Ricoh GR III Detailed Review

In additional GR III was introduced by Ricoh in February 2019. 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.

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

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

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

The GR III’s sensor has resolution of 24 megapixel.

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 III 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 III’s shutter speed varies from 1/4000s to 30s.

The GR III’s sensitivity goes from 100 ISO und 102400 ISO, a very useful and practical range.

The GR III supports all general exposure modes.

The Ricoh allows spot exposure for the difficult occasion.

The GR III’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 III doesn’t feature a built-in flash. That is not unsusual in this camera category.

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

The GR III features a monitor with a diagonal of 76.00mm (3.0 in.) and a resolution of c. 1.04 megapixel. That’s about average.

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

The GR III’s monitor can work as a touch screen, just like a smartphone. That can be very useful, for example to pick AF points, but keep in mind that touch screens usually don’t work when wearing gloves.

Display characteristics at a glance:

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

ACamera is not equipped with an external microphone.

Ricoh GR III Video parameters:

The GR III has Wi-fi connection. You can transfer photos to a mobile or laptop using wi-fi.

For photo transferring users may use Bluetooth option.

USB 3.0 is already supported by the Ricoh. USB 3.0 greatly speeds up transferring images and videos to the computer.

Connection parameters:

The camera supports SD HC and SD XC cards.

Memory cards characteristics:

The Ricoh GR III works with a DB-110 LiIon battery. The battery lifetime is an average 200 shots. That’s on the lower side of things for a full day, consider a spare battery for the GR III.

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 III’s battery battery parameters:

The Ricoh GR III’s dimensions are 109.4 x 61.9 x 33.2mm³. (4.3″ x 2.4″ x 1.3″). This includes the lens. The camera’s weight is only 257 grams (8.3 oz.), lens included.

Here is front and top view of the GR III:

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 III is not much bigger: