I’M 632 DAYS LATE! - RICOH GR IIIX REVIEW

Okay... you guys were right! I finally got my hands on the Ricoh Gr IIIx and well... I'm loving it! I might be 632 days too late to the party! but you'll still let me in right?

This video covers my first week with the camera taking photos around the seaside town of Brighton! It's such a great place to try out this pocketable compact camera!

-- MY GEAR --
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[williamdavid]

menu > setup > outdoor view setting > +2 .... makes it easy to see what's on the screen on a sunny day. Welcome to the club.

[stevemuzak]

I do ultra light hiking trips. Every gram counts because I walk for 30 miles every day. This camera is perfect for ultra light set up. And image quality is outstanding.

[davidgates]

Congrats- you discovered the secret- the image quality this camera produces is far better than anything this small should produce. I think its big advantage is getting the decisive moment when you’re not expecting it. Just reach into your pocket, grab the camera, push the power button, it powers up almost instantly, point and shoot. You get the shot before you could get your big mirrorless out of its bag.

[-grey]

I bought one to replace my old X70. The image quality is insane. Better than my X-T even. I have been enjoying the colours and texture of the files more than my Fujifilm too. The output reminds me more of shooting film on my old Nikon F3 than my Fujifilm ever does. I don't use recipes because the basic colours are just that nice and natural. The usability functions are probably better than any camera in the market too, you can be one tap away from snap distance priority mode, infinity focus, snap focus. Highlight weighted metering is amazing, the auto white balance modes are way more intelligent than Fujifilm. It just works and works quickly. Genuine kudos to the product design team.

Cons:
No flip screen for low angle/selfies
The battery indicator is only 3 bars, so you don't know if you're at 65% or 34%. 5 bars would be ideal.

The new models have fixed the back wheel issue, you don't need weather sealing because it's one hand operational so you can protect it with the other or use an umbrella, and I put a filter on mine to cure the dust issue entirely. I recommend a grip though. I bought a wood hand grip for mine, it doesn't add much to the profile, but it just let's me get my fingers around it better rather than the pinch grip.
With the X70 I actual fired the shutter with my thumb and held it low all the time, no flip screen makes this not an option on the GR.

The black one is the same metal premium feel as the urban.

[nevvanclarke]

The fact it has recipes - it’s small - image quality is good is a winner. It probably won’t be my purchase but it definitely fills a void. The sensor getting dusty is definitely an issue hmmm 🤔 but it’s not going to be your landscape camera …it’s a a better alternative than phones because phones don’t allow us to disconnect from the world. Great review! I agree sometimes we need to push ourselves outside of their own comfort zone, the cameras and take photos that are different to what we do without you mate the better photographers and sometimes even using gear that’s not perfect. Also it’s good for our photography as it forces the brain to do something different…. Learning

[abdul_sattar_]

0:53 did you mean APS-C? because M43/1-inch type are actually crop sensors as well, since they are cropped relative to full frame (35MM format) but by different multipliers

[owenhoward]

Dropping a grand on the GR is a concept i think you can only appreciate once you’ve dropped a grand on a GR… it’s amazing 😮

[karinjohnstone]

Will always let you in to the party 🎉Goughie 😊

[TheBigNegative-PhotoChannel]

ah the GRIII is one of the cameras I also wanted to try. I had then only a good deal of a Lumix LX15 thought for 150€. This is now my pocket rocket :D
The lens cap on such cameras is absolutely necessary. My LX15 I have so half ruined because I now have a permanent mist filter through it. 😅

[vernonsza]

When you do complete the 30 days, it would be cool if you compared the "every day carry" idea between the GRIII and GRIIIx.

