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Ricoh GR lllx User Review

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RickCorbishley

RickCorbishley

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I’m a Fuji user who’s just bought the Ricoh GR lllx. This review is purely my impressions as a new user rather than anything technical.

All my life I’ve sought after a small camera that produces excellent quality images. My main interest is street photography and I use a Fuji X100V in the main, although it’s not jeans pocketable. I’m very happy with the Fuji when I’m actually out photographing but there are other times when I want something with me ‘just in case’, something to carry in my jeans or shirt pocket.

Until now I’ve carried a Sony RX100 lll in my pocket but I’ve never liked it. The 1” sensor just isn’t quite big enough and I dislike Sony in use, they are uninspiring and not enjoyable to use, unlike the Fuji.

I was aware of a big following for the Ricoh GR range for street photography but always thought of it as a point and shoot version of the X100V and felt it was a compromise I wasn’t prepared to take; I like the analogue controls of the Fuji cameras. Plus the 28mm equivalent lens was too wide for me.

Then along came the GR lllx with its 40mm equivalent and I decided to take a closer look. It felt good in the hand and was easily jeans pocketable so based on all the very good reviews I decided to take a chance. However, it was clearly going to be compared with the X100V and that is a tall order.

Spoiler – I love it.

First impressions:
  • Fits easily in a jeans pocket
  • Is light to hold but has a nice heft to it
  • Feels like a premium camera
  • Comfortable to hold with one hand
  • Quick to start up and close
  • Buttons and dials in the main feel good but the control dial is a bit too sensitive for me
  • Screen is clear and easily brightened
  • There are several ways to customise the main settings so they are immediately accessible
  • It is a prime lens (40mm equivalent which is good for street) but I prefer a zoom for general use
  • It isn’t the prettiest of cameras; it looks like a basic point and shoot (that has a plus side).
I took the time to read the whole manual and worked through the settings to get it right for me. I was pleasantly surprised at some of the options that I haven’t seen elsewhere. The menus are ok and straight forward although there are a couple that I don’t understand nor can I find out on the internet.

I am old school and like analogue controls. I hate delving through menus for something that should be at your fingertips. The GR lllx has a PASM dial, which I hate, but it also has six user settings from which you can quickly select three for different uses. I have ones for street photography, general use, manual control, landscape, portrait, and black and white. A quick turn of the dial changes all the settings as predetermined for your use.

In addition, there are a couple of dials to adjust speed/aperture, a function button, adjustment button within which there are five adjustment options e.g. focus, exposure, image quality etc. and two other buttons in the control dial that can be customised. I find that I normally set my camera up for a particular use then change very little after that. The options to change settings were generally accommodated with the buttons available on the camera so I didn’t feel like I was missing much.

I did wonder about the 40mm lens, as I am used to the 35mm for street, but I find it okay. I miss a zoom for general use, but you can’t have everything. Similarly, there is no viewfinder but the screen is good and responsive to touch. You can fully access the menus using the screen including focus and shooting. You can have it on, with information or not, or switch it off completely; you are then flying blind but may be appropriate in some settings.

There are a number of features that I really like:
  • It has a feature to expose for the highlights. It often means a generally underexposed image but one that can then be successfully pulled back in editing without blown highlights. I’ve not come across that before and it can be really useful.
  • There is a small button to lock the top PASM dial to stop it moving inadvertently. It is easy to use, even one handed, and is a nice and useful touch.
  • The snap focus works really well. It is essentially zone focussing, but easy to control with the touch of a button or two (in the absence of focus/aperture rings on the lens). You can set it to focus on 1m, 1.5m, 2m, 2.5m, 5m and infinity, and focus at that point instantly with a full press of the shutter button. This can be turned on or off but is great for street photography.
  • It has something called program line. This prioritises either depth of field or maximum aperture when in program mode, whichever you select.
  • You can set one of the function buttons to brighten up or darken the screen easily and quickly. Handy in daylight, as there is no viewfinder.
  • There are three lanyard holes. You can carry it on a shoulder strap either landscape or portrait if that’s of interest.
The battery is rated for 200 shots; I just carry a couple of spares with me. The screen is fixed which can be a bit of a pain at times but we always managed in the old days. There is an option to mount a viewfinder on the hot shoe but it is £300 and provides no output i.e. you see no information or focus point in it. It is good for approximate framing only as it is not connected to the lens. It does look good though, although it then starts to increase the overall size.

