DPReview TV: Ricoh GR III Review 

My absolute favorite camera reviewer. Your style speaks to beginners as well as honest covert info for the discerning pro. Much appreciated Chris!

Jordan's review of the video capabilities of this camera is my hands down favorite review. Ever.

Phenomenal review: extremely competent, engaging, efficient, prosumer to amateur, rocking every aspect of this thing. Agree that battery life and lack of manual focus ring are two big downsides to this lovely piece of machinery. Interestingly, the more I fall in love with thing, the more I see it has a lot of what I loved for years about my Lumix Lx7. Will continue researching. Keep up the great work. Very helpful.

Chris, I think you missed a lot about this wonderful street camera. 1. The wide shutter button is easier to press, especially for a small camera hold in one hand. 2. You can set to bypass the auto focusing and get snapshot by heavy press of shutter button. Very useful for street photography with some foreground. 3. Very good black and white color mode which can compare to Leica

This is the first review on GR3 i have seen so far metioned internal memory

My favorite pocketable camera right now. Replaced Sony RX100 Va (not sharp enough, ugly lens flare effects in night) & Fujifilm X100T (not a fan of 35mm, too heavy to be actually pocketable) for me.

Most people use Positive film preset combined with snap focus and highlight protect metering mode. This is why they really appreciate this camera as no editing is needed for the JPEGs then. It would have been great if you had covered these 3 main features.

The positive film profile for the Ricoh JPEGs has a great and unique look

Life hack: Just wear XXXXXL clothes and you can put your Canon/Sony/Nikon with your 100-400mm lens attached in your pockets, too.

One of the best review formats - great video guys, keep this style for future camera / lens reviews! PS nice shots + loving the loose walk around real world hands on.

Inspired me to use my GR II again.

Great review guys, Although I think you missed out on one important feature.... the ability to shoot DNG files straight to your phone over WiFi-yes DNG not JPEGs and edit them in something like the mobile Lightroom or photoshop app. This is also a feature on the older model and one of the reasons I’ll be picking this up

AS a former owner of a 35mm GR and the GRd mk1, seeing you using this latest model really gives me a warm glow (the camera, not you Chris..! ) The GR series have always been cameras mysteriously greater than the sum of it's part's, that really make you want to take it everywhere and shoot allsorts. For street photography it's the King, so discreet, subtle, yet fast and now with excellent image quality. And the mk1GRd was famed for it's film-like/noisy image quality which made it a bit special, and this mkIII looks similar. A bit expensive, but definitely a 'want' camera.

I really enjoyed this review since I am one of the few people on this planet owning the Nikon Freak Cameras. The Df and the Coolpix A. Since my Coolpix A has a lot of Sensor Dust I am interested in an alternative with inbuilt cleaning. I guess the GR3 might be it. I really appreciate that you are also reviewing these not mainstream cameras because they are perfect tools for artists. Thanks for this review from Germany. Chris

Great stills performance camera, as spected from ricoh

Wow, at long last Ricoh actually got their camera into the hands of some top flight reviewers. Their launch was the most low key I’ve seen - almost as if they didn’t want to sell any.

"Jordan has some issue with safety and following the rules" lol that was funny!

Chris saying, "Well who the f$&k cares?" was brilliant. Unexpected and hilarious. Well done as always, guys.

Thanks for an actual video again. The "overviews" are basically one minute commercials. Not a fan of those. Great video guys!

Great video! I'm embarrassed to ask this but I'm a total noob. In your sample shots, you'd show something like "F10, 1/200th, 125 ISO" at the bottom of the screen. You had different settings for each shot. Can you recommend any books, blogs, or specific videos to help me understand what these settings mean and how to know which settings to use for different shots? Thanks so much!

If you put it in your pocket you’ll most def end up with dust on the sensor or in the lenses. So don’t throw that Pentax case, you gonna need it!

Love this camera. But I think it's overpriced.

If they could not get a pop-up flash in there, they could have put a tiny front facing flash in the camera. Not as good as a pop-up version but better than nothing, at least you would have a flash in the camera you could use as a last resort. Seems like a important feature to have on this type of camera, sad they left that out. Nice review.

