
Evan Ranft compares Ricoh GR4 and iPhone 17 Pro as everyday cameras, analyzing image quality, usability, and file management.
Key Takeaways
- Ricoh GR4 produces higher quality JPEGs and RAW files than the iPhone 17 Pro.
- iPhone 17 Pro excels in ease of use, autofocus reliability, and seamless file sharing.
- Low light image quality is a trade-off between noise (GR4) and detail loss (iPhone).
- The best everyday camera depends on user preference for convenience versus image quality.
- PPA provides valuable insurance options for photographers carrying gear daily.
Summary
- Evan Ranft compares the Ricoh GR4 and iPhone 17 Pro to determine the best everyday camera.
- JPEG image quality is better on the GR4, with cleaner transitions and less digitization.
- The iPhone 17 Pro offers better error forgiveness due to its autofocus and simplicity.
- Ease of use strongly favors the iPhone, with the GR4 having a complex menu system.
- RAW files from the GR4 have superior quality and are easier to edit traditionally.
- File management and sharing are more convenient on the iPhone due to cloud integration.
- Low light performance is a tie: GR4 shows more noise, iPhone smooths but loses detail.
- Overall, the comparison is balanced with three wins each and one tie.
- The video is sponsored by Professional Photographers of America (PPA), offering gear insurance.
- Evan suggests the GR4 is for those wanting to elevate photography beyond smartphone capabilities.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction and Camera Overview
- 00:47Initial Hypothesis and Test Setup
- 01:34JPEG Image Quality Comparison
- 02:26Error Forgiveness and Autofocus
- 03:11Ease of Use and Menu Complexity
- 04:02RAW File Quality and Editing
- 04:51Editing Workflow and Presets
- 05:31File Management and Sharing
- 06:23Low Light Performance Comparison
- 07:23Final Score and Summary
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
Professional Photographers of America, for sponsoring today's video. We'll talk about them a little bit later on. So, apparently I was saying the name of this camera wrong in my initial video.
Speaker A
According to all y'all's comments, it's Rico, not Reicho. So, if I'm saying it wrong still, let me know in the comments. But this video comes together after me picking up the Rico GR4 and being curious how it stacks up with the
Speaker A
iPhone 17 Pro. Now, with any experiment, you need a hypothesis. And if I'm being honest with you, I thought the iPhone 17 Pro would be an okay match to the GR4. I was thinking it would hold its own. And
Speaker A
I thought this was going to be a very close comparison, and it ended up being a close comparison, but in a way that I wasn't necessarily anticipating. So, this test starts out like any other bike ride for me. Typically, I would just
Speaker A
bring my iPhone, maybe snap a few pictures if something interesting happened, but today I packed the GR4 and the iPhone into my fanny pack, which the fact that both of these cameras can fit into a bag like that just goes to show
Speaker A
how convenient each one is. But went out, did my ride like normal, didn't see anything too interesting, but I did make some test photos, as well as a number of different test photos that will work their way into this video. Now, the
Speaker A
first observation I made was that JPEGs between the two cameras were definitely a little bit better on the GR4. JPEGs from the iPhone, they look really good.
