Ricoh GR IIIx - Three reasons why I got it

The term “everyday camera” gets thrown around a lot for cameras that don’t actually fulfill that task. For me, an everyday camera is a camera which you can bring with you everywhere, every day.

If the camera doesn’t fit in the pocket then it cannot be an everyday camera—that's where the Ricoh GR III comes in.

I picked up the Ricoh GR IIIx around three years ago as I was looking for a camera I could bring with me everywhere, use in locations where I wouldn't want to use my larger cameras, and serve as a backup to my Fujifilm XT5.

For all three of these reasons, the GR IIIx has been one of the cameras I’ve used the most in recent years and if it wasn't for its abysmal video performance (more on this at a later date), I'd use it even more.

Surprisingly, there aren't that many options when it comes to compact cameras which don’t compromise on quality. There are many small compact cameras on the market; however, almost all of them use much smaller sensors which impacts image quality. The Ricoh GR IIIx, however, uses an APS-C sized sensor—which is the same size as the sensor found in Fujifilm’s X-series cameras.

Talking of Fujifilm, while they do offer the XE5 and X100VI as smaller, lightweight cameras, neither fits in the pocket. Fuji used to make the X70, which was pocketable and had an APS-C sensor inside; however, it is now discontinued and there is no word of a new version on the horizon.

Back to Ricoh, the GRIII came out all the way back in 2018. That version has an 18mm lens (28mm in full frame) while this GRIIIx came out 3 years later in 2021 and has a 26mm (40mm full frame) focal length.

I went with the GR IIIx over the GRIII as I am more comfortable shooting at 40mm and I felt like the 18mm might be a little too wide for street photography. That said, both are great options and I am considering getting the GRIII at 18mm.

Three years on after picking up the GRIIIx, I can safely say that I am happy with my decision.

I’ve captured photos in locations where I would not have brought my larger cameras, and there have been countless times where I have snapped interesting shots while walking to the shops.

Are there cameras in the same price range which take better photos? Yes. However, there are very few which can actually fit in a shirt pocket while taking photos on par with much larger mirrorless cameras.

Ricoh gr iiix Review: The Perfect Street Photography CAMERA?

The Ricoh GR iiix is easily one of the most hyped and talked about street photography cameras in recent times. After using this camera for the past six-months I totally understand why. However, despite loving the Ricoh, It isn’t a camera I'd recommend to everyone.

Pocket Power:

So I’ve been using the Ricoh GR iiix for just over 6 months at this point, mostly for street photography both here in London and while travelling. After all this time, it still amazes me that Ricoh has managed to get an APS-C sized sensor into a camera body this small.

The size of the Ricoh GR iiix is the main reason why anybody gets this camera. Usually, cameras this small have much smaller sensors and which directly impacts the image quality. The Ricoh GR iiix has a 24mp APS-C sized sensor. That's pretty much the same size sensor you get in Fujifilm’s x-series cameras such as the X-T4.

After reviewing photos from this camera for the past couple months, I'm really impressed by the quality of photos I’ve been able to capture. For me, the Fujifilm files are still marginally better but it's really close, and more importantly I can edit these files pretty much the same way I edit my fuji files so I don’t have to change my workflow and how I edit my photos.

In all, you’re getting photos close to what you get with much larger cameras, in a tiny package you can bring pretty much everywhere.

Now on that very point, there are times and places where you cannot or shouldn't use a larger camera. For example, while travelling, if you are in a shady area, or shooting at night, it probably isn't the best idea to be walking around with a large camera. Also in certain locations like train stations or shopping centres, security may ask you to put your camera away if you’re walking around with a DSLR, but with the Ricoh, nobody really notices it or bothers you.

The truth is, the Ricoh GR iiix looks a bit like a cheap point and shoot, and most people will just think you’re a clueless tourist while using it, which is actually one of the best things about it.

The Focal Length:

There are actually two versions of this camera, the iii which has a wider angle lens, and the iiix which uses a 40mm lens. I prefer the 40mm FL - that works out around 27mm on Fuji. Which version you choose is down to personal preference but focal length aside, they are the same camera.

Look and feel:

As for using and holding this camera, It's lightweight, easy to hold and is pretty straightforward to use too. There's just one dial at the top, a couple buttons at the back and you can use the touch screen to select your focus point.

The screen is ok, but not great and is actually hard to see when it's really bright outside, which is a bit of an issue seeing that there isn’t a viewfinder.

Final thoughts - Who is this camera for?

The Ricoh GR iiix is for a very specific type of photographer and despite really liking it, I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone. The main reason I say this is the price. This camera costs around $1000/£1000 new - which is expensive. Keep in mind that a new XT4 is around the same price and is a better camera on pretty much every front - but is larger.

For me, the size of this camera makes it worth it and it was the reason why I opted for it over the Fuji X100v. However, for the same price you can get a better camera which will give you far more flexibility, and will take better photos and video too.

So it really comes down to what you prioritise, if you want something small and light and are happy to stick to one FL, you can’t really go wrong with the Ricoh. But if you’re new to photography, or will only be using one camera body, I’d probably opt for one of Fuji’s cheaper interchangeable lens cameras instead.