Love the "The War on Drugs" music in the brewery. Seems like a lovely place.

This thing is a tiny little monster of a shooter. A true model upgrade this time around. Love it.

You briefly mentioned your concern about the battery life, can you comment on how long (i.e. how many images you got) the battery lasted?

Do you think si It worth compare to the iPhone 12 Pro ?

Used GRII is a great value.

Why did they drop the flash? Stabilization won't fix when it is too dark. The Ricoh GR II has a TERRIBLE screen. I hope they greatly improved that.

Japanese Photo STAR , Daido Moriyama, was a big fan of the GR 1 and has shot more than a couple books with the mini film camera......I just ordered my first GR III used from Japan.....

Looks awesome. The compromises they made were smart. Might make a great vacation camera too, when photography isn't the theme. In short, it doesn't really seem to have any competition. Maybe an E-PL9 w/pancake would be close, but still not as thin. How's the menu system? As good as typical Pentax?

What would be amazing for this is a 90deg viewfinder that you can mount on the hotshoe and compose looking down

Then the tracking is basically useless! I cannot understand why you would make excuses for a motion tracking function that doesn't work. Battery life is crap, LCD is crap, this camera is 5 years old as far as design but is costing nearly 900 USD. A fair price for this camera would be in the 200-250 dollar region. You cannot tell me that this thing is value for money. Even the worst Canon or Nikon will perform better than this thing. It doesn't even have a built in flash, and by all accounts, the video is so bad (no 4K) 1080p is that bad that they won't even review it!!!!! It looks like you have to pay out extra for an add on viewfinder. I honestly cannot believe what used to be a quality review site like DPReview would even try to justify this camera. 5 years ago, DPReview would have trashed this camera like it deserves, it makes me think that you guys are getting kickbacks for reviewing this. I noticed from your video too that they didn't bother to put the tripod screw mount under the centre of the lens, so it should be just as good at panoramas as it is at everything else.

Thanks for a thorough real world review. Basically you can't make a big bright screen that gets up to 600 or 700 nits without some serious battery power - which this Ricoh does not have. The optical viewfinder really changes the look and feel of the camera. In bright sun the screen looks barely usable & seems to be worse than many smartphones. For a camera of that price the outdoor visibility issue would be a deal breaker for me. Years ago I bought a Samsung S3 Galaxy which was incredibly bad to use in bright conditions, it only had something like 325 nits when cranked up to full brightness. It was so bad that a month or two later I was so frustrated that I went and bought a Canon dslr & was far happier. I know the Ricoh is small but a Nikon or Canon dslr with a pancake lens, or even the kit lens, would be better than the Ricoh.

I'm still using the GR, when the GRIII drops in price I'll definitely be getting one, absolutely fantastic cameras, it's like have a DSLR in your pocket. Great review!

I to this day still do not understand why they give the LCD screen resolution in "dots" on cameras..... Just tell us the actual resolution like 1080p 356dpi or something. "Dots" doesnt tell me anything!

Have used it for 3 weeks and it’s an absolute street ninja. So much more maneuverable than walking around with my canon 5d mk iv and a smartphone is minor-leagues for street photography. For examples look at the last 50 images on my insta: @jalexshots. All GR3. Has also made me more creative on the street.

Thank you for being honest about the video. I see people saying this has 1080/60p, but the samples are an aliasing mess. Ricoh didn’t even try with the video. It’s worse than the video on first gen Fuji’s.

I don’t take many shots when I got out, coming from years of using film when you only have 36 frames you are very particular about what you take this has carried over to my digital work, yesterday I was out for a while and only took three pictures, I use my GR3 a lot.

As an official GR ambassador, it makes me proud to see this! 😎🤙🏻 Great vid!

Very interested to hear how it compares to the Fuji cameras in this category, but wish Jordan had at least talked about video autofocus

Good review, thanks

This camera is perfect for me except for one flaw: Low Light Auto Focus!

5:57 it looks like there is a lot of dust on the lens.

