Visual Diary: Shinjuku to Kamakura

Lately, I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect pocket camera to add to my kit, something small, simple, and easy to bring along for those in-between moments. You know, the kind of days that aren’t epic photo missions—just a walk to a coffee shop or a travel day with a few hours to kill.

I’d narrowed it down to two options: the Fuji X100VI and the Ricoh GRIII. The Fuji got scratched off the list pretty quickly. Between the overlap with my X-T5, the high price, and the fact that it was basically impossible to find, it just didn’t make sense. The Ricoh GRIII was next in line, but in Australia, it’s hard to find and overpriced on the secondhand market… not exactly ideal for a backup camera.

Fast forward to Japan. I had a few hours to kill before catching a train from Shinjuku to Kamakura, so I wandered into a few camera stores. In the third one, I casually asked if they had a Ricoh in stock. The lady looked at me with a raised eye brow and said, “28mm or 40mm version?” Without hesitation, I told her the 28mm. She smiled. “You’re in luck. One just came in this morning.”

With the tax-free price, it was a steal compared to back home. I bought it on the spot, charged it up, ditched the box, and hit the streets.

It was a rainy, moody day, the kind of weather I love shooting in. With the snazzy new pocket cam in hand, I set off toward Kamakura. Here’s what I saw.