Ricoh GR III in Review

With high-quality smartphone cameras always at the ready, what does a compact digital camera have to do to get some love and earn a place in our camera bags? The best digital cameras offer premium image quality that places them far and above your humble smartphone and they are still portable enough to be carried with you everywhere - the Ricoh GR III digital camera ticks these boxes with ease, and packs in a huge range of extra features for good measure - let's find out more.

The Ricoh GR III is an advanced compact digital camera, with a larger-than-average APS-C-sized image sensor. This larger image sensor, which offers a great resolution of 24.2MP, allows the camera to perform exceptionally in low-light scenarios. This is further aided by the camera’s in-body image stabilisation system. The GR III can capture fleeting moments, thanks to the impressive f2.8 maximum aperture of its fixed lens and its rapid autofocus system, ensuring sharp, high-quality images in difficult environments.

Paired with its versatile 28mm focal length, ideal for capturing expansive landscapes and the dynamic energy of street scenes, the Ricoh GR III also features a Snap-focus mode for perfectly timed candid moments and offers a suite of film-simulation modes and in-camera editing tools for achieving your desired visual aesthetic.

While the Ricoh GR III excels on so many levels, with its exceptional image quality, fast performance, and versatile shooting modes, a few things to consider before purchase include the fixed 28mm lens, which some photographers might find limiting compared to a zoom option. Additionally, unlike higher-end cameras, it lacks weather-sealing and has a shorter battery life. However, carrying a spare battery is common practice for most photographers, so these limitations shouldn't be deal-breakers for everyone.

With its perfect mix of portability and power, it’s plain to see that if a street photographer were to see the Ricoh GR III for sale, they should snap up that deal quickly. These features are also perfect for anyone looking for the perfect partner for their next travel photography adventure, whether they will be capturing dynamic street portraits or wide-scoping landscape photographs.

So everyone can be matched with the compact camera of their dreams, the Ricoh GR III is available in a few different variants. As well as the standard black, there is the diary edition, the street edition and the brand new GR III HDF.

The diary edition comes in a warm metallic grey, and it delivers a new power-off display that lets you know how many shots you’ve captured today - this is excellent for setting goals and sticking to them.

The street edition is available in pavement-like metallic grey, with a cool orange-yellow ring cap, while the body has a unique texture, which makes it easier to hold while remaining smooth and stylish. This version is a great choice if you want to look the part, while you are on the path to becoming a good street photographer.

The HDF model includes an exciting high diffusion filter, which has been printed using Ricoh's excellent inkjet technology. This filter, which can be turned on and off, diffuses highlights and blurs surrounding areas, producing a soft and dreamlike look, which we usually associate with nostalgic film photography.

If you are interested in the functionality of the Ricoh GR III but are turned off by the wide 28mm equivalent fixed lens, the Ricoh GR IIIX is just for you. This camera offers a 40mm equivalent field of view, which is considered "normal", and is closer to what the human eye sees.

Once again, you have a few models to choose from, the black, the new HDF version, and an Urban version, which includes a specialised design that not only makes the camera easier on the eye, but also provides better grip for handheld performance.