[HenleyBailey]

I have the GR3 and GR3x plus a Leica M11 with Summicron 50mm and Voigtlander Ultron II 28mm. My wife usually shoots the Ricoh cameras and after a holiday or whatever I get all the files in Lightroom and in good to normal light the Ricoh cameras are close enough to the Leica that I frequently don't know which camera has taken which photo (I have to check the info). As the light fades the Leica does pull away a bit but they're just so good. The Ricoh cameras easily fit in a jean pocket comfortably, people don't notice them and they're fast to use and have IBIS. If I had to sell all my Leica gear I'd be totally fine with just shooting the GR cameras and actually relieved that I don't have to lug a camera bag around or worry it's going to get nicked or damaged etc. I'm really looking forward to the GR4 and GR4x.

[paulm]

OK, glad to have you at the party, Goughie!😊 Have the GRIII and agree w/your points. Great IQ — passable ergonomics. Likely not useable for big-handed folks. Thumb rest a plus. More pocketable than most tall smartphones. Have you tried “snap focus” feature? Worth coverage, IMO, in follow-up reviews. One of the few cams that makes RAW in DNG format. Cheers!

[RamonBrito]

So much quality from such a small camera I really like it. Great captures by the way. I agree with that this camera makes you
Disappear Because of how compact it is. My only gripe is the dust and weathered sealing😅. I would love a more rebuts version that can handle an aggressive treatment. Other than that cheers mate I really didn’t want to see your review on it because it is in my basket 😅lol. Great job as always

[caerphoto]

I have the non-X version and it really is amazing how good the images from it can be. And more importantly to me, it is genuinely pocketable in a way the Fuji X100 cameras just aren’t. It’s so small and lightweight, it’s basically never a burden to carry anywhere, so I’m much more likely to carry it. That was the deciding factor for me when I was deciding whether to get the Ricoh or an X100F/V.

Funnily enough, in contrast to you I’m more comfortable at 40mm, but alas the X version wasn’t available when I needed it :(

[YourFriendJeff]

Can't wait for that x100v comparison!

[andytheghosthunter]

I love mine! I have the X version and am thinking of getting the 28mm version also. I use a power bank when out and about which is dead handy. Files are amazing due to a stunning lens with amazing micro contrast which is what gives it that detailed look. ❤

[kbstabs]

No, not too late!!! I also have the GR III (not X) and the X100V and love having both in my (small) bag as they do fulfill quite different functions for me. Had mine for 18 months and so far no dust issues. Your lens cap reminds me that I should do the same. Yeah, battery life is not excellent but usually 2 are enough to satisfy a days shooting and certainly enough if I have a power bank and/or the other camera in the bag. Love some of the colours in your photos but do not recognize them as the stock film sims and I see you have used your excellent stacked presets.

[sibaldi]

Hi Goughie. As always your review was balanced and being a Ricoh and Fuji user exclusively, I've discovered over time that they all have their good and bad points. What camera doesn't?
However, you were unhappy about a couple of points that need addressing, namely the autofocus and screen brightness.
Firstly, yes, the Ricoh autofocus has never been great, but it is much better in my GR3 and GR3X than in my original GR. However in low light and street/impromptu situations the Ricoh possesses the brilliant snap focus. just set your aperture at around f5.6 or f8 and your snap focus distsnce to 2.5 metres and you just lift the camera and shoot and eveything is spot on. It even gives you a scale to show what will be in focus.
Secondly, the screen brightness can be adjusted and I normally run it at +2 and it works fine for me in sunny conditions.

Finally there are some lovely recipes out there away from Ritchie's site.


Looking forward to an update on the Ricoh soon and some more of your excellent photographs. oh and by the way, your two Fuji Goughie recipes hold the top spot on my custom menus😊

[joshjacobson]

Have you tried the Tap, Focus, Shoot mode? It’s pretty handy and decently quick in light.

It’s also a great tool when you ask someone else to snap a photo of you with it.

[StefanBeyer]

I had boith the normalt and the x version. These are great cameras, but I ended up selling them because eI just didn't use them enough. I really tried to make the "pocket camera" idea work for me, but I always ended up picking a bigger camera when I headed out. Not sure why, but just did not feel like using a camera.