Ricoh GR III Digital Camera

The Ricoh GR-III comes as a welcome addition to the Ricoh ecosystem. It features a large 24.24-megapixel sensor with a new powerful GR ENGINE 6. The compact system also has a wide-angle 18.3mm f2.8 lens which is capable of producing some stunning imagery. There have been some major improvements from the previous GR-II, including a faster autofocus system, shake reduction mechanism and a touch-operated LCD screen. This camera has a non-invasive design making it the perfect street and/or architectural photography camera.

Ricoh GR III Digital Camera Key Features:

• 18.3mm f2.8 lens (28mm in the 35mm format)
• Large 24.24 Megapixel Sensor
• Full HD movie recording (1920 x 1080 pixels, 60 frame rate) in the H.264 recording format
• High-speed autofocus operation using a hybrid AF system
• 3-Axis Shake Reduction System
• Compact and rugged design
• Superb image quality and portability
• Lightning fast, short start-up time of approx. 0.8 secs
• High-definition 3.0" LCD monitor with intuitive touch-screen operation
• Crop mode to capture an image at 35mm or 50mm angle of view (in the 35mm format)

Ricoh GR III Firmware Update 1.41, 30 July 2020

The latest function-expansion firmware update for the Ricoh GR III camera adds brand new functions and an increased number of settings. These can be easily adjusted in-camera so that you can enjoy a better camera performance. Some of the enhanced functions introduced through the update include the full-press snap function now being activated by either pressing the shutter button or the LCD monitor. Thanks to this option, the camera now has the same functions as the Ricoh GR III Street Edition. Another benefit is the improvement to the accuracy of the location information recorded. The south latitude and west longitude will now be recorded correctly in the Exif GPS tag as well as the GPS location display when accessing the playback details. To download the update please follow this link.

Expanded Ricoh GR III Digital Camera Key Features:

24.24 Megapixel Sensor

The Ricoh GR III Features a 24.24 megapixel sensor that can produce excellent, high quality images and an anti-aliasing filter-less construction delivers high-definition rendering even in the finest details. The quality of the images that this camera can capture is truly stunning.

The GR ENGINE 6

A new imaging processor enables you to further utilise the excellent image sensor by providing quality performance, detailed imaging across the entire ISO sensitivity range, and beautiful colour reproduction.

GR Optics and Shake Reduction

The new GR lens that this GR II has equipped is a triumph of camera optics that surpasses all other GR lenses that Ricoh has produced. It features a six-element, four-group optical system that can achieve edge-to-edge sharpness across your images. The slim and compact optical system means that the GR III can accommodate an in-camera Shake Reduction mechanism. This system reduces the effect of camera shake on your images, allowing for exquisite imagery.

What's in the box?

• Ricoh GR III Digital Camera
• Ricoh DB-110 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery
• Ricoh USB Cable
• Power Adapter
• AC Plug
• Hand Strap
• Ricoh GN-1 Black Ring Cap
• Hot Shoe Cover

What the experts say

There's a very straightforward approach to the operation of the GR III. It's a camera you can slip in your pocket, pull out when you see a great shot unfolding, then pop back away with ease once you've snapped it. If my weekdays are spent using a heavy DSLR, my weekends are spent floating around with the GR III, being able to move around quickly and discreetly.

The all-black design and tiny dimensions (109.4 x 61.9 x 33.2mm) attract little attention and far fewer glances than when I'm using my DSLR, and this makes street photography in particular far easier. The menu system is easy to navigate and fairly linear - you can get to all the major options very quickly and the LCD brightness can be adjusted to suit the environment you're working in.

When it comes to autofocus, the GR III offers a hybrid AF system that makes use of both contrast and phase detection. Along with offering Face Detection - useful for portraits - the GR III continues to offer a feature called Snap Focus that was present in its predecessor. This allows the user to select a pre-focused distance (2 metres, for example) and then effectively shut down the AF system so all you need to do is raise the camera up and click the shutter with zero delay. Although this system is popular with the street photography purists, I have to say that the normal AF is fast and accurate enough for me to rely on, so I have rarely used the Snap Focus.

Although the GR III is small, it doesn't feel delicate when in use, and is in fact built around a magnesium alloy body. A dust removal system that uses ultrasonic waves to rid the sensor of dirt and dust has made its way over to the GR III via Pentax's range of DSLRs. Ricoh also saw fit to include a decent amount of internal memory in the GR III, which will be music to the ears of any photographer who has accidentally left the house without their memory cards. With 2GB of storage, photographers can fill up the GR III with either 140 JPEGs or 50 RAW files. Also present are Wi-Fi and Bluetooth so images can be transferred to your smartphone via Ricoh's free Image Sync app. Users can capture video in Full HD (60p) for a duration of up to 25 minutes - though to be honest, I rarely used this feature.

The value of any camera is how often you use it and how happy you are with the results, and as I mentioned earlier, the GR III quite genuinely has rarely left my pocket. I don't need a bag to carry it around, the image quality is excellent and I can work around the fixed focal length via the crop mode options. In editing, the RAW DNG files capture a huge amount of detail, enabling me to rescue overblown skies, while images taken at the maximum f/2.8 aperture show pleasing bokeh in the background.

Matty Graham is a photographer based in the UK. Read Matty's 6 month review of using the Ricoh GR III in full here.

Ricoh GR III Digital Camera Sample Images: