Ricoh GR II Detailed Review

In additional GR II was introduced by Ricoh in July 2015. It belongs to the enthusiast Compacts category.

Ricoh is well-known and shouldn’t require further introduction, please see our manufacturer’s page for more digital cameras by Ricoh.

Also GR II has a APS-C CMOS sensor with size of 24 x 16 mm² (0.93″ x 0.62″).

Picture of GR II’s sensor compared to popular format.

The 1-Euro coin has a diameter of 23.25mm.

The GR II’s image sensor has an effective resolution of around 16 megapixel. That’s roughly average and will be sufficient for most purposes. Photos with this resolution can easily be printed to A3 or A2 size.

The Ricoh supports taking images in RAW. RAW images are stored as they come from the sensor, without any in-camera processing or sharpening. Converting to JPEG or other formats takes place on the computer, using software like Adobe Lightroom or Ricoh’s RAW converter. This involves one extra processing step but almost always results in superior image quality. Some filters, like converting to monochrome (black and white) will only yield decent results when used with RAW images.

The GR II does not come with a built-in viewfinder. The camera’s display is used to compose the photo. That can be cumbersome in broad daylight.

The GR II’s shutter speed varies from 1/4000s to 300s.

The GR II’s sensitivity goes from 100 ISO und 25600 ISO, a very useful and practical range.

The GR II supports all general exposure modes.

The Ricoh allows spot exposure for the difficult occasion.

The GR II’s auto focus processor uses 9 AF points (or sensors). A basic rule of thumb says that the more AF points you have, the better. More AF points mean a better chance to have a point at the location of interest in a scene, a big plus in challenging situations (e.g. with low contrast subjects).

Manual focus is also possible with the Ricoh, a plus in tricky situations or for some creative freedom.

The GR II features a built-in flash with a range of up to 3m (10 ft.). That’s on the low end and will only work for very close subjects.

A flash or a trigger for remote flashes can be attached to the Ricoh’s hotshoe. Very useful for indirect flashes or for trigggering remote flashes.

The GR II features a monitor with a diagonal of 76.00mm (3.0 in.) and a resolution of c. 1.23 megapixel. That’s about average.

Unfortunately, the GR II’s monitor is not articulated. That can make it tricky to frame your subject in some situations, e.g. when taking selfies.

The GR II does not feature a touch screen.

Display characteristics at a glance:

GR II video supported the resolution with 1920 x 1080 pixel.

ACamera is not equipped with an external microphone.

Ricoh GR II Video parameters:

The GR II has Wifi connectivity already built-in. Use Wifi to transfer images to a smartphone or computer and to remote control the camera. With NFC, camera and smartphone can be paired without the need for passwords.

Connect the Ricoh to a monitor or TV set over HDMI.

The Ricoh supports USB 2.0.

Connection parameters:

The camera supports SD HC and SD XC cards.

Memory cards characteristics:

The Ricoh GR II works with a DB-65 LiIon battery. The battery lifetime is an average 290 shots. That’s on the lower side of things for a full day, consider a spare battery for the GR II.

The battery can be charged over USB while in camera. Very useful, especially on vacation when most people bring a USB charger for their smartphone anyway.

The GR II’s battery battery parameters:

The Ricoh GR II’s dimensions are 117 x 63 x 34.7mm³. (4.6″ x 2.5″ x 1.4″). This includes the lens. The camera’s weight is only 251 grams (8.1 oz.), lens included.

Here is front and top view of the GR II:

To put the size of the camera in context, here it is next to a typical ID card (c. 86mm x 55mm, about the size of a credit card).

The GR II is not much bigger: