Ricoh GR IIIx After 18 Months: The Almost Perfect Pocket Camera

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[@crimsonautumnsun]

As an amateur/hobbyist, I’ve found that the Ricoh GRIII blows the iPhone 15 pro max out of the water. iPhone photos become grainy the moment you zoom in on them or have anything but absolutely perfect lighting. I am not a photographer by any means. I just wanted to take better photos of my family since my wife is often disappointed with how our iPhone shots turn out. I’m likely not even close to using the Ricoh to its full potential and yet I feel like I’ve already gotten my moneys worth in just a few months. I know very little about photography and am super happy. I think it’s worth the upgrade for just about anyone who can afford it tbh

[@yawarlol]

I have this and the x100vi. The gr3x seems to take sharper images which is crazy. Lots of good ricoh recipes to match the jpeg abilities of the fuji. Crazy good camera.

[@martingreenberg870]

I just bought a GRiiix. I start out wanting an EVF.I know there isn’t one or an alternative. I have to see if I can live with a viewfinderless body. Autofocus? The GR is a street photography favorite. One reason is snap focus. This is another way to say zone focus. In this setup the shutter fires instantly. You control the depth of field with the aperture. I am looking forward to setting the screen up for touch to focus then take the picture. You don’t have to touch the shutter. I bought this body knowing there is dust on the sensor. Took a couple of images and didn’t see it. I watched the one camera. Two weeks channel. I saw the funniest solution for this problem. Her husband took a vacuum cleaner and sucked the dust off the sensor. Sounds crazy. Hope it works. Brian, you mentioned the small GR size. That presents a small problem. The battery. It is tiny. Solution: buy several replacement batteries and bring them with you. Wasabi batteries are cheap. I have seen complaints about the wheel on the back. It is supposed to be flimsy. Probably a good idea to avoid that if possible. I’m looking forward to using the high contrast B&W setting. Also the highlight weighted settings. It is supposed to be very good preserving the highlights. Lookout downtown Seattle. Here I come. Mask On Nurse Marty (Ret)

[@desoingratta4706]

Is it better than iPhone 15 pro max I am a senior with glasses

[@benyyz]

Regarding viewing the back screen through polarized sunglasses - As a work around, you can install a screen protector and that will semi-cancel out the polarization effect - it's not perfect but it's 1 million times better than seeing nothing. I use a tempered glass screen protector on my GR III and I can see the display with polarized sunglasses in both vertical and horizontal orientation.

[@JessDemant]

You can turn up the screen brightness, which makes it much clearer in bright sunlight, and I've put it in as a shortcut .....

[@alcairns149]

Great review. I've had my GRIIIx for quite a few weeks now and am very impressed with the results it produces. Extremely sharp images. I'm also impressed with the Highlight-Weighted metering, when in dark but very contrasty environments. I haven't yet had an issue with the screen not being bright enough but have occasionally needed to bump up the brightness by setting the Outdoor View setting which did the trick for me. Also find the lack of zoom quite liberating with one less thing to think about. It's forced me to think about composition differently.

[@jeffchastain2977]

The problem I have with my iPhone 15 pro camera is that the photos I take with it look great, but they only look that great on the phone, or on a computer screen. The minute you try to print them, they start to fall apart, and I like to print and frame. So, they will stay on the phone and on my Mac, but will never be printed to any larger size.

[@cindynichols27]

Very nice. I’ve wondered about the Ricohs for awhile, and you covered most anything that would matter to me. The pics look great, and small and light are always, always, ALWAYS good. lol Do these things have image stabilization? The lack of viewfinder would sure be a pain, in part for me because holding the camera out from my body makes my hands shakier. Thanks Brian! (We should see more pics of the dogger!)

[@BrianLackey]

Yep! It has image stabilization. Other than the lack of viewfinder/screen issues, it really is a powerful camera for such a tiny package.

[@hanshomesteading1276]

After 8 years with my trusty and stellar performing Leica Q, I came to the conclusion that the 28mm is great, but at the same time, it is really hard to make 'clean' images. i.e. there is always something happening somewhere. it is great to capture 'daily life', but a camera with a less wide lens would allow me for real isolation of things. The X100 and X100T I already had and the new model is totally overhyped and still has some quirks. I came across the Ricoh GR IIIx and ordered it today. really curious about it now.

[@alhOOO2O]

Love the image quality from the GR cameras, but absolutely hate using the screen. Wish there was an EVF that you could put onto the hot shoe (I tried the OVF, it's not good)

[@CrescentRollCarl]

I've had it for about a year. I was very self conscious carrying around my much larger canon. I just wouldn't take many pictures with it. So I got the Ricoh. I've gotten thousands of shots out of it, where I got dozens with my Canon in the prior year. Is it better than my Canon? Yeah, cause I actually use it and don't feel weird about having a giant camera around my neck.

[@Matt-fo4gg]

Great video, I arrived at the same conclusion in regards to the X100 too, it's small but still large enough that it's in the same grouping as regular mirrorless cameras. So ultimately it stays at home where the Ricoh can be in the pocket way more often. On the topic of video on the GRIII x, it looks promising when you see it on the back of the camera (enough to give you hope about it's potential) but as soon as you review it on a computer there's lots of horrible aliasing, excessive noise, and you can see how much it's missing focus (or giving up entirely). It's a shame since if it could do the bare minimum of good video (clean HD, decent AF, and a flat or log profile) then I'd probably be close to selling my bigger camera system and going all in on a Ricoh pocket hybrid that can do both.

[@samrfirth]

Someone may have mentioned this already but you can buy a Ricoh viewfinder to go in the hot shoe! Been thinking about getting this camera myself for an everyday camera and will definitely be buying the viewfinder if I do. Great video by the way! It definitely helped sell me the camera 📸

[@skeal2k]

Thanks for this video. You're doing +1 to this camera as a small daily alternative to my professional full frame Canon setup for my business.

[@trevorbrooks813]

Hi Brian, I'm really appreciating your well considered and insightful videos. Thanks for posting.

[@jurepecar9092]

Interesting. I got me an Olympus pen for this purpose. I was looking for m43 so I can use all of the glass I already have with it and my issue is that my paws are kinda too big to handle these small toys comfortably ;)

[@joelpratley9248]

I am that niche audience, awesome, I just ordered at HDF version!

[@BrianLackey]

seems like that one will be a hit too!

[@willsthingstodo]

Feel ya on the polarized glasses when shooting vertical…

[@benyyz]

You can install a screen protector and that will semi-cancel out the polarization effect - it's not perfect but it's 1 million times better than seeing nothing. I use a tempered glass screen protector on my GR III and I can see the display with polarized sunglasses in both vertical and horizontal orientation.

[@bcomhaire]

I love the Gr3 but strongly suggest not to put it inside your pocket. My sensor got really dusty and the cost to clean it is quite high. Lucky you if you don’t have dust on the sensor after 18 months

[@stefan4831]

Thats troublesome. What's the point of a pocket camera if you shouldn't put it in your pocket? Any idea how dust gets so easily inside ? There is no zoomlens or any moving parts that would suck the dust in as far as i can see. @brianLackey did you have any issue with this?

[@bcomhaire]

​@@stefan4831 The lens does go out/in when you turn on/off the camera. I think however that even with the camera in the off position, dust and other stuff can get in. Because there is no easy way to remove the dust, it has to be sent to a specialist maintenance center hence the high cost. That being said I now put the camera in a 'soft case' (GC-11) which you can wear on any belt, not sexy but very handy

[@BrianLackey]

I've heard people mention it, but I just haven't worried about it. Most of the time I do have it in a bag instead of a pocket (it works fine in a pocket, but it's a little tight and I usually prefer to just toss it in whatever bag I have with me, if I have one). But also, I just never really baby my gear and just let it last as long as it does. So, I might not be the best person to ask, but from what I've seen so far, no dust issues for me.

[@m.s.g1890]

I had no idea these had no flip screen... That's shocking to me. No viewfinder isn't great, but no flip screen either? Man. For a grand I think you should get a flip screen. And no weather sealing too. I really like to shoot looking down at an upturned screen as you look less conspicuous, and also you are shielding the screen from a lot of light. I think this camera is probably too expensive, all things considered. At least for my needs.

[@danewetton]

That’s not what the camera is. If you want flip screen, view finder all of that bullshit go and buy something else. The Ricoh is a dedicated, pocketable camera with a great lens and beautiful colours

[@BrianLackey]

Fuji X100 series might be a better option for you then

[@Jim181059]

Love the camera, agree with most of what you say but, jeez, way to turn a 10 minute video into 20.

[@BrianLackey]

Tried to turn a 40 minute video into a 20 (lots more I could have talked about). What would you have left out? Also, why 10 and not 5 or 2?

[@stefan4831]

@@BrianLackey not too long at all for anyone really interested what your 18 months experience was with it

[@MrSodaBelly]

I need your routine & settings, please 🙏 your shots are amazing & none of my pictures come out like that!!! Please share!!!

[@BrianLackey]

Unfortunately there's not a single simple answer that'll help you here. I've been doing this for well over a decade now and I'm still learning things. But, I'll do my best to share what I've learned through this channel, so stick around!