Ricoh GR III review

And a spare battery doesn't take up any space? How about remembering to charge it not to mention misplacing it!

not even close....users always have dust issues in the long term due to the retracting non sealed lens...just imagine water

AmPhotoNJ, the Leica XU is waterproof as well.

"Useless for street photography". hahaha

"controls are very poor".

The M100 is really not that bad for one of the most compact APS-C MILC. The touch screen is great which often more than makes up for the lack of a second control dial. You have a control wheel for shooting TV/Av and when shooting manual it's a single tap of the screen to switch between adjusting shutter speed and adjusting aperture.

Don't get me wrong there is lots of room for improvement with ergonomics even on the small body but controlling is not as bad as I thought it would be.

Or read this website, I suppose... In fact, if you did, you might realise that your phone is not doing exactly the same. And that would seem to be counter-productive.

I would love to see your phone. Where did you get a phone with an aps-c 24mp sensor?

Another "expert" who knows better

Good news, they did!

@Walker you really made me laugh, love your post lol

So you want Schrödinger's camera?

At this point this new released camera is quite bad . I agree with you and with this TS :
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/62480050
Ricoh must be kidding to shamelessly ask a $1000 USD (with taxes ) for that . They should have included a small pocket flash and a spare battery at least.
The only ppl who perhaps buy it are those who really loyal yo the brand (but the brand isn’t ), not really smart consumers and some Rich folks to try it out and toss after 150 shots .
It’s not backordered ,actually as some stated , many units were recalled and returned and that’s what created it at some retailers. Here in Ontario no backorders.

Er, they did.

Sorry, I meant a tilting screen.

The GR III touchscreen interface works quite well, it's very responsive and complementing the dials-and-buttons interface nicely.
I like for example how I can override the AF - if, say, it's automatically selecting the AF areas and I want it to focus on something specific. Very fast; just a touch, no need to change any setting.

No EVF option is the con. There are plenty of cameras that don't have a built-in EVF but do feature contacts for an external viewfinder unit.

Honestly viewfinders are like phone keyboards. People used to care about them until most of them realised they don't them.

I care about them! Especially in sunny conditions. I'm sure I'm not alone.

All my years using a GR I've never had any issues without using a EVF. In the most extreme situations, since you can use any GR single handed, you just raise your other hand to use as a sunshade instead of leaving it in your pocket. It really is that simple, and it is why this camera remains truly pocketable.

Oh, that image of the EOS-M with the SMALL flash supplied and a zoom...
Did you just decide on your own that nobody should ever use a pocketable camera? <rolling eyes> It's not like we were asking for your permission...

@AlexSarbu
It’s not that I asked for your opinion or to comment under my comments , especially such a nonsense as you just wrote.

Right... I'll post more "nonsense", then:
https://camerasize.com/compact/#819,351.348,ha,t
Those are the GR III (obviously) and the EOS M with the same lens as in that Wiki article - but without a flash.

The fact it's sold out suggests the price is below what the market will bear.

I am getting out of my GRIII the same quality I used to get from my Fuji 645 rangefinder in the film days! Seriously, the resolution of this camera is nothing short of amazing. The price is not too high; it's an incredible instrument. It doesn't look like much, but think of it -- it's like 80 lines/mm on film days and with a lens capable of delivering it! It's sharper than most aps-c or mft lenses.

I have both GRii and GRiii and the iii is amazing. The ibis and 24mp are great, and the colors in the jpegs are much better.
I also have an MFT camera, and the only lenses that come close to it in resolution (but do not improve on it) are the PanaLeica lenses; certainly not the Oly 17mm, which is quite poor, and also not the 20mm pancake. The Leica Summilux 15/1.7 is close, but the GRiii is still better resolution-wise. And a camera with 15/1.7 does not fit in your pocket.

So sure, when I go with an official large camera, I often choose my Pen-F for the ability to also use long lenses. But for a pocketable camera, or one that you can slip in your travel / work bag, the GRiii is fantastic.

See a lot of fashion photography that uses wide lenses. Different kind of portraiture.

Fashion photography is NOT portrait. For fashion work you're shooting the OUTFIT and designs, not portraits, but even for that work I've never seen a soul working with a 28mm prime. No one says you can't shoot portraits with 28mm or even 20mm, but if you plan to do a lot of it, a fixed 28mm camera isn't a very good tool.

Most shooters will fall back on 85mm, but the 105 and 135mm lenses have gained a lot of popularity. 200mm is also excellent and very flattering. 28mm is pretty bad for faces, fine for group or full body. If you really want to shoot people, a GR is not a very versatile pick.

