Introduction

Ease of Use

Key Specifications

• 24.23 megapixel APS-C sensor, no low pass filter
• Magnesium alloy chassis
• 28mm F2.8 lens with a 9-blade aperture and integrated lens cover
• 6 elements in 4 groups to help reduce the size of the lens barrel
• 3-Axis image stabilisation, 4 stops of compensation
• ISO 100-102400
• 14-bit RAW files
• 1080p video at 60fps
• Dust Removal II system
• Anti-aliasing filter simulator to eliminate moire
• 6cm macro mode
• Fixed 3-inch touchscreen LCD with 1.04-million-dot resolution, outdoor view setting
• Hybrid AF system that uses phase and contrast detection
• 8 types of AF, including continuous AF and Face AF modes
• 10 image filters
• HDR effect
• In-camera RAW editing
• Interval shooting
• Multi-exposure mode, up to 2000 images
• 35mm and 50mm crop modes (reduced megapixels)
• Built in ND filter
• Customisable ADJ selector and Fn button
• 3 User shooting modes
• Bluetooth and wi-fi connectivity via the Ricoh ImageSync app
• 2Gb built-in memory
• USB Type C port for charging
• Single SD memory card slot

Front of the Ricoh GR III

The Ricoh GR III is ever so slightly smaller than its predecessor, measuring 109.4m x 61.9 x 33.2mm, but ever so slightly heavier, weighing 227g without the battery or memory card fitted. To be honest, you'd be hard pressed to notice any real difference in terms of size and weight between the two when comparing them side by side.

The GR III is a very well built camera, with a magnesium alloy chassis and very solid construction with little to no flex. It has an even more understated, unassuming appearance than the previous version, with all of the button labels and even the GR name on the front finished in a dark grey colour rather than white.

Despite its small stature, the Ricoh GR III still manages to offer a large rubberized handgrip on the front that allows you to get a really good grip with three fingers. On the rear there's an area of the same material and a slight protrusion which combine together to act as a thumb rest.

The GR III continues to feature a 28mm F2.8 wide-angle fixed focal length lens with a 9-blade aperture, which is perfect for wide-angle and street shots. Obviously this isn't the camera for you if you'd prefer a zoom lens though!

Rear of the Ricoh GR III

Ricoh have included 35mm and 50mm digital crop modes, which as the names suggests simulates those focal lengths by cropping into the 24 megapixel image, producing a 15 megapixel photo and 7 megapixel photo respectively, extending the versatility of the camera. Additionally, the new optional GW-4 Wide Conversion Lens can be fitted to the GR III using the GA-1 lens adapter to provide a 21mm focal length.

For the first time on this camera series, the Ricoh GR III features image stabilisation. It's not the most sophisticated system in the world, 3-Axis with 4 stops of compensation that can simply be turned On or Off, but in low-light for certain subjects it could be the difference getting a sharp shot or a blurry one, or a clean shot or a noisy one (if you'd otherwise have to increase the ISO to obtain a faster shutter-speed).

The GR III also has a built-in ND filter worth two stops (ND 0.6), which can be set to Auto, On or Off. It's quite a useful feature that allows you to shoot with a wide-open aperture in bright sunlight and still get a correctly exposed shot, or for helping to blur moving subjects such as water, or for extending longer exposures.

The Ricoh GR III features a new 24.23 megapixel APS-C-size CMOS image sensor with no low pass filter and new GR Engine 6 processor, which promises fantastic image quality for a compact camera - you can judge for yourself by looking at the full-size JPEG and RAW files on the Sample Images page of this review. There's the usual choice of Fine and Normal JPEGs, plus Adobe's DNG format, which means that the Ricoh GR III's files are instantly available in any RAW software that supports DNG (virtually every one). It also enables 14-bit RAW files for the first time on a GR camera (the GR II had 12-bit RAW files).

Top of the Ricoh GR III

The GR III has an increased maximum ISO speed of 102400, two stops more than on the GR II, and starts at ISO 100. While we wouldn't recommend shooting at ISO 102400 unless you can't avoid it, it does mean that the GR III has a range that's very usable from 100-6400. Cleverly you can also set a specific minimum shutter speed in Auto High ISO mode, as well as setting the upper limit of the ISO sensitivity.

Rather than an optical anti-aliasing filter in the camera, the GR III has an innovative anti-aliasing simulator instead, which can be turned off (default setting) or on to either the Low or High setting, which adjusts the level of the effect. This feature effectively provides the same level of moiré reduction as an optical AA filter.

The Ricoh GR III once again offers Full HD movie recording, but this time around does so at 60p as well as at 30/24p. During recording the camera can be set to continuously focus on the centre of the frame (manual, snap and infinity focus options are also available). Various image Effects including Retro and Bleach Bypass are available during movie recording, and the white balance can also be set, but annoyingly you still can't set the aperture or shutter speed, just like on the GR II, so you'll have to rely on the camera's exposure system when shooting video. It's fair to say that video really isn't this camera's strong point.

There are three external controls which form the creative heart of the GR III. Located on the top right of the camera are the Shooting Mode dial, the front command dial and on the back is the ADJ. dial. These controls allow you to choose which shooting mode you want to use, with a choice of program shift, aperture-priority, shutter-priority and fully manual, and to control the settings of the particular mode that you have picked. For example, in Manual mode, the front command dial sets the aperture and the Adj. dial sets the shutter speed. In the aperture-priority and shutter-priority modes, the front command dial sets the aperture/shutter speed and the Adj. dial sets the exposure compensation.

The Ricoh GR III In-hand

Furthermore, pressing the Adj. dial inwards allows you to quickly adjust five different settings that are commonly used. Press it to alter by default the Image Control, Focus, Exposure Metering, File Format and Outdoor View settings. Even better, the Adj. menu is completely customisable - you can choose what the 5 available settings do, allowing you to control exactly what you want quick access to, and you also set the Adj. dial to control the ISO speed by pressing left/right.

Continuing the customisation theme, you can configure the Ricoh GR III and save the current settings as one of three User Settings modes, which are accessible by setting the Shooting Mode dial to either the U1, U2 or U3 option. This allows you to configure the GR III for different uses and allows quick access to each configuration (the camera remembers the settings when it's turned off). The Function (Fn) button on the rear of the camera, front and rear control dials the and 4-way controller can also be customised to suit your particular way of working.

The GR III offers both wi-fi and Bluetooth connectivity. The Wi-Fi function lets you use your smartphone to change the Ricoh GR III's key settings and even fire the shutter button remotely (including video recording) using the GR Remote application, while the dedicated Image Sync application automatically backs up your photos onto a mobile device or computer. The Bluetooth connection creates a constant, low-power connection between the GR III and a smartphone/tablet to transfer images and video even when it's in Sleep Mode.

The Ricoh GR III has a 3-inch 1037K dot LCD screen on the rear, which is actually slightly lower resolution than the screen on the GR II but offers a a wider 3:2 aspect ratio. On a more positive note, the new screen is touch-sensitive, something that has never been featured before on the Ricoh GR series. It makes quite a big difference to the usability of the camera compared with earlier models, especially as it proved to be very responsive. Being able to move the focus point by simply touching and sliding the screen whilst holding the camera at arm's length is something of a revelation, for the GR series at least. You can also pinch in and out during playback to change the magnification or flick from side to side to view the previous and next images.

The Ricoh GR III's Menu System

For the first time on the GR series, a circular control dial is positioned around the four-way navigation pad on the rear of the camera. This can be used to quickly scroll through the menu system or through your photos in image playback and select options from the various sub-menus.

If you don't like composing your photos by holding the camera at arms length and looking at the LCD screen, there's also another way of framing your shots. You can buy an optional, completely removable optical viewfinder, the Ricoh GV-2 Mini External Viewfinder, which slots into the hot-shoe on top of the camera, allowing you to hold the camera up to your eye and instantly giving the GR III the feel of a single-lens reflex camera.

The Ricoh GR III has a range of focusing and metering modes that should cover most situations. On the focusing side, the focus modes include Auto-area AF, Zone AF, Select AF, Pinpoint AF, Tracking AF, Continuous AF, Manual Focus, Snap mode (can be changed to focus at either 1m, 1.5m, 2.5m, 5m or Infinity) and Infinity.

The GR III uses a contrast and phase-detection Hybrid AF system for the first time on a GR-series camera, which in theory promises to improve the speed and accuracy of the autofocus. We say in theory, though, because in practice the GR III is still a little on the slow side, despite the technological advances. The AF system often took took almost a second to find and lock onto the subject in single AF point mode, and even worse, sometimes it failed to lock on at all, even in lighting conditions that wouldn't trouble most other modern cameras.

The Ricoh GR III's Optional Optical Viewfinder

Face AF worked more quickly and reliably, although there's no Eye AF as on most other recent cameras of this ilk. Continuous AF is also included for the first time, and it worked pretty well at tracking both slow and quicker moving subjects, although strangely you can't use the Face Detect and Continuous AF modes at the same time, which rather limits tracking moving people.

The Full Press Snap option takes a photo at one of the Snap mode distances with a full press of the shutter button. This means that you can use both the camera's auto-focus system by half-pressing the shutter button, and over-ride it to instantly shoot at at a pre-determined distance without having to wait for the camera to focus.

The GR III now offers a macro shooting capability with a minimum focusing distance of 6 centimeters, impressive given the size of the sensor, making it capable of capturing impressive close-up shots with lots of background blur, if so desired.

In terms of metering, the multi-segment metering mode is 256 segment, and there's also center-weighted, spot and the new highlight-weighted metering, which as the name suggests prioritises getting the exposure right for the highlight parts of the image.

The AF function button/lever on the rear of the GR II which was used to toggle between AEL/AFL and the Continuous AF (C-AF) mode has instead been replaced by a customisable FN button on the GR II, simplifying the design but losing some functionality. By default the Fn engages AE/AF lock, but can be changed to a different function.

The Ricoh GR III's USB Port

The electronic leveler is a neat feature that helps to ensure level shots while viewing through the LCD monitor, both in landscape and portrait mode. You can view the horizontal and vertical indicators on the LCD monitor to ensure that shots are aligned along each axis. If you're using the external viewfinder, or can't see the LCD screen in very bright sunlight, then the camera can also be set to make a sound to indicate a level horizon. It doesn't sound like a big deal in theory, but in practice it really helps to make all those wide-angle shots perfectly level.

The Depth of field indicator is an equally useful function. If you set the GR III to either Manual or Aperture priority mode, and the Focus mode to Snap, Manual or Infinity, a vertical scale on the left of the LCD screen indicates the depth-of-field at the current aperture, helping to ensure sharp focus when you're not relying on the camera's auto-focus system.

In addition to Bracketing (exposure, white balance, effects, dynamic range correction, and contrast), Multiple Exposure and Interval Shooting modes, the Interval Composite mode takes a series of images at a fixed interval, then automatically combines the high-luminance pixel data from each images to create a single composite image, useful for quickly and accurately producing star trail images, for example.

The main menu system on the Ricoh GR III is straight-forward to use and is accessed by pressing the Menu button beneath the navigation pad. There are five main menus, Still Image, Movie, Playback, Customize and Setup, each subdivided into a number of screens. It's a fairly logical, very clear system that's an improvement on the GR II.

The Ricoh GR III's Battery

The start-up time from turning the Ricoh GR III on to being ready to take a photo is very responsive at around 0.8 second, quicker than the GR II. In terms of image recording, it takes about 0.25 second to store a RAW/JPEG image, allowing you to keep shooting as they are being recorded onto the memory card, and there is virtually no LCD blackout between each image.

Once you have captured a photo, the GR III has a good range of options when it comes to playing, reviewing and managing your images. You can instantly scroll through the images that you have taken, view thumbnails (20 onscreen at once!), zoom in and out up to 16x magnification, view slideshows with audio, set the print order, delete, protect and resize an image. Levels Adjustment allows you to correct the contrast and tone of an image after it has been taken, White Balance Adjustment the white balance, and Color Moire Correction usefully removes any artificial color banding. There's also in-camera RAW Development, with 9 different parameters available.

Images are automatically rotated during playback to fit the current orientation of the camera. Pushing the Adjust dial instantly displays the image at a previously defined magnification, handy for quickly checking focus. The Display button toggles detailed settings information about each picture on and off, such as the ISO rating and aperture / shutter speed, and there is are small histograms available during both shooting and playback. The White Saturation display mode during image playback indicates over-exposed highlights by flashing those areas on and off.

The Ricoh GR III uses a tiny DB-110 rechargeable lithium-ion battery which promises to deliver approximately 200 shots per charge, according to CIPA standards. In practice, though, we managed to take just 140 stills and shoot one very short movie clip on our first outing with the camera before the battery was exhausted, which means that you'll either have to invest in several additional batteries and/or using an external powerbank via the GR III's new USB-C port to get you through a full day's shooting.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 24.2 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 10Mb.

The Ricoh GR III produced images of outstanding quality during the review period. The GR III produces noise-free JPEG images at ISO 100-3200. ISO 64000 only shows a little noise, ISO 12800 and 25600 are quite a lot noisier but still retain saturation and fine detail, while the fastest settings of ISO 51200 and 102400 are just too noisy to use.

The Ricoh GR III handled chromatic aberrations really well with very limited purple fringing effects appearing only in high contrast situations. The night photograph was excellent, with the maximum shutter speed of 20 minutes and the Bulb mode allowing you to capture enough light for any situation. Macro performance is good, allowing you to focus as close as 6cm away from the subject. The extensive range of Image Controls allow you to get creative in-camera with both JPEG and RAW files.

Noise

There are 11 ISO settings available on the Ricoh GR III. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting for both JPEG and RAW files.

JPEG	RAW
ISO 100 (100% Crop)	ISO 100 (100% Crop)
ISO 200 (100% Crop)	ISO 200 (100% Crop)
ISO 400 (100% Crop)	ISO 400 (100% Crop)
ISO 800 (100% Crop)	ISO 800 (100% Crop)
ISO 1600 (100% Crop)	ISO 1600 (100% Crop)
ISO 3200 (100% Crop)	ISO 3200 (100% Crop)
ISO 6400 (100% Crop)	ISO 6400 (100% Crop)
ISO 12800 (100% Crop)	ISO 12800 (100% Crop)
ISO 25600 (100% Crop)	ISO 25600 (100% Crop)
ISO 51200 (100% Crop)	ISO 51200 (100% Crop)
ISO 102400 (100% Crop)	ISO 102400 (100% Crop)

Focal Range

The Ricoh GR III's fixed lens offers a wide-angle focal length of 28mm, as illustrated below.

Sharpening

Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are a little soft at the default sharpening setting of Normal. You can change the in-camera sharpening level to one of the preset levels if you don't like the default look.

Original (100% Crop)	Sharpened (100% Crop)

Chromatic Aberrations

The Ricoh GR III handled chromatic aberrations excellently during the review, with very limited purple fringing present around the edges of objects in certain high-contrast situations.

Macro

The Ricoh GR III offers a Macro setting that allows you to focus on a subject that is 10cm away from the camera when the lens is set to wide-angle. The first image shows how close you can get to the subject.

Night

The Ricoh GR III's maximum shutter speed is 20 minutes, which is excellent news if you're seriously interested in night photography, and there's also a Bulb setting for even longer exposures. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 15 seconds at ISO 100.

Image Controls

The Ricoh GR III has an extensive range of creative Image Controls which can be applied to both JPEG and RAW files, with 9 different options on offer.

Off

Vivid

Monotone

Soft Monotone

Hard Monotone

Hi-Contrast B&W

Positive Film

Bleach Bypass

Retro

HDR Tone

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Ricoh GR III camera, which were all taken using the 24.2 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Ricoh GR III enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Ricoh RAW (DNG) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movie & Video

Product Images

Conclusion

Whereas the previous GR II camera was a very modest upgrade of the original GR, principally only adding wi-fi and NFC connectivity to its predecessor, the new GR III model is a much more significant reworking of the GR blueprint. It features a new sensor, lens, processor, external design, touchscreen, image stabilisation system, focusing system and Bluetooth connectivity, whilst maintaining the pocketable size and speedy response that fans have come to love.

The new GR III once again features a large APS-C image sensor that delivers great results. The new 24 megapixel sensor exhibits no noise from the base sensitivity of ISO 100 all the way up to 3200, with the higher settings of 6400, 12,800 and even 25,600 all perfectly usable for smaller prints, although we wouldn't recommend using the two fastest settings. The redesigned 28mm lens and the lack of an optical low-pass filter both improve image quality further, with the option of the widely supported Adobe DNG RAW format if you want to take control, complete with in-camera RAW processing, being the cherry on the still image cake. Video performance, although improved to 1080/60p quality, continues to lag well behind most modern cameras, with the GR III's emphasis being again on the still image side of things - we'd really expect 4K recording with a decent set of video features on a 2019 camera.

There are a couple of notable bugbears about the GR III, though, that rather take the shine off it as a whole. Firstly, the battery life is pretty terrible - around 150 shots per charge, far short of the official CIPA rating of 200 shots. Sure, you can carry extra batteries or an external powerbank, but that rather defeats the purpose of buying such a small camera. Secondly, the new hybrid AF system promises snappier, more accurate performance on paper, but often fails to deliver in practice, especially in low-light conditions, causing missed shots on more than occasion. Thirdly, this latest version loses the handy pop-up flash that was featured on all its predecessors, the main casualty of making the camera smaller.

This latest iteration of the GR series also sees a significant increase in price, up from £599.99 / $799 on the GR II to £799 / $899 for the GR III, making it less financially attractive as a second camera and which may take it out of reach of some potential buyers. When you consider that you can buy an excellent mirrorless camera like the Fujifilm X-T30 for the same price, the GR III again seems over-priced, although the GR camera has an obvious size advantage over a comparable interchangeable lens camera. Similarly sized rivals with fixed lenses are few and far between - the most obvious one is the Fujifilm XF10, which shares most of the same core features as the GR III but comes at a much lower price point of £449 / $499.

In summary, while the new Ricoh GR III represents a significant upgrade of the 4-year-old GR II model, it still feels a little under-powered in today's camera market, and also crucially more than a little over-priced. We're sure that die-hard GR-series fans will continue to love the winning combination of excellent still image quality in a small, pocketable package, but the poor battery life, so-so auto-focusing and especially that big price increase are likely to put off would-be new owners.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4.5
Features	4
Ease-of-use	4
Image quality	4.5
Value for money	3

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Ricoh GR III.

Specifications

News

The Ricoh GR III is a premium digital compact camera which combines high-resolution images with intuitive, responsive snapshot capabilities in its compact, lightweight body. It incorporates an APS-C-size CMOS image sensor with 24.24 effective megapixels, short start-up time of approximately 0.8 seconds, high-speed hybrid AF system, Shake Reduction mechanism and touch-screen operation.

The Ricoh GR III will be available in Black from March 2019 priced at £799.99.

Ricoh UK Press Release

RICOH GR III - A high-end digital compact camera, featuring an assortment of newly developed main components designed for the ultimate in snapshot photography

LONDON, 22 February 2019 －RICOH COMPANY, LTD. and RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD. are pleased to announce the launch of the RICOH GR III. This high-end digital compact camera harmonizes high quality, high-resolution images with intuitive, responsive snapshot capabilities in its compact, lightweight body — making it an excellent choice for enthusiast and professional photographers alike.

Further enhancing the GR-series concept of optimizing image quality, snapshot capabilities and portability, this latest GR-series model is equipped with a complete range of newly designed main components, including a lens, image sensor and imaging engine. Despite a body smaller than its predecessor, it incorporates a large APS-C-size CMOS image sensor with approximately 24.24 effective megapixels to produce high-resolution images, while its short start-up time of approximately 0.8 seconds delivers quick, responsive shooting. It also provides an assortment of new features, such as a high-speed hybrid AF system, an originally developed SR (Shake Reduction) mechanism, and touch-screen operation for intuitive control, providing improved operation and functionality. Following its launch, the GR III will benefit from future upgrades via firmware updates to enhance its functions and overall performance.

The GR III also features dual wireless communication and a USB Type-C™ connector for improved interface with smartphones. Packed with the state-of-the-art functions needed to meet the demands today’s photographers, the GR III becomes the premier model in the GR series.

Ricoh GR III Black RRP: £799.99

Available: March 2019

RICOH GR III Main Features

1. Newly designed, high-resolution GR lens

The GR III incorporates a newly developed GR LENS; 18.3mm F2.8, which harmonizes exceptional imaging performance with a slim design. Its super-slim optics consist of six optical elements in four groups, while retaining the 28mm angle of view (in the 35mm format) and the large F2.8 maximum aperture of its predecessor. The optimal positioning of a high-refraction, low-dispersion glass element and a glass-moulded element allows it to deliver the clearest, sharpest images in GR-series history, while reducing distortion and chromatic aberration to a minimum. It also minimizes the generation of flare and ghost images when shooting in backlit situations. To deliver high-contrast, high-resolution images of a variety of subjects and in varying photographic conditions, it also comes equipped with a macro shooting capability at a minimum focusing distance of six centimetres, and incorporates an ND (Neutral Density) filter to open up the aperture by two stops. Its nine-blade diaphragm creates a natural bokeh (defocus) effect and a truthful sense of depth at open aperture, while capturing beautiful light beams at closed-down apertures.

2. High-quality, high-resolution images

The GR III incorporates a large APS-C-size CMOS image sensor with an anti-aliasing (AA) filter-free design to enhance image resolving power, and a newly developed GR ENGINE 6 imaging engine. Thanks to its approximately 24.24 effective megapixels, this image sensor guarantees super-high-resolution images that are rich in gradations. It is also compatible with multi-tone 14-bit RAW image recording. The camera also features the accelerator unit, designed to optimize image data delivered by the image sensor, and provides a top sensitivity of ISO 102400 for super-high-sensitivity photography.

3. Hybrid AF system for high-speed autofocus operation

The GR III features a hybrid AF system combining a contrast-type AF mechanism with superior focusing precision and a phase-detection-type AF mechanism guaranteeing high- speed focusing operation. Both mechanisms ensure that it delivers a faster, more responsive autofocus operation.

4. Originally developed SR mechanism

• Three-axis, four-step shake reduction: Thanks to the originally developed SR (Shake Reduction) mechanism, the GR III effectively compensates for camera shake at the time of shutter release. Its three-axis mechanism minimizes adverse effects of camera shake caused by pitch, yaw and roll by as much as four shutter steps.