You can mount a flash and there are a couple of small ones from Pentax and Metz suited to this camera. They aren’t the most powerful but as there is no inbuilt flash, they work quite well without adding something unwieldy to an otherwise small camera.

Because it is so small, and frankly looks like a basic point and shoot, you are not going to intimidate too many people by pointing this in their direction. But this is one of the strengths of the GR lllx. For street, it is perfect. It all but disappears in the hand and possibly the least obtrusive camera you can buy. If you want to bling it up a bit, you can swap out the ring cap to a bright coloured one which I think looks really good but makes it far more noticeable.

It comes with a USB cable and adapter to charge in camera although you may wish to buy a separate charger. It also comes with a small wrist strap that ties on. I use a Peak Design Cuff strap that works perfectly and with an extra anchor attached, can be changed to carry on my shoulder with the Peak Design leash. I also bought the Ricoh leather case so I can fasten it to my belt; it isn’t cheap but very good quality. Either way, you won’t be struggling with the weight by end of a long day; you will likely not notice it’s there.

It isn’t the most sophisticated of cameras, but the manual is still 170 pages long and there are plenty of settings to play with. It would be better suited to someone with a reasonable degree of photographic experience to get the best from it and it is well worth reading the manual to do just that.

Having said all of the above, I do photography for two reasons; for enjoyment, and to produce a good quality image. This camera is fun to use and the image quality is fantastic. What more can you ask for (perhaps some skills to go with it)?

Would I buy it again? Absolutely; I love it.
 
RickCorbishley said:
There are a number of features that I really like:
  • It has a feature to expose for the highlights. It often means a generally underexposed image but one that can then be successfully pulled back in editing without blown highlights. I’ve not come across that before and it can be really useful.
Click to expand...
Yes, it really does a great job in this mode... if you live in a super sunny area. There are other ways to do it on other cameras i.e. exposure comp, but this is easier and works really well.
 
Nice write-up. I had a Rollei 35 years ago and the GRiiix is a digital version. I really like it. There is no reason not to have it with you. I still like my X100V. ;-)
 
I was looking at both of the cameras you mentioned and I cannot decide. Pocket camera is a big plus but I worry that it is not good enough for landscape or portrait photos. Let me ask you this:

You are on the beach with a woman in bikini and you want to make best possible photos. Which of these cameras would you use and why?
 
maxitrol said:
I was looking at both of the cameras you mentioned and I cannot decide. Pocket camera is a big plus but I worry that it is not good enough for landscape or portrait photos. Let me ask you this:

You are on the beach with a woman in bikini and you want to make best possible photos. Which of these cameras would you use and why?
Click to expand...
How about no camera and just enjoying the day?
 
Very well written review, I appreciate the effort, and I'm not even in the market for a Ricoh camera at the moment. :-)
 
I have only used my GR IIIx for about a week. I have been using GR cameras for many years. I honestly don’t like the GR IIIx at all. I’m trying and I’m not giving up, but it’s hard. that 40mm really is to tight. I thought it would be great to have one 28mm body and one 40mm side by side. But I can’t seem to find any situations where I pick up the GR IIIX instead of my GR II. What am I missing. I have shot 35mm and 50mm on my olympus cameras before and really like those focal lengths. But there is something that doesn’t feel quite right with the GR and that tight lens. I’m going to only bring the GR IIIx on my vacation later this summer, I hope that will force me to get used to it.
 
Landberg said:
I have only used my GR IIIx for about a week. I have been using GR cameras for many years. I honestly don’t like the GR IIIx at all. I’m trying and I’m not giving up, but it’s hard. that 40mm really is to tight. I thought it would be great to have one 28mm body and one 40mm side by side. But I can’t seem to find any situations where I pick up the GR IIIX instead of my GR II. What am I missing. I have shot 35mm and 50mm on my olympus cameras before and really like those focal lengths. But there is something that doesn’t feel quite right with the GR and that tight lens. I’m going to only bring the GR IIIx on my vacation later this summer, I hope that will force me to get used to it.
Click to expand...
Considering that you're coming from grii, focal length is not the only the difference. Do you think that the griiix form factor and interface might have somehow affected your initial impression?
 
Last edited:
rondom said:
Landberg said:
I have only used my GR IIIx for about a week. I have been using GR cameras for many years. I honestly don’t like the GR IIIx at all. I’m trying and I’m not giving up, but it’s hard. that 40mm really is to tight. I thought it would be great to have one 28mm body and one 40mm side by side. But I can’t seem to find any situations where I pick up the GR IIIX instead of my GR II. What am I missing. I have shot 35mm and 50mm on my olympus cameras before and really like those focal lengths. But there is something that doesn’t feel quite right with the GR and that tight lens. I’m going to only bring the GR IIIx on my vacation later this summer, I hope that will force me to get used to it.
Click to expand...
Considering that you're coming from grii, focal length is not the only the difference. Do you think that the griiix form factor and interface might have something to do with your initial impression?
Click to expand...
Nah, i have owned the GRIII as well. I’m so used of using the GR in a certain way. 28mm comes so natural. I’m just a wide angle shooter. But i would like to give it a try. But so far, i don’t get it. I rather shoot 35-50mm through a viewfinder on a bigger camera.
 
Landberg said:
rondom said:
Landberg said:
I have only used my GR IIIx for about a week. I have been using GR cameras for many years. I honestly don’t like the GR IIIx at all. I’m trying and I’m not giving up, but it’s hard. that 40mm really is to tight. I thought it would be great to have one 28mm body and one 40mm side by side. But I can’t seem to find any situations where I pick up the GR IIIX instead of my GR II. What am I missing. I have shot 35mm and 50mm on my olympus cameras before and really like those focal lengths. But there is something that doesn’t feel quite right with the GR and that tight lens. I’m going to only bring the GR IIIx on my vacation later this summer, I hope that will force me to get used to it.
Click to expand...
Considering that you're coming from grii, focal length is not the only the difference. Do you think that the griiix form factor and interface might have something to do with your initial impression?
Click to expand...
Nah, i have owned the GRIII as well. I’m so used of using the GR in a certain way. 28mm comes so natural. I’m just a wide angle shooter. But i would like to give it a try. But so far, i don’t get it. I rather shoot 35-50mm through a viewfinder on a bigger camera.
Click to expand...
 
LiNGo0 said:
Landberg said:
rondom said:
Landberg said:
I have only used my GR IIIx for about a week. I have been using GR cameras for many years. I honestly don’t like the GR IIIx at all. I’m trying and I’m not giving up, but it’s hard. that 40mm really is to tight. I thought it would be great to have one 28mm body and one 40mm side by side. But I can’t seem to find any situations where I pick up the GR IIIX instead of my GR II. What am I missing. I have shot 35mm and 50mm on my olympus cameras before and really like those focal lengths. But there is something that doesn’t feel quite right with the GR and that tight lens. I’m going to only bring the GR IIIx on my vacation later this summer, I hope that will force me to get used to it.
Click to expand...
Considering that you're coming from grii, focal length is not the only the difference. Do you think that the griiix form factor and interface might have something to do with your initial impression?
Click to expand...
Nah, i have owned the GRIII as well. I’m so used of using the GR in a certain way. 28mm comes so natural. I’m just a wide angle shooter. But i would like to give it a try. But so far, i don’t get it. I rather shoot 35-50mm through a viewfinder on a bigger camera.
Click to expand...
Looks like the camera isn’t working out for you. I’ll take one for the team and take the GRIIIx off of your hands 🤣
Click to expand...
Haha!;) i’m not giving up quite yet!;)
 
Landberg said:
I have only used my GR IIIx for about a week. I have been using GR cameras for many years. I honestly don’t like the GR IIIx at all. I’m trying and I’m not giving up, but it’s hard. that 40mm really is to tight. I thought it would be great to have one 28mm body and one 40mm side by side. But I can’t seem to find any situations where I pick up the GR IIIX instead of my GR II. What am I missing. I have shot 35mm and 50mm on my olympus cameras before and really like those focal lengths. But there is something that doesn’t feel quite right with the GR and that tight lens. I’m going to only bring the GR IIIx on my vacation later this summer, I hope that will force me to get used to it.
Click to expand...
I know what you mean about it being tight. I like 35mm equiv in a general use lens, primarily because it's what I'm used to.

I find in these situations it's best not to compare. Just pick it up and use it for what it is. There is no camera that fits all situations and I too find 40mm is too tight. There is no perfect camera that does it all, just like there is no perfect camera bag that does it all (which is why I have about 20).
 
I went out on the streets of Manchester, UK, for 8 hours yesterday. I used both the Ricoh GR IIIx and the Fuji X100V and this is the second time I've taken both cameras recently. What I found is:
  • The Ricoh has faster and more reliable focussing in my real world.
  • The Ricoh is more discrete and easier to carry
  • The Ricoh is easier to hold and use one handed
  • The Fuji has a viewfinder
  • The Fuji controls are easier to manipulate
  • The Ricoh is lighter and creates less strain on long carries
  • The Ricoh is pocketable (jeans)
  • The Fuji gets noticed (can be good, but normally bad)
  • The Fuji looks more professional
  • The Fuji is waterproof (Ricoh isn’t)
  • The Fuji looks really cool (the Ricoh looks unappealing)
  • The Ricoh has in effect, one button to either zone focus or autofocus – a cracking feature.
I used both cameras on and off during the day. In the end, I gravitated towards the Ricoh. It was just quicker and more reliable to focus, more discrete, easier to use and easier to carry. I kept finding I missed some shots with the Fuji, even using manual zone focus.

The bottom line is, the Ricoh will now be my go-to for street photography. It is just better in so many ways. Off the street, the Fuji is a joy to use and I appreciate the viewfinder. It feels like a more serious camera.

If I could only have one, I’d probably opt for the Fuji. But I would HATE to lose the Ricoh and might have changed my mind before I gave it up. Considering how I feel about the Fuji, that is saying something.
 
RickCorbishley said:
I went out on the streets of Manchester, UK, for 8 hours yesterday. I used both the Ricoh GR IIIx and the Fuji X100V and this is the second time I've taken both cameras recently. What I found is:
  • The Ricoh has faster and more reliable focussing in my real world.
  • The Ricoh is more discrete and easier to carry
  • The Ricoh is easier to hold and use one handed
  • The Fuji has a viewfinder
  • The Fuji controls are easier to manipulate
  • The Ricoh is lighter and creates less strain on long carries
  • The Ricoh is pocketable (jeans)
  • The Fuji gets noticed (can be good, but normally bad)
  • The Fuji looks more professional
  • The Fuji is waterproof (Ricoh isn’t)
  • The Fuji looks really cool (the Ricoh looks unappealing)
  • The Ricoh has in effect, one button to either zone focus or autofocus – a cracking feature.
I used both cameras on and off during the day. In the end, I gravitated towards the Ricoh. It was just quicker and more reliable to focus, more discrete, easier to use and easier to carry. I kept finding I missed some shots with the Fuji, even using manual zone focus.

The bottom line is, the Ricoh will now be my go-to for street photography. It is just better in so many ways. Off the street, the Fuji is a joy to use and I appreciate the viewfinder. It feels like a more serious camera.

If I could only have one, I’d probably opt for the Fuji. But I would HATE to lose the Ricoh and might have changed my mind before I gave it up. Considering how I feel about the Fuji, that is saying something.
Click to expand...
I’m a Fuji guy generally speaking, but I own both GR3 models. They are unique and fun.
 
