A new imaging engine, in combination with the more sensitive sensor, promises to improve high ISO performance. It also gains faster AF and a 'full-press snap' mode that jumps to a preset focus distance for fast street shooting.
The Ricoh GRDIII can also shoot a burst of up to 5 RAW files in continuous or bracketing mode.
Why not have a read through the following review and see what you think?
I don’t like digital compacts.
There you are, that must be the shortest camera review in the history of camera reviews.
Sorry, you were expecting a bit more?
Well, they’re not really for the “serious” photographer are they? Festooned with every conceivable gadget from GPS systems, projectors, twins screens etc, and the latter feature particularly bugs me. Who is this aimed at? Really sad people who don’t have friends to take photos of them?
Then there are all those gaudy colours they come in. Day-glow metallic orange or Amazonian tree frog green. What has any of this got to do with photography? They also usually have a multitude of tiny tiny buttons, which are too small for an adult to navigate - you have to scroll through endless mind numbing menus and sub menus, listing unintelligible features. I also find the people who use compacts really annoying, standing arms outstretched, like an extra from Dawn of the Dead, trying to frame an image on the rear screen. It is all too much!
After everything I have said about compacts, at first sight I was actually a bit disappointed with the RICOH GRIII. Where was the satellite dish? Where was the forward facing monitor to adjust my toupee in? Where was the Avocado 70’s bathroom colour scheme? I was starting to feel that Ricoh was letting me down a bit.
Actually, the first impression of the little Ricoh is that it is a quality, well made, product. It is small but easy to hold. All the buttons have a positive click when pressed and they are neatly and ergonomically laid out. All very businesslike and functional. Pressing the power button on the top plate extends the lens and opens the cover. The lens quickly focuses to produce a very clear, bright image on the 3-inch screen.
I’ve already mentioned my aversion to the many seemingly pointless gadgets that furnish many consumer compacts. The Ricoh has none of these, in fact even some basic features seem to be lacking. I was concerned to see there was no built in viewfinder - it looks as if I, too, will be performing zombie impressions for the next few days. Also, and this is quite alarming on a compact, Ricoh forgot to provide a zoom lens, well not optical zoom anyway. The GRIII is quite an expensive little camera and I am starting to wonder who it is aimed at.
Some salvation is at hand however as I have also been provided with the optional hot-shoe mounted viewfinder and the optional wide-angle adaptor.
So, time to try things out.
I have always been a keen rambler and enjoy walking in the countryside around my home at the edge of the Cotswolds. I love to see the changing landscapes through the seasons and the opportunity it provides for photography.
Usually this means carting a heavy DSLR around the wilds of West Oxfordshire together with a bag full of lenses and other accessories. Every time I see my Chiropractor in his new Porsche I wonder if I am doing myself any favours.
For the test however I will be travelling light with only the GRIII in my rucksack.
My favourite place for testing cameras is the ruins at Old Minster near Burford in Oxfordshire. This dates back to when I first got interested in photography at the age of 12. My dad bought me my first SLR camera for Christmas and we drove over to Old Minster to try it out. The shapes and shadows cast by the ancient walls provide plenty of interesting views. With the changing seasons you never get to take the same photo twice. So this was a great opportunity to put the Ricoh to work.
It was early January, the days were short and I spent a couple of hours at the site. As already mentioned the GRIII does not have a zoom, but it fitted with a very fast F1.9 28mm equivalent prime lens. I framed the images using the detachable viewfinder. It may seem a bit mean that the viewfinder is not built into the camera.
However I found Ricoh’s optional viewfinder far brighter and easier to use than in the average compact with a built in finder. These tend to be too small and are really only a vague nod to traditional photography.
The little Ricoh proved very easy to handle and I found changing between functions very easy. Particularly useful was the ability to programme the rear buttons to my own requirements. I used the Fn1 button to quickly change between colour and monochrome.
As the sun began to set I noticed a tree was framed by one of the Minster’s windows.
The cold blue of the background, the lifeless tree and dark reflection all added to the mood and mystery of the place and contrasted well with the warm Cotswold stonework of the foreground.
Generations of visitors to the ruins had carved their names or the names of loved ones into the stone - who AE was and why they were there in 1947, we will never know..but this in it’s own way adds to the mystery. A vandal defacing and yet adding to the history of the place.
That was it - I had the photo in the bag!
It was not until I loaded the image onto my PC that I really appreciated how good it was. The prime lens produced a razor sharp image. Even the JPEG image was high quality producing good detail and tonal range. This was confirmed when I had the 16 x 20 print back from my printers. I was very please with the result.
Verdict
This is the camera that changed my opinion on compact cameras.
I still can’t believe you can produce such great picture from such a small device.
True it is expensive, but you do get what you pay for. Lack of zoom will probably put off a lot of people, however the fast prime lens is a peach and gives great flexibility in difficult lighting conditions.
The fixed focal length really does make you think differently about composition.
All in all, a very good little camera for landscape work. Useful for the days when you want to travel light, but also as a complement to a DSLR outfit. A useful addition to the “serious” photographers camera bag.
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