I’m just going to get directly to the point with the GR.

Pros (in no order of importance):

• Handling – No compact camera handles this well
• Ergonomics – Buttons, dials, toggles and switches are well placed and have great feedback
• Menu – It’s the most simplified, direct menu I’ve worked with
• Lens – Sharp, compact and 28mm is just about ideal for street photography
• Looks – Of course this and the other items I’ve mentioned above are subjective, but it’s gorgeous in a non-dramatic, understated way

Cons:

• Battery life – It would be nice to see another hundred-ish shots out of one battery
• ISO – The ISO ceiling is lower than I expected. We are getting greedy and spoiled these days, but I would like to have seen better results from the color files at ISO3200. Black and white is where I choose to shoot most often, and it’s not really much of an issue.
• Aperture – Everything is a compromise, but I would have loved to seen f/2 lens on the GR.
• Charger – The recent movement of not including a dedicated battery charger in the kit is frustrating, but is easily overcome.

Bottom Line:

What do I think? Would I recommend this to my fellow photographers? I love it and yes. It is not the most flexible camera on the market right now; instead Ricoh/Pentax have created a finely sharpened photographic tool aimed at photo enthusiasts and I for one am grateful.