Speaker A
I've been praising the iPhone 17 Pro's photos, but when you compare them to the GR4 side by side, you start seeing some of the weaknesses from the iPhone. One thing that's a little bit weaker is obviously the digitization look of the
Speaker A
photos. The Rico GR4 images just looked cleaner in my opinion and also the transition from highlights to shadows I thought looked cleaner on the GR4. So, I'm giving the GR4 the win when it comes to JPEGs. Now, the second observation
Speaker A
between these two cameras was something I call error forgiveness. Now, with the iPhone, you can just make a photo of basically anything. And for the most part, your focus will be on point unless you have a subject really close or maybe
Speaker A
you're using portrait mode. But for the most part, it's very difficult to mess up an iPhone photo. But with the GR4, there was a situation where I was making a photo of my bike during those test images. And I just wasn't paying
Speaker A
attention to the autofocus. I had the aperture at 2.8, and I focused on the back wheel of the bike versus the logo of the bike, which is what you would want to be in focus. And I didn't even
Speaker A
notice I was doing it until I got home and looked at the photos in post. But I think you got to put a win on the scoreboard for the iPhone 17 Pro simply based on the fact that it's nearly
Speaker A
impossible to mess up images from this phone. Now, the third observation between these two cameras is one that's pretty obvious, but it's something that's still driving me crazy on the GR4, and that is ease of use. The iPhone, you can basically just grab it
Speaker A
out the box and start making pictures with it. You don't have to change too many settings, whereas with the GR4, the menu system is advanced. There's a lot you can do, which is a great thing, but it's also very complicated. And for me,
Speaker A
it's probably the most complicated menu system I've ever used on a camera. So, the ease of use is another win for the iPhone 17 Pro. It's just something I can't ignore after using this GR4 even more. Now, the fourth observation
Speaker A
between these two cameras has to do with unedited RAW files. Now, when you make a RAW file with a GR4 and compare it to a JPEG, you can clearly see that there is a difference between the two files. The
Speaker A
RAW file is processed differently. It has a little bit of a different color tint and hue to it. It's just clearly a RAW file. Whereas with the iPhone, the only difference between the RAW file and JPEG is the fact that the RAW file has
Speaker A
the Pro Raw picture profile that you can adjust basically to take away all the computational photography. So, these are two completely different types of files, but in my opinion, the RAW files from the GR4 just look better overall in
Speaker A
terms of quality, and they're a lot easier to use for the next observation. So, overall, I would give RAW file quality a win to the GR4. Now, the fifth observation between these two cameras was the fact that with the GR4, the RAW
Speaker A
files seem to handle editing a little bit better. It was more of a traditional editing workflow. I tested this by applying some of the smartphone presets from moderncreative.com to different images, and overall, they both look really good. I think the presets work
Speaker A
fine on the iPhone images, especially when you implement all the information in the short course that comes with those presets on moderncreative.com.
Speaker A
Basically, there's 10 presets. There's versions of the presets also with less contrast, and there's about an hour of tutorials breaking down how to use them and editing examples. But if you use all that information, you get a great result
Speaker A
from the iPhone. But it's just easier to get a great result from the GR4. Now, the sixth observation between these two cameras is kind of a funny one, and it comes down to file management.
Speaker A
Basically, if you're someone who wants to use an everyday camera, obviously you're going to want to share those photos. It's the whole reason of carrying a camera around with you. And to do that, you probably need an iPhone.
Speaker A
So, the fact that the iPhone takes your photos, stores your photos, keeps them in the cloud, and you can send them and post them on social media all from one place is an obvious win for the iPhone.
Speaker A
Even though with the GR4 you can transfer images to your iPhone using the GR World app, it's still an extra step.
Speaker A
So convenience has to go to the iPhone when it comes to sharing and managing all of the files. Now the final thing that's super interesting between these two cameras is when I did a low light test comparing low-light images from both
Speaker A
of these cameras. Each one has its faults. The GR4 has quite a bit of noise in low light, higher ISO images, which a lot of people don't like. But with the iPhone, the images are smoothed out, and overall, the detail is lacking. So, you
Speaker A
have issues from both cameras. Neither is perfect. So, I'm going to call this a push. I don't think either of these cameras necessarily is a clear winner.
Speaker A
It's going to be up for you to decide. Do you prefer the smoother look of the iPhone with less detail or do you prefer the grainier look and more, I guess, natural high ISO look of the GR4? You
Speaker A
guys can debate that one in the comments. Let me know your thoughts. But after going through all that testing, the score between these two cameras was actually pretty even. We had three things that went to the iPhone, three
Speaker A
things that I liked about the GR4, but they weren't exactly what I was expecting in my initial hypothesis. So, I've broken down the real answer to which one of these is the best everyday camera and also my personal thoughts. But
Speaker A
before I share that, I want to thank today's sponsor, Professional Photographers of America. Now, if you're watching this video, you most likely are curious about the GR4 because you have other cameras. You're someone looking for a photography option that you can
Speaker A
bring with you every day. And if that's you, you need a way to protect your camera gear. And that is where Professional Photographers of America, also known as PPA, comes into play. PPA is who I use for my gear insurance, so I
Speaker A
can cover all of my camera lenses as well as my camera bodies with up to $15,000 of insurance at a low monthly price. PPA also offers full gear replacement options with a flat $350 deductible, as well as data recovery
Speaker A
service.