Even if you get up close, the perspective of a wide angle lens is not very flattering. You know those pictures of puppies taken with fisheye lenses? Kind of like that, but not as extreme.

"I got rid of my GR because it was a failure when it came to being versatile." - slightly surprised you didn't realise that at the time of purchase...?

1/4000 flash synchro!

"They are even smaller" - yeah, because the sensor is smaller. Not quite the biggest trick in the magician's box.

There again - someone who is commenting on a camera that is specifically designed for the street shooter without understanding what the requirements are.

It's a very specific camera for a very specific type of user.

If you truly don't understand you obviously won't buy the camera as it wasn't meant for you.

The APS-C sensor is the key. This means it has much better image quality than other pocket size cameras. See here:
https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/image-comparison?attr18=daylight&attr13_0=ricoh_griii&attr13_1=sony_dscrx100m6&attr13_2=canon_g7xii&attr13_3=canon_sx280hs&attr15_0=raw&attr15_1=raw&attr15_2=raw&attr15_3=jpeg&attr16_0=6400&attr16_1=6400&attr16_2=6400&attr16_3=6400&normalization=full&widget=1&x=0&y=0

The fixed focal length lens is the key. No wiggling, wobbling, extending, retracting, unevenly soft corners from one camera to the next. No variable quality at different focal lengths.

Oh, the startup time... quite fast for the GR III, 2 seconds or more for the various small sensor "alternatives".

Snap focus, 1/4000sec flash sync, one hand control, highly customizable, quiet, light, small.
These and other factors are each the One True “key” to this camera’s appeal to some.

Glad you asked Mike. Why do compact cameras fail? Just as soon as they are built down to meet the popular market price.

I have had 3 out of 4 GRD models and the GR itself - at which point it became too large for my personal requirements. It was a question of whether once size became borderline the versatility of a similar size systems camera body became more interesting.

However the GRD/GR has remained interesting because it was and is an enthusiasts camera better built and has enviable firmware support. Funnily enough the firmware and enthusiast support in use does not review very well.

Those that have simply wanted a cheap easily portable compact camera have long since opted for the “automatic dumbness” of the mobile phone.

Point’n’press. The GRIII is much more than that. It is a pity that it cannot offer a built in evf and a mount system that can handle a wide variety of lenses.

The fact it's sold out suggests it's not overpriced.

I prefer 'have you bought one?'

I prefer, "Have you purchased one?" or "Did you buy it?".

Not really. The initial orders are probably from existing owners of the previous models wanting to upgrade. The back orders most likely reflect the fact Ricoh doesn't expect to sell many. They are probably limiting production so as not to be stuck with excess inventory. It's such a niche product sales will always be limited.

I confess to being utterly baffled by your position.

A small, small camera with excellent IQ and a very sharp lens. So small it is genuinely pocketable and can be taken anywhere. It is as easy to pocket as a phone.

What is there NOT to like????

Is there any ultracompact APS-C fixed lens camera that sells better?

What is there not to like? No zoom, mediocre AF, no flash, mediocre video, no EVF, OVF costs extra. For the people that want this camera these things may not matter but I believe that these limitations will turn off most potential buyers. Since this camera appeals to you, you don't understand that most people want more and are willing to sacrifice a small amount of IQ to get a 1" sensor camera that is far more versatile. I don't understand what the appeal is because small size is a lower priority for me than APS IQ so I'll take the 1" sensor zoom.

Alex Sarbu

Maybe not but it's such a small market to begin with that it wouldn't take much to be #1. :-)

may have limited appeal to you but it is outselling every other camera in Japan

tbcass wants the GR to have a zoom lens, a flash and an EVF.

If it had those things I it would not fit in my pocket. Which is the whole point of the camera.

If it had an EVF or an OVF the VF would be a tiny tunnel. I don't want that.

If it had a flash the flash would be on body and essentially rubbish - better to have a tiny little flash and shoot off camera.

If it had a zoom lens it would be too bulky and the lens too slow. I dont want that either.

If you want those things there is nothing to see here - move on and buy a Sony RX ( a camera I also own by the way.. ) .

Tbcass complaining about the GR is like complaining that coffee has coffee in it.

Fair point, but you were holding the GR3 up in comparison to 1" cams from Sony , for example.

This makes no sense. I have a Sony RX something and I see no comparison. None at all.

Ricoh are ( I am certain ) well aware that their new camera does not have a zoom lens, or a flash. They have probably noticed this and factored it into their expectations in terms of sales. I cannot see a Ricoh exec somehow shocked that their camera is not suitable for someone who wants a built in flash. Just like I am not expecting someone to compare my Sigma SD-H with a cheese sandwich. Or compare my X-T3 with a prawn salad.

Ricoh know what their market is. It clearly is not you. I get that. It's me. And a few thousand other people like me. For us, it really hits the spot.

The entire GR line - started in 1996 - is based around this concept, of a compact camera with a 28mm-ish lens.

Darkerlight

Of course it makes a profit or they wouldn't sell it.

Oh? "I say this because the IQ of the 1" pocketable zooms from Sony and Canon have IQ that is nearly indistinguishable from APS-C cameras below ISO 800."
It looks like you're blaming the GR for not being a Sony RX 100.

So why are you here? if they aren't the same? Why mention different cameras that do different things?

I am tempted to go on the Oly EM1X review comments to talk about my washing machine. It would be the same thing

"My points were to point out why the camera has a very limited market, "

And why is that fact so important for you and many others to point out? The fact that you probably use a camera that sells better, does not make you a better person than the Ricoh shooter.

tbcass
Man, he lack of zoom is not a disadvantage of this camera, it's rather a feature.

How many very expensive prime lenses still exist and being sold for MILC on both FF and APSC platforms? (Hint: a lot)

A prime lens appeals to many types of photographers. They don't want zoom. A fixed prime lens makes perfect sense on a camera that's made mainly to be used for street photography.

This is a perfectly accepted compromise.

Why do people come on a forum to argue over a camera they are not interested in ? Why do they think people care why they are not interested?

It is bizarre.

If i went on the Canon 5D forum saying that i do not see the point in a DSLR people would rightly question why i was there.

If i went on a forum about 80’s prog rock to talk about electronic trance music people would rightly say “wrong thread”.

So why do people feel the need to talk about a camera with a fixed lens as a key feature and argue it should have a zoom ???

Why ? Life is short. Dont they have better things to do ??

People who compare the 1" cameras' IQ to the GRIII are delusional. I have the original RX100, the RX100M4 and the GRIII, and there is no comparison. The GRIII is heads and shoulders above the mushy RX100 series.

Now if you want a zoom lens and EVF, that's your prerogative, but this is what you end up with:
https://camerasize.com/compare/#723,819

not to mention zooms this size are just mediocre compared to even an ordinary lens, let alone the GR's outstanding prime. The only thing that compares is the Sony RX1 series, the Leica Q series or the Sigma DP1M.

If it is the only camera I agree. If not, then it is nonsense.

tbcass is a Sony user promoting a Sony camera and bashing a non-Sony one. It can't be more obvious.

So you are commenting about a thing you are not interested in, nor have any intention of purchasing; an item that is of no appeal to you, does not meet your requirements in any way. I ( and others ) in contrast, either are interested in the item or already own it. I can see why I ( and those interested in the camera ) would comment, but what precisely is the point of you being here?

I am not interested in needlepoint. Shall I go on a needlepoint forum and tell everyone why I am not interested, using hundreds of words and being argumentative? Would that be a sensible, sane thing to do ? This is precisely what you are doing. Frankly, it's weird.

Did you have the updated firmware?

Use snap focus. Its hyperfocal focus made easy.

AF is pretty irrelevant most of the time anyway for a lens like this.

Even after the firmware update?

"I wanted to love this camera."

Luckily you don't have to.

"Cameras are judged by their price vs what they offer..."

Sure, tell that to Leica users.

Leica offers their users the Leica badge...

It's not like Canon. Canon with no 4k = HATE. Ricoh with no 4k = OK, we don#t need it.

Just because some people are interested in a product that doesn't make sense to you, that doesn't necessarily make them fanboys. They might have different preferences and requirements than you, and therefore see something of value that you're overlooking or don't care about.

Simple answer Mr. SignumX: As an upgrade to my aging Nikon Coolpix A.

@SignumX: you're right. this camera is for unassuming people who don't follow marketing strategies, most probably well informed and really interested in photography. Not for fanboys who criticize without ever having used what they criticize.

You’re perplexed why anyone is interested in a camera with APS-C sensor, a great lens and control layout that you can just slip in the pockets of your pants or shirt? Now I’m perplexed too …

I am genuinely perplexed that a person can be on a photography site and not see the benefit of a sharp fast lens and a large sensor in a tiny, tiny package that slips in a jeans pocket. It is perplexing that Signumx is so perplexed and he / she simply does not see this.