Ricoh has officially launched the GR III – price tag £799.99 / €899 – which boasts a new lens design, processing engine and sensor, with a release date set for mid March.
Originally announced as a development project at Photokina 2018, the Ricoh GR III marks a complete overhaul from its previous iteration. At the heart of the new camera is a 24.23-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, making it the highest resolution Ricoh GR camera to date.
The GR III’s sensor also features a new Dust Removal II system that employs ultrasonic vibrations on start-up to clear the sensor of dust.
Its new 18.3mm (28mm equivalent) f/2.8 lens is smaller than previous GR cameras and boasts an integrate lens cover that saves users from having to remove the lens camera.
Inside the lens’s construction is a 9-blade aperture and 6 optical elements in 4 groups.
For the first time with a Ricoh GR camera the GR III gets a new processing engine along with a sensor and lens unit. The new GR Engine 6 promises faster processing speeds which enable the Ricoh GR III to capture high-res 14-bit raw files.
Another first for Ricoh’s GR series is a 3-inch touchscreen on the back of the GR III with an air-gapless screen design to help reduce reflections and flare.
The Ricoh GR III’s Hybrid AF system employs phase and contrast detection AF points to help reduce focus searching and improve accuracy over the GR II. There are eight different AF modes, including continuous AF, and users can set their AF frame via the touchscreen.
Other features include in-camera raw processing, 10 art filters and a built-in intervalometer for interval shooting. There’s also a built-in ND filter and multiple image exposure mode that can overlay up to 2000 images.
The Ricoh GR III offers a maximum native ISO of 102,400 and compensation up to 4EV. It also records Full HD video, not 4K.
The Ricoh GR III body is made of magnesium alloy, and inside is 2GB of internal memory. There’s also built-in Bluetooth and WiFi capability for remote operation or sharing images directly from the camera.
Ricoh GR III Price & Release Date
The Ricoh GR III price tag is £799.99 / €899 with a release date set for mid-March 2019.