RickCorbishley said:
I went out on the streets of Manchester, UK, for 8 hours yesterday. I used both the Ricoh GR IIIx and the Fuji X100V and this is the second time I've taken both cameras recently. What I found is:
  • The Ricoh has faster and more reliable focussing in my real world.
  • The Ricoh is more discrete and easier to carry
  • The Ricoh is easier to hold and use one handed
  • The Fuji has a viewfinder
  • The Fuji controls are easier to manipulate
  • The Ricoh is lighter and creates less strain on long carries
  • The Ricoh is pocketable (jeans)
  • The Fuji gets noticed (can be good, but normally bad)
  • The Fuji looks more professional
  • The Fuji is waterproof (Ricoh isn’t)
  • The Fuji looks really cool (the Ricoh looks unappealing)
  • The Ricoh has in effect, one button to either zone focus or autofocus – a cracking feature.
I used both cameras on and off during the day. In the end, I gravitated towards the Ricoh. It was just quicker and more reliable to focus, more discrete, easier to use and easier to carry. I kept finding I missed some shots with the Fuji, even using manual zone focus.

The bottom line is, the Ricoh will now be my go-to for street photography. It is just better in so many ways. Off the street, the Fuji is a joy to use and I appreciate the viewfinder. It feels like a more serious camera.

If I could only have one, I’d probably opt for the Fuji. But I would HATE to lose the Ricoh and might have changed my mind before I gave it up. Considering how I feel about the Fuji, that is saying something.
Click to expand...
I have both the X100v and the GR III. They both take lovely images but the GR is a bit more appealing IMO.

I enjoy using both. I enjoy using the GR III a bit more unless I really need the OVF of the Fuji.

I have bought and sold various X100 models and regret not having one when I don't. The much easier to carry GR appeals on trips where you are going out not to make photos but you might see a photo to take.

If only one, I would be split 50.1% the Ricoh and 49.9% the Fuji, but regret that choice, then not regret that.

I'd like to see the next X100 (X100VI ? ) the same but shrunk by 10% in all directions if possible. Then the indecision would really start. :-)

--
DPReview Quote: Ricoh GR III shooting experience: "Shut up and take my money"
 
Last edited:
RickCorbishley said:
I went out on the streets of Manchester, UK, for 8 hours yesterday. I used both the Ricoh GR IIIx and the Fuji X100V and this is the second time I've taken both cameras recently. What I found is:
  • The Fuji is waterproof (Ricoh isn’t)
Click to expand...
The Fuji x100v like other x series is not "water proof", but "weather resistant". I've heard mixed reports about it probably being the least WR out of the more recent cameras. Just wanted to let you know so that you don't put too much trust in the "WR", and go out shooting in rainy weather without some sort of protection for you camera.
 
I have the X100F, GR II, GR III (street edition). If forced to keep one the great EVF and flash of the F are my decision makers. I'm in good shape money wise so I will shoot with all three. Each is a fun camera I would not want to give up. I have too many cameras besides the three I listed so I didn't pick up a lllX.

I enjoy when an older thread returns.
 
CarryLight said:
RickCorbishley said:
I went out on the streets of Manchester, UK, for 8 hours yesterday. I used both the Ricoh GR IIIx and the Fuji X100V and this is the second time I've taken both cameras recently. What I found is:
  • The Fuji is waterproof (Ricoh isn’t)
Click to expand...
The Fuji x100v like other x series is not "water proof", but "weather resistant". I've heard mixed reports about it probably being the least WR out of the more recent cameras. Just wanted to let you know so that you don't put too much trust in the "WR", and go out shooting in rainy weather without some sort of protection for you camera.
Click to expand...
Bad choice of word, if I'd had my brain in gear it would have been weather resistant. I will try and edit. I'm not one for going out in the rain normally, and certainly don't take any diving, so the WR is a bit of extra comfort rather than relied on as a guarantee.
 
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