RICOH GRIII Street Edition Kit

Cet appareil photo est incroyable. Minuscule mais un appareil pro. Tout peut se paramétrer. Une fois les menus compris, il devient incroyablement facile à paramétrer. Qualité d'image au top. Beaucoup mieux qu'un smartphone. Il devient mon appareil fétiche.

I got into a lot of trouble in an internet camera chat group by stating that if you are a photographer then you need a Ricoh GR. I stand by that statement and now amend it to, 'you need a Ricoh GR III'. Yes, it is an expensive piece of equipment - costing as much as an entry level DSLR/mirrorless camera with a kit lens. But... my, oh my - the output from this camera is nothing less than superb (see some test shots below). Firstly, the image quality is identical to its predecessor - which was an exceptional camera - except that it is even more exceptional because you have a larger 24mpx sensor (versus the 16mpx sensor in the GR/GRII). Once again, there is no AA filter but for situations where you might be worried about moire the camera has a virtual AA filter you can set (a feature found only on top of the range Pentax cameras, iirc). On top of that the dynamic range of the sensor is excellent. I've been able to relieve shadows enormously and still not introduce significant noise. The close focusing of the lens means you can create nice bokeh if you use it wide open. The lens may be fixed at 18mm (28mm equivalent) but your creativity is not. Secondly, the ergonomics of the camera have been greatly improved. Gone is the annoying rocker bar for the EV compensation on previous models which sat by your thumb and for which I (and others) were always finding we'd accidentally added +3 to our shots. Instead, we now have a proper control wheel. There is also a larger LCD screen which is touch sensitive which can be used for focus or focus+shooting. I've never liked touch screens but for some reason I can't quite work out, on this camera it is a fantastic feature. Delve further into the improvements and they include image stabilisation, wifi, bluetooth, an auto-NDA filter, and more (which I have not even had a chance to test). The body itself (which is smaller than its predecessors) has the same beautiful build quality with a nice textured grip. My previous GR and this GR III remind me very much of the exceptional build quality of Leica cameras I have owned. Finally, the menu system, for such a small camera, is easy to navigate and has an exceptional level of customisation. Do not be fooled, this is a much 'bigger' camer than it looks - basically the top of the Range Pentax APS-C camera put into a tiny body with an exceptionally fine lens attached. There are still some negatives. The battery is smaller and the number of shots per charge fewer. If that is all that worries you then this is not the camera for you. Get a spare or two! Ricoh have been a bit underhand in my opinion by not making the existing wide angle adaptor compatible - so, if like me, you own the one for the previous model - you need to buy the new version. The body is smaller compared to the previous model - some may find this an issue - and this has necessitated the removal of the inbuilt flash. I never used the inbuilt flash on my GR so for me this is not an issue but it may be an issue for you. The dedicated Tav mode dial setting has disappeared on the GR III but it only takes a few seconds to dedicate one of the three custom buttons to that feature, so really it is no big deal (I've set U1 to be my Tav setting). I've already used the camera for my professional work and although it is early days it is proving to be very convenient to pack a pocket-able camera which take images of a size more than adequate for reproduction in books, magazines and newspapers or even larger requirements. It means that I always have a backup camera with me and one which I can rely on for print publications, stock photography and the web. But bottom line, even at the asking price, this is not just a camera for a professional. It is a superb piece of photographic equipment for any serious enthusiast photographer and I suspect that whereas other cameras you own may come and go you'll be using this one for years to come.

Es una gran cámara de muchas capacidades, alta calidad fotográfica y de sensor grande para su tamaño. Estaba muy contento con la compra e ilusionado con su llegada. Lamentablemente llegó sin batería, así no la puedo utilizar ni probar por defectos. La tuve que devolver con el retrabajo que ello implica. En cuanto tenga oportunidad, buscaré otra cámara similar. Incluso ya le he comprado accesorios que tendré que ir devolviendo conforme me vayan llegando. Actualización: por fin amazon me reembolso mi dinero. Tardaron mas de un mes y varias conversaciones por chat.

I avoided the switch from film to digital for years, and I have used viewfinder cameras, and mirrorless SLR’s in the digital format, and it seems that I need a lot of gear to use those systems. The GR-III is a simple, but very effective pocket-sized alternative to all that gear. Just browse for photos shot with the GR-III and you’ll see what this small camera is capable of. Most of my photography is done in low light, hand-held, on city streets, and I am very happy with the results. There are many great features built-in which make this camera far superior to any smart phone. Snap focus, user programs, full manual shooting, macro mode, are some of the features I like. I don’t often shoot video, so I can’t add much to that discussion. It is expensive, and maybe suited to photographers more than casual users, but I never go anywhere without it. It’s constructed very well, which I think offsets the initial cost. The battery gets lots of knocks, but if you are just grabbing a shot here and throughout the day, it never becomes a problem, but I do carry a spare. Extended time using the menu, or playback mode definitely uses battery quickly.

Hacía tiempo que le daba vueltas a la idea de adquirir esta cámara pero no me terminaba de decidir ya que con mi Olympus Pen F y, sobre todo, mi X100s cubría de sobras la portabilidad sin renunciar a la calidad de la imagen. Pero es que esta Ricoh GR III está a otro nivel: es tan pequeña que me cabe en el bolsillo y el encendido y disparo es tan rápido que difícilmente perderás una oportunidad de disparo. Pero es que no solo es eso, he quedado tremendamente sorprendido por la calidad de las imágenes. Incluso los jpegs directos, con los estilos de foto, son increíbles, especialmente (y esto es una opinión personal) el blanco y negro de alto contraste y, mi favorito, la película positiva. Adjunto muestras de jpgs directos de la cámara sin retocar. Por último está el tema de la usabilidad. Los menús son sencillos pero muy intuitivos y junto a las opciones de personalización de botones te puedes acomodar la cámara a tu gusto. Una gozada.