Ricoh releases GR III compact camera with aps-c sensor in March for 899 euros

By admin On Feb 22, 2019

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Ricoh has officially announced the GR III. This is the third version of the compact camera with a large aps-c sensor and bright 28mm lens. The new model, which will be released in March for 899 euros, has all kinds of improvements compared to the GR II, such as a 24-megapixel sensor.

While the predecessor GR II still has a non-stabilized 16-megapixel sensor, Ricoh gives the new GR III a sensor with a higher resolution of 24 megapixels, without an AA filter. It is now also stabilized over three axes, which should give a gain of four stops. The ISO range goes from 100 to 102,400, while the GR II doesn’t go beyond ISO 25,600.

The GR III also features a new image processor, the GR Engine 6. While the predecessor only had contrast-detection autofocus, the new camera also has phase-detection autofocus. The manufacturer does not provide further details here.

The lens, which has a fixed focal length of 18.3mm or 28mm in full-frame equivalent, has been revised in design and the minimum focusing distance has been reduced to 6cm, so that the device can also be used for macro shots, according to Ricoh. In addition, an nd filter is built in, making it easier to use the lens wide open at f/2.8 in high-light situations.

Compared to the GR II, Ricoh has removed the built-in flash, but added, for example, a 3″ touchscreen with a resolution of 1.04 million dots on the back. This allows users to choose a focus point, zoom in on pictures taken or operate the menus .

Videos can be shot at up to 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second and for photos the camera supports 14-bit raw files. Bluetooth and WiFi are available for, among other things, sharing photos and the battery can be charged via a USB-C port. The battery has been given a higher capacity, but the number of pictures that can be taken has fallen considerably from 320 to 200, which is probably partly due to the sensor stabilization.

The Ricoh GR III will be on the market sometime in March for a price of 899 euros. The device weighs 257g including battery and measures 109.4x62x33.2mm. The manufacturer also comes with the GW-4 wide-angle conversion lens, which in combination with the GA-1 adapter provides a focal length of 21mm in full-frame equivalent.