I owned the GR and now I have the GR III. I absolutely loved the GR and I absolutely love even more the GR III. I think you should also mention that the files are more than good enough for professional purposes, e.g. print publications and web. I wouldn't compare this to a smartphone. No smartphone will ever take a photograph as good as this camera can. I just hope people don't obsess about the battery. So, what? I've never left the house without at least one or two additional batteries for any of my cameras (although as of today Ricoh batteries are not yet available). So far, the only annoyance for me as a long-term GR user is that the existing UWA adapter which I have for the GR will not work with the GRIII. On a visit to Seoul a couple of years ago I took two cameras, the GR and an Olympus XA. The GR mainly shot with the UWA and some of the photographs are just breathtakingly good. I admire Ricoh/Pentax for sticking with the formula. Small body, 28mm lens, familiar form factor - so many companies that take over other camera companies screw with the ethos but this has not happened here. If you class yourself as a serious photographer - enthusiast or professional - you really need the GR III to add to your arsenal.

Okay. I think all we needed see your test of Ricog GR III X

I got the GR, than the GR2 when the GR died. It's addictive. Be careful, you will never leave it home. The GR3 sold well in Switzerland and some are coming on second hand market for a more reasonable price. I don't need to ugrade yet, the Gr2 is enough for me. If you buy one, be open minded. It has limitations, so you have to adapt. Once you're in this state of mind, you will love it. It makes you want to take photos.

Jordan! ... I was waiting for your review about its video performances; in black and white, for example - no-bo-dy did it. Missing... I blame you, lazy mate!

I loooove this camera ! Also the previous models It’s compact,easy to use,beautiful and great colors !Not just for street photography but also for basically everything you can think of !!

Got my GR today. It makes sort of rattling sound inside. Is it normal?

I haven’t seen the review yet but I can say: lack of a flash is the biggest cons of GR III. I am staying with GR II.

I love to watch your reviews. In fact I was watching you 10 years back on daily basis and then I somehow stopped watching camera reviews, after I bought my DSLR.. Today I "rediscovered" your channel and its perfect to see you again 🙂also a bit of nostalgy, haha 🙂

10:01 "...there is no red dot to tape over..." Yep! LOL!

Can't wait for the Zeiss ZX1 review.

For this price it’s DOA dead on arrival. No one bought Gr2 ( IMHO excellent camera) but living in NYC I saw and use it just once.but every day I walk on Manhattan I see at least 3 Leica mostly M. And this is the main problem in 2019 people with money will still buy Leica only no Fuji no Ricoh just Leica. Other people understand in the photo will buy something else. Or today market even$100 it hard to get. Especially in the USA when all phones free (except NOTE for$99-199) so we will see good reviews good “ambassador’s opinion” but never sale Return I really believe this is a good camera! Good but dead.....p.s. people that will put opposite comments do not Forget please say what YOU bought ))))) BTW Leica X2 almost not used in second hand market today even cheaper)))

I love this camera :)

Good lord you guys added a lot of saturation and contrast to that processed blue sky shot lol. JK Love you all. Seriously a camera I would love to have as a smaller option and honestly as a decent wide angle option as opposed to a large DSLR wide angle necessarily. Could sub it as a second camera in place of a bigger lens covering the same focal length/FOV.

I hear it's one of the best black and white cameras on the market?

Think i'll wait for the new iteration of the X100...

Take some black-and-white pictures with this and you will fell in love with it.

Nice review. Gives a really good feel for the camera. But for me, the lack of ability to add an evf is a problem.

The flash WAS handy in previous models. Leaving that off was a mistake. Oh well.

Fuji XF10 it's half the price of the GRIII, and in my opinion, is an overall much higher price-performance ratio at this moment

Fuji xf10 or Ricoh gr iii Classic Chrome and Positive film I like both film T^T

Twenty-fifth of a hundred, just found my new password.

Having the first GR by my side and doing some research on GR3. While watching this GR3 review, something irrelevant that keeps distracting me... Chris is so good looking! Sorry but I have to say it!

which one would you recommend Canon G5X Mark II or Ricoh GR II for everyday compact camera?