• Originally developed AA Filter Simulator: By applying microscopic vibrations with sub-pixel precision to the image sensor unit during exposure, the camera’s AA (anti- aliasing) Filter Simulator* provides the same level of moiré reduction as an optical AA filter. This innovative simulator allows the user not only to switch the AA filter

effect on and off, but also to select the effect to the level best suited for a given subject.

* This function is available at shutter speeds slower than 1/1000 second

5. Compact, functional body design

Even with the incorporation of the large APS-C-size image sensor, the GR III is extremely compact and functional. It is almost equal in size to the GR DIGITAL IV (which is equipped with a smaller 1/1.7-inch image sensor), providing the outstanding portability in keeping with the GR-series concept of the camera as a pocketable imaging tool or a handy picture- taking tool. It provides such user-friendly features as a short start-up time of approximately

0.8 seconds, the control dial conveniently positioned next to the four-way controller, and effortless touch-screen operation, to enhance operability and allow the user to react to once-in-a-lifetime shutter opportunities. Its exterior frame is made of highly rigid magnesium alloy for improved durability.

6. High-definition LCD monitor with intuitive touch-screen operation

The GR III features a 3.0-inch high-definition LCD monitor with approximately 1,037,000 dots. Introduced for the first time in GR-series history, its touch-screen operation provides intuitive control of various camera functions, such as AF frame shift, menu selection and image magnification and advance during playback. It also features an air gapless construction, in which special resin placed between the LCD touch-screen monitor and a protective cover made of reinforced glass, effectively reduce the reflection and dispersion of light for improved visibility during outdoor shooting. Its Outdoor View Setting allows instant adjustment of the monitor’s brightness to the desired level for greater visibility in challenging lighting conditions.

7. Image Control function to produce desired visual effects

The GR III’s new Image Control function provides a new type of ‘finishing touch’ control that integrates effect modes into conventional image setting operation. Using 10 basic Image Control modes, the user can easily adjust various parameters, such as saturation, hue, key, contrast and graininess,* to the desired level, and create a ‘finishing touch’ of their choice. A set of adjusted parameters can be added as a custom setting to the Image Control function.

* This parameter will be available via a firmware update

8. Bluetooth® and wireless LAN dual communication

The GR III provides wireless LAN functions for easy pairing with mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. By installing the dedicated Image Sync application* on a mobile device, the user can display a Live-View image on the device’s monitor, release the shutter and send various commands from the device. The wireless LAN connection also makes it easy to upload captured images onto SNS sites. The camera also provides seamless Bluetooth® connection to facilitate camera operation.

Thanks to the Bluetooth® connection, just by selecting the application's shooting mode, the camera can be activated and establish wireless LAN connection even though it is in the Sleep Mode. The location data obtained by the smartphone can be recorded onto captured images by connecting with the Image Sync app,

* An application update is required

9. Other features

• Full HD movie recording (1920 x 1080 pixels, 60 frame rate) in the H.264 recording format

• Crop mode to capture an image at 35mm (15M) or 50mm (7M) angle of view (in the 35mm format)

• Customization of functions assignable to ADJ and Fn buttons

• In-camera RAW Development, providing parameter adjustment of RAW-format images and output of JPEG-format image data

• Colour Moiré Correction function to reduce the effect of moiré in playback

• Interval Composite mode, effective in capturing a landscape with traces of the moon and stars

• Electronic Level to check the camera’s inclination

• GW-4 Wide Conversion Lens (optional) to expand the angle of view to 21mm ultra- wide angle

• Compatibility with accessory flash units*

* Compatible accessory flash units are AF540FGZ II, AF360FGZ II, AF540FGZ, AF360FGZ and AF201FG

RICOH GR III Optional Accessories

GW-4 Wide Conversion Lens

Designed for exclusive use with the RICOH GR III, this wide-angle conversion lens is mounted on the camera using the GA-1 Lens Adapter, and expands the angle of view to 21mm ultra-wide angle. When mounted, the camera automatically optimizes its SR function to cover the 21mm angle of view.

GN-1 (DG) Ring Cap

When replaced with the standard ring cap, this dark-gray-coloured ring cap upgrades the camera’s appearance with its stylish metallic finish.

GK-1 Metallic Hotshoe Cover

This metallic hotshoe cover features the dark-gray colour and the metallic finish identical to those of the GN-1 (DG) Ring Cap.

GC-9 Soft Case

This durable, genuine-leather camera case provides solid protection for the camera. It features a belt loop on the back and a magnetic lock on the upper cover so the camera can be easily removed for snapshot photography.