Speaker A
camera gear and taking advantage of the special offer on this channel. PPA is hooking everyone up with $25 off of a membership. You can just go to the link in the description down below and check it out for yourself. Get that discount
Speaker A
and more information. Whether you're just starting out or you're a seasoned professional, PPA, also known as Professional Photographers of America, is where you need to be. So, make sure you check out that special offer in the link in the description. So, the reason
Speaker A
my hypothesis was a little bit off is because I thought the iPhone picture quality would stack up with the GR4. And overall, the GR4 is definitely better in terms of image quality, but the iPhone is definitely better in terms of
Speaker A
convenience and ease of use. This is like the everybody camera. Anyone can use it. This will get you better photos, but it's going to require a little bit of extra effort, and you're going to have to kind of know what you're doing.
Speaker A
And that leads to the three main factors in my mind that determine which camera is right for you. The first is, are you using this camera as a way to get away from distractions? Are you someone who doesn't like social media? You don't
Speaker A
like people always having access to you? You don't like always having messenger and the internet and email? If that's you, the obvious choice is going to be the GR4. If you want to be present, you want to go out and make pictures with
Speaker A
your friends, you want to document your everyday life and do it in a way that's very nice and high quality, this is a great answer because it's small, it's convenient, it's smaller than your iPhone. It can just fit in your pocket.
Speaker A
It's a great resource. But if you're someone who doesn't care about that, going out and buying one of these might be a little bit of a tougher decision versus just using the camera that's in your pocket. The second factor that I
Speaker A
think determines which camera is right for you comes down to if you're someone who cares about the cost to versatility ratio of both of these cameras. To put it bluntly, the GR4 is not very versatile. It's basically a point andoot
Speaker A
camera that has one focal length and that's it. You need to buy an attachment for a flash. You have to buy an attachment. If you want kind of a telephoto or an ultra wide look, you got to put it on there. It makes the camera
Speaker A
bigger. It's a whole thing versus the iPhone which obviously can do so much. You can do a lot with video. You have an ultra wide. You have a telephoto lens.
Speaker A
It's just no debate. This is overall a more versatile camera and you're only buying it once when you buy your phone versus you need to spend more money to get this. So, if you're on a budget, the iPhone probably makes more sense unless
Speaker A
you're someone who wants that more specialized photography tool in the GR4. And that leads to the final thing that determines which camera is right for someone. And that is if you're someone who wants more of a creative edge. This
Speaker A
GR4 is clearly a photography creative tool. It's going to give you a better result than your iPhone. But if you're someone who just makes candid photos and you don't care about taking your photos to the next level, the GR4 doesn't make
Speaker A
sense. Even though it is convenient, why would you get it? This is definitely for someone who wants to elevate their photography a little bit past the iPhone, do something a little bit more creative. Maybe you want to experiment
Speaker A
with your settings, depth of field with editing. That is where the GR4 is a great option. It's pretty cost effective for what it is and the quality of it.
Speaker A
And it's a great everyday option for someone who's looking for a little bit of an edge up from their iPhone. Now, to give my own personal anecdotes on the comparison between these two cameras, I've tested a bunch of cameras in the
Speaker A
last year. We've done the Fujifilm X. We've done the Leica Deluxe. I've used Leica Q's. I've used the Fujifilm X100 series. And this GR4 is the best everyday camera option for someone who's into photography in my opinion, just
Speaker A
because of how small it is, how minimal it is. It does what it needs to do, but it does it in a way with absolutely no resistance other than the little bit of an annoying menu system. But if you can
Speaker A
get around that, this camera is something you can throw in your pocket, make amazing photos, edit the photos, be creative with them, get a high quality result, and you're not going to run into the pitfalls that I found with things
Speaker A
like the X half, with things like the Deluxe, or even something like the X100, which compared to this is a pretty large camera. So overall, in a perfect world, if you're a photographer and a creative person out there looking for an edge up,
Speaker A
this is probably the best combo. having both of these together. But let me know your thoughts in the comments. What do you think of this combination? Are these a good pair of everyday cameras? Do you like the GR4? Or are you just going to
Speaker A
stick with your iPhone? Feel free to let me know in the comments down below. Hit the thumbs up button if you enjoyed the video. I'll catch you all in the next one. And big thank you to PPA for
Speaker A
sponsoring today's video. Remember, you can get that special discount in the link in the description. and join a community of 35,000 photographers just like you and me and ensure your camera gear.
Topics:Ricoh GR4iPhone 17 Proeveryday cameracamera comparisonEvan Ranftphotographyimage qualityRAW editinglow light photographyProfessional Photographers of America