$1200 CAD.... Yikes

Never put this in a comment before but that guy is super easy on the eyes.. Wow! I'll be watching more of his reviews.

Hi, I'm a mobile phone camera user and I like the look of the Ricoh gr 111 for it's point and shoot feature. I have watched this very informative video and with great respect it was double dutch to me. I'm a newbie really. I'm a little confused about the Ricoh Gr 111 street edition and the Ricoh Gr 111 digital. What is the difference please ? I am in Ireland and I just looked up the prices and the digital is a good deal less expensive....

The one thing I've learned from this channel is that I dont want to move to Calgary

Chris... how's the Q fairing against the GRIII. I have the Q and the GRII and there shall be no doubt they are competing on each their platform :)

Highly reecomment Ansel Adams review of the GRIII on RU-vid....

Returned this camera. first time gr user but AF in low light was just so bad. Even in good light it bounces when trying to focus. I'm sure all small cameras are like this but I expected so much more for $900 images are beautiful when focused. But even simple things like a pic of my dog sitting still didn't work out

Nice review but what about the 21mm GW4? Would‘ve been great to see some images from it since it enhances the camera a lot ...

The XF10 got snubbed! I will never forget!

Beautiful camera for street. I use it 99% of the time one-handed and love my results! i will say this. I find it hard to use the snap focus as Im hopeless at estimating distance and if you get this wrong, your shot will be out of focus. Not an issue in good light though as you can use a higher aperture so more of the shot will be in focus.

Do the controls let you cycle through the snap focus distances without going into the menu? To instantly switch between closer shots and farther shots?

How did sticking that viewfinder on and turning the screen off affect battery?

So I'm sticking with the old Canon gx7 mark ii for a while 😊

My problem is with the price. Here in Australia its priced the same as RX100 VII. I think spending around 1.5K on a pocket camera is simply stupid but if someone wants one sure they will pick the RX100 VII over GRIII

6:20 to 6:30 sometimes Chris mouth got green dots, quite strange artifact.

I wanted the GR I but picked up a used Nikon Coolpix A for a bargain. This looks great with USB-C and stabilization. Would definitely trade up the Nikon for something like this with a flippy screen and mic input

It's a bit hard to justify when, for the same price, I could get an a6400 and throw my 16mm pancake lens on it if I need it to be pocketable. No shade towards anyone who enjoys the GRIII, but at a premium price this will likely stay a niche product for devoted fans

12:03 lmao 😂

What would you prefer? The Ricoh GR III, the Lumix LX100 II, the Sony RX100 VII or the new Canon G5X II? It's difficult to make a right choice...

I just picked up a GRII for under $500 on Amazon. It's my first go at the GR series and I can definitely see the allure and cult following. Is the GRIII worth the extra cash? I'd love some feedback. Thanks!!

$899 US is abusive for this camera

LOL $1000 USD. I'll take a Sony A6300 and a 20/2.8 pancake over this and have room to expand when I feel it's time. This is why Ricoh is not selling cameras!

Huh, I expected RX100 brought up as competition as well (IV or even V might cost around the same)

Now compare this to the Lumix LX100 or 100 mkii... It's absolutely pointless as a camera. Consider there are quite good shock and proper water proof cameras that are cheaper, a bit more money gets you the excellent picture quality (though I hate to admit it) of the Sony RX. WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS CAMERA???

In Japan, the Fuji x-100F has almost the same price than Ricoh GR3, but it has an hybrid viewfinder.

Oh! It HAS a USB port.... What an improvement.... 1,000 bucks just for that!

I think there's somethign wrong with my Ricoh GR iiix. It is taking terrible blurry low contrast photos no matter what I do! I've messed with settings and no answer. Can someone please look at the sample photos in the short on my page. I need help I spent so much money on this thing after watching this video!

Always been a fan of the Ricoh series

Too expensive. And, a point and shoot, should always have a built in flash.

This or the x100v? Or just buy a film Contax and print in my darkroom 🤔

I have a dusty Ricoh GR in front of me now - dusty from the outside and inside :(

Very affordable????

Day drinking 🍺