GC-10 Soft Case

This high-grade, genuine-leather camera case protects the camera when its being carried in a bag, or folded when not in use.

The optional accessories listed above launch simultaneously with the RICOH GR III.

- The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc, and any use of such marks by Ricoh Company, Ltd. is under license.

- USB Type-C is a trademark of USB Implementers Forum.

- All other brands or product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

- Designs and specifications are subjects to change without notice.

Image Gallery

Click on a thumbnail to see the full version.

First Impressions

The Ricoh GR III is a new APS-C compact camera with a 24 megapixel sensor and 28mm fixed focal length lens.

We were shown a full production version of the GR III by Ricoh ahead of today's launch. We've shot a gallery of sample JPEG and RAW images with the camera in street-shooting-friendly Shoreditch, London, and spent some valuable hands-on time with the GR III.

So read on for our first impressions of using the new Ricoh GR III APS-C camera...

Ricoh's imaging division is comprised of 300 staff out of a total of nearly 100,000 in the company as a whole, giving you an idea of just how big Ricoh is globally.

This year is the 100th anniversary of the Pentax company, which became part of Ricoh back in 2011.

The Ricoh GR range was first started over 20 years ago in 1996 with the introduction of the GR1 film camera.

The new GR III is actually the 12th GR camera released, and the first new model since the popular GR II was introduced in 2013.

Tomohiro Noguchi, the Global Head of Ricoh and Pentax Product Planning, told us that "Photography begins and ends with "snap shooting"", epitomized by the Ricoh GR.

The new GR III offers three main new benefits when compared to its predecessor - higher image quality, more features and a smaller body. It's actually the same size as the GR Digital IV, which had a much smaller 1/1.7-inch sensor.

"The GR is a minimal tool" commented Noguchi. "It always remains unfinished and keeps evolving". Ricoh have committed to further improving the GR III via future firmware updates.

Key Specifications

Here's a list of the key specifications for the GR III:

• APS-C sensor
• 24.23 megapixels, no low pass filter
• Magnesium alloy frame
• 14-bit RAW files
• 28mm F2.8 lens with a 9 blade aperture and integrated lens cover
• 6 elements in 4 groups to help reduce the size of the lens barrel
• 3-Axis image stabilisation, 4 stops of compensation
• Dust Removal II system
• Anti-aliasing filter simulator to eliminate moire
• 6cm macro mode
• Fixed 3-inch touchscreen LCD with 1.04-million-dot resolution, outdoor view setting
• ISO 100-102400
• Hybrid AF system that uses phase and contrast detection
• 8 types of AF, including continuous AF and Face AF modes
• 10 image filters
• HDR effect
• In-camera RAW editing
• Interval shooting
• Multi-exposure mode, up to 2000 images
• 35mm and 50mm crop modes (reduced megapixels)
• Built in ND filter
• Customisable ADJ selector and Fn button
• 3 User shooting modes
• Bluetooth and wi-fi connectivity via the Ricoh ImageSync app
• 2Gb built-in memory
• USB Type C port for charging
• 1080p video at 60fps
• Single SD memory card slot
• USB battery charging

Design

The small size and weight is one of the key attractions of the new GR III - it's one of the few cameras with such a large sensor that will fit inside a trouser or coat pocket, maintaining tone of the GR-series' key aims of being a camera that you can always carry with you.

One of the ways in which Ricoh have managed to achieve this is by simplifying the lens design, which is now comprised of 6 elements in 4 groups in order to reduce the size of the lens barrel. Consequently, the super-slim 28mm fixed focal length lens hardly protrudes at all from the front of the camera when it's powered on.

The GR III now offers a macro shooting capability with a minimum focusing distance of 6 centimeters, impressive given the size of the sensor, making it capable of capturing impressive close-up shots with lots of background blur, if so desired.

It also incorporates an ND (Neutral Density) filter to open up the aperture by two stops, useful in very bright shooting conditions where traditionally you'd need to fit a glass filter to the front of the lens.

Despite the camera's diminutive size, the GR III now features built-in image stabilisation. It may only use a simpler,3-axis system, rather than 5-axis, but the 4 stops of shutter speed compensation that it provides will definitely prove very useful on a camera that is predominantly used held out in front of you, rather than at eye level.

Megapixels

The GR III has a brand new 24.23 megapixel APS-C sensor which Ricoh claims delivers the best image quality of any GR-series camera to date. It also enables 14-bit RAW files for the first time on a GR camera (the GR II had 12-bit RAW files).

ISO Speed

The GR III highest native ISO speed is 102,400, although looking closely at the resulting images, we wouldn't recommend using this setting unless there really is no other option. You can see the full ISO range in our sample image gallery.

