The time is finally nye! The long awaited Ricoh GRiii has been announced a photokina, and what I have heard has got my salivating. Earlier in the year I did a ‘is the Ricoh GRII still relevant in 2018?’ Video, in which I go over specs for a potential GRiii. Some of this has come true, and I am excited to get my hands on this little pocket rocket!
Before I jump into the specs, let me just stated the GRii prices will start to drop a fair amount from this point, and still is a quality compact camera. I highly recommend this as a general walk around camera, and still competes with current top compact cameras out there.
Now for the important stuff! The GRiii has been announced, and the stand out features are as follows:
24 megapixels
Macro/ close focus: 6cm
3 axis image stabilisation
Touch screen
Internal storage 2GB
Video: MPEG, H.264sRGCm Adobe RGB
These features may not seem particularly special to those not within the loop, however as a Ricoh GR user these specs are a decent upgrade from the previous model. Firstly, 24mp update was needed. The 16mp sensor in the GRII is fantastic, but we know that APS-C type sensor megapixel ceiling is a fair bit higher. This will allow for any cropping one may wish to apply to files. I have heard through the grape vine this is likely a sony sensor, which is not surprising.
The macro focus increase from 10cm to 6cm is a biggy for me. One of the most used features, outside of the snap function, has been the macro mode for me. I use this for general pickup photos for videos and the site, as well as enjoying the function in general. Going from 10cm to 6cm may not sound like much, but it makes this Swiss Army knife pocket rocket an added edge. The GRii macro feature bokeh looked lovely, so an added 4cm will be Schweet.
The 3 Axis Image stabilisation is an interesting one. I honestly believe still cameras do not really need IS, and feel that this may impact on the performance of this camera. With that said, if they make the 3 axis image stabilisation usable with the video function, that will be a good step forward. So far, only Olympus/ M43 has utilised IS in a good way for stills.
The newest feature, and probably the least exciting for me, is the touch screen. I am not a huge fan of touch screens on cameras. It is likely you should be able to turn this off, which means I have nothing to complain about. If they can make this feature unintrusive to the shooting experience, then this will be a good added feature in my opinion.
Internal storage is a new function that has caught me off guard. Those that are familiar with the GRII, might recall that if you have forgotten to put in a memory card you can take a couple of photos and have them stored on board. If this storage allows you to also use it in line with a memory card that would be fantastic. Otherwise, 2GB is very restrictive, considering I use several 32GB cards when I go out and shoot. Let’s wait and see...
Updated video features: Again, if this works in line with the IS, then fantastic! It would make a handy little 2nd video cam or a back up in extreme circumstances. There has been moments where I have used this camera in videos, so any update here is welcome (as long as it doesn’t take anything away from the stills experience!).
My conclusion is that this is a great addition to the GR line, and the upgrades made on the GRII make the GRIII a worth while purchase. I see a lot more positive than I do negative, and it sounds like the brand are paying attention to their loyal fans as much as possible. I will most certainly be purchasing this camera! - Sly.