Ricoh GR III Street Edition Metallic Gray APS-C size Digital camera with large CMOS sensor GR lens that achieves high resolution and high contrast…

This was probably the most exciting announcement of 2018 and I was super excited when this camera was released. Unfortunately the camera has some major issues that are inexcusable for it’s price range.

The Good: Great Central Sharpness (Equal to the Leica Q) with decent mid frame to corner sharpness. Small, Light, Stealth Body, looks like an old point and shoot. Battery Life isn’t terrible for a tiny battery. Easy to hold. Very Good dynamic range. Menus are good. Stabilization works very well.

The Bad:
1. Camera doesn’t ship with charger. You have to buy a spare charger separately for $50. The spare charge DOES NOT come with the cable or USB power adapter to use it. You have to buy that separately too! That’s completely ridiculous as everyone will order at least one spare battery for it which is another $40. How they sell you a spare charger without the cable and USB power to use it beyond me. Real cost over the Camera is over $1,025 not $899.

2. For a camera that has no viewfinder the LCD has to be good. It should be great on a $1,000 camera. Well it’s terrible. It’s extremely hard to use in direct sunlight and nearly impossible to accurately compose shots. Even with max brightness it’s bad. The Canon M100 has a similar screen for $399. Ironically the areas where the autofocus works the best which is bright direct sunlight, you can’t see the screen…lol (What were they thinking?)

3. Low Light autofocus is bad and inaccurate even with Firmware 1.1. Camera refuses to focus very often. At times the camera will confirm focus only to find out later on my computer the shot was out of focus. Worst autofocus camera of 2019 for $1,000

4. Lens vignetting is Terrible! Even with all the corrections in camera and photoshop you can’t completely remove it. Now, I personally like vignetting on some of my images, but as a creative choice. Here, all your images will have it. Forget about putting a subject in the mid to corner areas of the frame.

5. After having the camera for 2 weeks I already see dust spots inside the lens. Obviously this is impossible to clean and just imagine in 1 to 2 years how bad it will get. Another issue is cleaning the front element is extremely challenging because there’s a huge gap around it. It’s basically open around it. So if you use a blower, you’ll blow the dust INSIDE the lens. Terrible design.

$1,025 for a camera with all these issues is inexcusable. If the camera was $549-$599 with the charger included it would a fair price. (I don’t understand how the price doubled from the GRII) The Canon M100 for $399 has much better autofocus, equal image quality with 22mm prime, a similar quality LCD that tilts (both are poor but the Canon isn’t over $1,000), and better jpgs. Yet the Canon for $399 gets you a charger in the box.

UPDATE, 4/23/2019: My original review is below, however I wanted to change my initial assessment from four to five stars due to a couple of considerations. One, I have found battery life to be fairly consistently better than the 200 shots advertised, unless I spend a lot of time editing RAW files or similar processor-intensive activity. Second, and more important, Ricoh released their first firmware update on 4/22, a month after the US release date, and it includes two things: support for the updated Image Sync app, allowing the camera’s Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connection to smartphones, and an improvement to the camera’s low light focusing speed and accuracy. Thank goodness for that last addition! I’m impressed with Ricoh for getting something out so fast to address the biggest downfall with the camera, and it does indeed improve things. Focus speed in very low light is still a lot slower than my Panasonic GX85 (but keep in mind, I am testing that camera with lenses that have wider maximum apertures than the GR III) but it is much faster and hunts a lot less than it did pre-update. This improvement applies directly to the main reason that I didn’t initially rate this camera at five stars, so I am happy to be able to address that with a positive improvement. I know there are still forthcoming firmware updates, since the camera still has a “Grain” setting on some JPEG modes that is not fully functioning, and that future update is actually mentioned in the camera literature. END OF UPDATE, ORIGINAL REVIEW BELOW.

The Ricoh GR III has been long awaited by Ricoh users now, since the original APS-C GR was released in 2013 and used 2013 technology, and the GR II really only added connectivity to the same camera. Sensor, processor etc. have been from that era for six years now, so it was high time for an update. I was lucky enough to be one of the first batch of Amazon stock, so I’ve had some time to get to know the camera. Now, if you don’t know what the Ricoh GR series is about, watch some videos or read some of the reviews for earlier models; the recipe hasn’t changed. It’s a truly pocket-sized camera that, unlike other pocket cameras, has excellent ergonomics, is designed for quick and effective operation, even one-handed, and delivers unique and powerful images with high quality and fidelity.

I’m coming from using the Ricoh GR II for almost a year, and the GR III came at the right time (close to my birthday) so I was able to sell my previous model with little wear and tear and try the new model. I’ve used APS-C and Micro Four Thirds in the past, with a Panasonic GX85 being my main camera at present, but the Ricoh GR series has always been a unique spin on a camera, and one that complements another system quite well. I loved the GR II but always worried about developing dust on the sensor (the first one I bought had dust from the factory, even, so I exchanged it), and the dust removal system of the new model was icing on the cake for me along with all of the other updated features.

Rather than give a lengthy review which most people won’t read (I tend to like to ramble on), I’m going to give some bullet points on what I think this camera offers over the previous models, and similar cameras among the competition. Everything else you can get from a spec sheet or a review in a lengthier format.

• Image quality is absolutely fantastic. I love it. High ISO looks great, the feel of images is just incredible. GRs are tuned to be… different, in a good way. This one preserves that, while dialing up the IQ at the same time. Now, if you really liked the effect filters from the GR II, they are here except for cross process (sadly… firmware update? Ricoh is very good about improving and developing on their cameras post-launch, and they listen to users better than most, which not going so far as to compromise what they see as the core concept of the GR cameras) but they have a slightly different feel. There are a lot more parameters to change, but the GR II felt expertly tuned from default. So, what about Fuji JPEG colors? Personally, I’ve always felt that Fuji’s colors were only special in an era when most manufacturers’ JPEGs were bad. Everyone has gotten better, but Fuji can’t iterate because they’ve already given their film simulations fancy names, and people know what to expect. I think Ricoh’s Positive Film style bests Fuji’s Classic Chrome, personally. And the contrasty B&W options Ricoh makes are a lot different than the more subtle ones Fuji makes, so it’s not much of a comparison.

• The touchscreen is awesome, Ricoh really got it right. It feels almost like a Panasonic, sadly without a screen to access all the main functions via touch on the same screen, like Panasonic or Olympus. But surprisingly, touch to focus and shoot is a fantastic addition to the repertoire of a GR. I can even shoot with the camera in my left hand! Anyone who has ever juggled a drink and a camera should appreciate being able to compose and shoot with either hand! Unlike the cheaper Fuji XF10, there’s no lag or jankiness to the touch functions, they just work.

• Image stabilization works super well! In such a tiny camera, shake is harder to eliminate, as I’m sure you’ve noticed with the GR II. This is a welcome addition. Some people said that wide angle lenses don’t need image stabilization, but some things come from experience, not spec sheets: it’s much harder to avoid shake on a small camera body that is very light, so anything to aid in getting stable photos is good. Plus, being able to handhold down to half a second or longer, with care, allows for very cool light trail and movement blur effects handheld which you just couldn’t do with previous GRs, or any of the small Fujis.

• The added resolution makes 35mm crop a lot more viable. Macro function is improved, and very sharp. 50mm crop combined with macro can be quite surprising. On a camera which is limited to a single, wide angle focal length, resolution enough to allow for fairly heavy cropping is a great thing. On top of this, the lens is so sharp that crops don’t suffer from a noticeable drop in resolution. The previous GR lens was super sharp, this one is even sharper if you believe the specs and tests, and my experience backs these up.

• There are a few flaws. No camera is perfect, and not every previous flaw in the GR’s design was thoroughly fixed. Battery life is sure not great, but you can eke a lot more than the rated 200 shots out of it by switching the camera off when you’re not taking photos. AF is the big bugbear. Fortunately, it’s not as bad as they say. It’s very similar to the GR II, except noticeably faster in good light, and possibly worse in very bad light. My GX85 eats it for lunch in very low light, but I hold that the AF only completely falls on its face in lighting you probably wouldn’t think to get photos in. Low, indoor artificial light is the main culprit. Even in low twilight outside, I got focus to lock pretty consistently. It’s a significant disappointment even so, and the biggest reason I couldn’t give this camera five stars out of the gate, because the lackluster AF in the previous model has been talked about so much, Ricoh knew it would be a big deal to users in the new model. And they tried. The camera now has phase detect and contrast AF in hybrid form, which theoretically should cut way back on hunting and racking focus. In good light, it does. But in bad light, it still really needs work. Ricoh has pointed out that the design of the lens requires that a larger group of elements, instead of a single lens element, need to move around to focus the camera. This allows for the high image quality. But it shouldn’t make the camera hunt as much as it does in bad light.

I do expect things to get somewhat better in firmware updates, and I may even add a star. Here’s the thing: the GR III is definitely a worthy upgrade over the GR II, and rockets the GR back into a premium option. But the GR II is special in its own right, and you could miss the recipe that that camera was made of, including the grainy, dirty high ISO look and the long and slim body style. And the flash. I’m not sorry I replaced mine, though. Because the GR III is special.

****update
After giving the camera another chance, I have adapted to it. The picture quality, the lens’ bokeh, the grain quality on high ISO makes the camera worse to pay the money.

****
Before getting this camera I watched and red many predominantly positive reviews, and I must say most of those reviews were fair. It is a good modern high resolution camera with all controls you need. Few things made me to return this camera. 1st. It is not so portable as I would expect, I mean, it is not so comfortable to handle it. Heavier than I expected. The dials are too small for comfortable adjusting of the camera parameters on-fly. Play button need 2-3 attempts to push in the area before you engage it. Yes, I probably have been spoiled with classic DSLR bodies. 2. The battery indeed is not letting you to enjoy playing with GR3 camera. May be once mastered it, you won’t need the LCD screen active so much. But first, when you try to play, to understand the camera’s behavior, you end up with dead battery before your curiosity fed.

Update: Simply put, I couldn’t recommend this camera more. I absolutely LOVE it. Everything about it, actually. Goes in my jacket pocket everywhere I go. Takes GREAT pictures. The transfer of photos to my iPhone is also smooth and easy. I’ve been away from photography for a while, and this little Ricoh has brought me right back. If you’re curious about the picture quality, check out my Instagram, “Jasokrish”. (Keeping in mind that Instagram uses pretty aggressive compression.) Just buy this camera. You will not regret it!

I received my Griii “Street Edition” on March 6, 2021. If you’re like me, you may have had a difficult time figuring out which Street Edition version this is. As you can see in the picture, my kit includes the Street-Edition camera finish and orange ring. It does NOT include the view finder or the strap with the matching-orange patch. Instead, it comes with a simple plain black strap. For me, I don’t care about those two things. I bought this camera as a replacement for my iPhone. I love the portability of the Griii. And thinking about it like my iPhone, I have never once wished my iPhone came with a viewfinder. I can take pictures from any point-of-view, very stealthily, and practically instantly, with the griii’s snap focus. I think the “limited Edition” kit includes the viewfinder for about $300 more, but it can also be purchased separately, if wanted. For me, I don’t think I’d ever use a viewfinder. Kind of defeats the purpose of the camera.

The kit, however does include an extra battery, so that was a nice surprise. (How many batteries this kit includes is not very clear in the Amazon description.) It also includes a cable and electrical plug for charging the battery in camera. There is no external battery charger.

Quick one-day impression of the camera itself is just, “wow”. The YouTube reviews all praise the sharpness of this camera, and I can vouch for how detailed my photos are. (Especially compared to my iPhone 11 Pro, which also is a decent camera—but no where able to produce the sharpness of the griii.).

Ease of use, after living with YouTube instructional videos for a year or longer has also been a welcome surprise. It’s really simple, or as complex, as you want to make it. My first few shots have been impressive. I actually said, “Holy crap” when I looked at the pictures on my camera for the first time. Transferring images from the camera to iPhone is also very simple. Works through wifi or Bluetooth, which is sweet!

I will update this review as I go. So far I’m absolutely loving this camera.

Those interested in the Ricoh GR series of cameras know of its place in the industry. It’s not your choice to shoot professional sports, it’s not your choice to film cinematic video, it’s not your choice when you want ultra high ISO performance, and it’s not your choice if you need pinpoint tracking. Let’s get that out of the way. Let’s also get the fact that it doesn’t have a flash, the battery life is subpar, and that it doesn’t have TAv, doesn’t have the exposure comp rocker.

For all it doesn’t do/can’t do, it has a lot going for it. It’s a super small package, has a fantastic APS-C sensor, and the layout and button placement is top notch. The touch screen is pretty nicely implemented, not as good as the Canon/Panasonic touch screen implementation, but better than Olympus and Sony. I’m a long time fan of the GR series, had the original GR (released in 2013) on 3 separate occasions. Each time I sold it because I thought it was unnecessary, but kept on going back to it. Skipped the GRII because it wasn’t that much better than the III (thought I did buy it two weeks ago to hold me over for the III).

The AF is definitely improved over the original and the II, but still not what I would call a speed demon. And Ricoh knows this and you should too. The inclusion of phase detect has made it slightly better, but because of the layout and the lens moves back and forth to acquire auto focus, it’s not the fastest out there. But other fixed lens cameras share similar tendencies such as the X100 series, the X70, and others. Snap focus is the highlight of the GR cameras and the inclusion of the touch to focus makes it much easier to use. Being able to choose touch to move AF, touch to move focus points and also AF, and also touch to move focus points, AF, and fire is a good touch. The GRIII’s attention to detail and features eliminates most of the “Why doesn’t this work in this mode?” that other cameras suffer from.

Yes the battery life stinks. Rated at 200 shots, after you cycle a few times, you’ll get that number if you shoot normally (take a few shots, power off, power on, take a few shots, power off, etc). After consistent use the body will heat up more than the old one, you could tell that it’s a power hungry beast. I’ve gotten as few as 110 shots/clips and as many as 320. But there are lots of generics that are compatible, much like the older GR/GRII which you could use several different branded batteries, just look up for GRIII compatible batteries (I believe ones made for the Olympus TG Tracker are compatible).

The lens is super sharp. Macro mode is improved to as close as 6cm. Sharp at 2.8, gets better at f4, but I have no issues shooting at 2.8. The X100/X70 at macro range is soft, and doesn’t get sharp until 5.6 or so, but the GR is fine at 2.8.

Video quality isn’t the best, but it’ll do in a pinch. IBIS helps with video greatly over the II. Certainly not my first choice since it only does 1080/60 not 4k, and no mic/headphone jacks, but again, it’ll do for casual clips of my kids. Anything more serious I’ll use my a7III.

Picture profiles are really nice, not as well known as the Fuji film simulations, but useable. Like the fact that it outputs DNG natively.

The fact that you could have such a powerful little camera in a small package allows me to carry it around in small bag, use the wrist strap, and not worry about carrying a heavy bag. As long as you know the limitations that it has going into it, you’ll be more than happy with the end result. Do I wish it was cheaper? Who wouldn’t. But I could see this being my daily carry and use. It is improved over the GRII in most ways. Startup is faster, AF point movement is faster, the use of face detect in standard shooting mode and not just auto mode is great. It doesn’t have a flash (which I never used), it doesn’t have TAv, it doesn’t have a exposure comp rocker (which I never used and accidentally hit a lot of times). I have the A7III but I’ve used it less and less and have used the GR series more and more lately. No, this isn’t the camera to rule them all. But for what it does, in the size that it does it in, it’s a great option.