Autofocusing

Autofocusing is one area where the GR III represents a major leap forwards for the GR series, as it now features a hybrid phase detection and contrast detection system that is claimed to improve the speed and accuracy of the autofocus.

We say claimed, because in practice the GR III is still a little on the slow side, despite the technological advances. The AF system often took took almost a second to find and lock onto the subject in single AF point mode, and even worse, sometimes it failed to lock on at all, even in lighting conditions that wouldn't trouble most other modern cameras.

Face AF worked more quickly and reliably, although there's no Eye AF as on some other recent cameras. Continuous AF is included for the first time, and it worked pretty well at tracking both slow and quicker moving subjects, although strangely you can't use the Face Detect and Continuous AF modes at the same time...

LCD Touchscreen

There's a 3-inch touchscreen display on the rear with 1.04-million-dot resolution, the first time that a GR camera has featured a touchscreen. It makes quite a big difference to the usability of the camera compared with earlier models, especially as it's very responsive.

As the GR III doesn't have a viewfinder (unless you buy and add the optional viewfinder that slots into the hotshoe on top of the camera), being able to move the focus point by touching the screen whilst holding the camera at arm's length is something of a revelation, for the GR series at least.

1080p Video

The GR III is capable of shooting 1080p video (1920x1080 pixels) at frame rates of up to 60fps. Somewhat bizarrely, the option to change between stills and movies is buried away in the Movie menu in the Main Menu system, reflecting the fact that this camera is first and foremost a stills camera (although you can customise the Fn button to include this option).

Memory Card Slot

The GR III features a single UHS-II memory card slot in the same shared compartment as the battery, located on the bottom of the camera body.

Battery Life

Talking of which, you'll definitely need to invest in more than one battery, as the GR III has a tiny battery with very poor life. We managed to take just 140 stills and shoot one very short movie clip before the battery was exhausted, which isn't great for a new camera in 2019.

You can at least now recharge the camera via its new USB-C port, however, as well as using the supplied charger, so charging the Ricoh GR III out in the field with an external powerbank is also a viable option if you don't want to go down the route of carrying a pocketful of batteries.

Connectivity

The Ricoh GR III offers two different connectivity options:

• Bluetooth - creates a constant, low-power connection between the GR III and a smartphone/tablet to transfer images and video using the Ricoh ImageSync smartphone app
  
• Wi-fi - remotely control the GR III via a 2.4Ghz wi-fi connection using a smartphone or tablet and the Ricoh app, and transfer images and video from camera to smart device

Accessories

The GW-4 Wide Conversion Lens expands the GR III's angle of view to 21mm ultra-wide angle, although it instantly makes the camera much more conspicuous.

The GN-1 (DG) Ring Cap replaces the standard ring cap with a dark-gray-coloured ring cap with a metallic finish, while the GK-1 Metallic Hotshoe Cover does the same on top of the camera.

Colours

The Ricoh GR III will be available in Black from the middle of March 2019.

UK Pricing

• GR III - £799

Euro Pricing

• GR III - €899

US Pricing

• GR III - $899

By way of comparison, the GR II's launch price was "just" £599 / $799, a reflection of just how much the camera market and global economy has changed in the last 6 years, especially in the UK.

Initial Conclusion

The new Ricoh GR III is the latest iteration of a well-respected camera range, adding new features and technologies to help bring the series bang up to date. We'd like to see faster autofocusing and much improved battery life, though, which both left something to be desired in our initial hands-on time with the camera.

There's no denying that the GR III is capable of delivering some amazing image quality, though, as a closer look at our sample images will show, making it literally a pocket-rocket in this regard.

So what do you think? Leave a comment on the new Ricoh GR III camera below...

Hands On

Want to see exactly what the new Ricoh GR III premium compact camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of the Ricoh GR III premium compact camera.

A gallery of hands-on photos of the Ricoh GR III premium compact camera.

Image Gallery

Click on a thumbnail to see the full version.

Preview Images

​Ahead of our full review, here are some sample JPEG and Raw images taken with the new Ricoh GR III camera, which was announced today. The Ricoh GR III is a serious compact camera with a large 24.23mp APS-C sensor, 28mm F2.8 lens, 3-axis image stabilisation, 1080p video recording at 60fps, ISO 102400 and 3-inch touchscreen.

A gallery of sample images taken with a final production version of the Ricoh GR III premium compact camera.

Ricoh GR III Sample Images

Sample RAW Images

The Ricoh GR III enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Ricoh RAW (DNG) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movie & Video

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