Finally Here: Ricoh GR IIIx Has New Lenses 40mm & 75mm
This is the most exciting camera release this year for me. Ricoh announced a few hours ago that they will shortly be releasing a new variant of their successful Ricoh GR III pocket camera. It is virtually the same camera except for a newly designed lens: a 40mm equivalent f2.8. Also buried in the announcement is a new lens accessory and a new viewfinder.
As a big fan of my Ricoh GR (2013) I always wondered what a longer focal length would feel like on the camera. To recap on the previous GR camera, the lens is incredibly sharp and that large APS-C sized sensor provides background blur when needed. Designed primarily for the more niche street photographers, I use mine happily for family documentary work and landscape/adventure photography. For these uses the 28mm equivalent lens works very well, but my 43mm limited lens on my Pentax K-1 is my absolute favorite for capturing family moments. When a 40mm Ricoh GR was rumored early this year, my ears perked up.
Assuming the Ricoh GR IIIx new lens maintains the same stellar image quality as the prior models, I think we will have a keeper. I actually think it was a really smart idea to release an almost identical camera to the GR III. For one, there’s not much wrong with the GR III in most fans eyes. The things that people do gripe about (battery life, video quality, etc) would take much more redesign and development. By releasing the GR IIIx with a new lens, Ricoh is giving fans what they have been asking for quickly and with comparatively little investment.
In addition to the Ricoh GR IIIx there are also some interesting new accessories. Most excitingly, the official Ricoh release notes reveal a new teleconverter specifically for the GR IIIx that will take it to a 75mm equivalent (Ricoh GT-2). This will be the first teleconverter for the APS-C GR variants and I think promises to be very interesting. I own the wide angle converter (21mm equivalent) and the quality is astounding. A new adapter was also announced (Ricoh GT-2) for the teleconverter. It remains unclear to me whether or not you can attach an older GW-4 adapter and the wide angle lens as well, and what effect it would have.
Other new accessories for the Ricoh GR IIIx include a new viewfinder (GV-3) and some new leather soft cases.
Time will tell whether the new GR IIIx will be as successful as it’s predecessor. It offers something no other camera does: Jean-pocketable APS-C camera with a 40/2.8 lens. Do street photographers prefer this focal length over 28mm? Or will it become an even more niche camera than the mainline Ricoh GR series? Will people trade out there 28mm Ricoh GR, or decide they now need both? Your guess is probably better than mine, so I’ll leave my opinion here silent for now.
As for myself, I will seriously consider picking one up sooner rather than later. A rare thing if you follow me and understand I’ve never bought a camera newer than two years old. Family documentary photography is the photography that matters most to me, and this camera looks like it will have everything I love and 12mm more.
Totally geeking about this release too, even though, in all honesty, I'll get one used in like 4 or 5 years haha. The GRIII is such a beast of a camera but being stuck at a 28mm equivalent was always daunting for me though. 40mm though? I live in 40mm. My TLR shoots 40mm. My everyday pancake lens on my fuji us 40mm. My QL17 is 40mm. The one thing I feel like the camera is lacking is weather sealing. It's the same reason I'm not really wanting the Fuji x-E4. Having the peace of mind knowing that I don't have to be afraid of some sprinkles and splashes increases the utility of a camera a lot to me. Having said that, still really happy Ricoh Pentax decided to release this bit of kit!
Quote from Justin Tung on September 8, 2021, 8:57 pmTotally geeking about this release too, even though, in all honesty, I'll get one used in like 4 or 5 years haha. The GRIII is such a beast of a camera but being stuck at a 28mm equivalent was always daunting for me though. 40mm though? I live in 40mm. My TLR shoots 40mm. My everyday pancake lens on my fuji us 40mm. My QL17 is 40mm. The one thing I feel like the camera is lacking is weather sealing. It's the same reason I'm not really wanting the Fuji x-E4. Having the peace of mind knowing that I don't have to be afraid of some sprinkles and splashes increases the utility of a camera a lot to me. Having said that, still really happy Ricoh Pentax decided to release this bit of kit!
WR would be the next big thing I would love to see. It fits the street photography feel, but then also the adventure and travel photography that I feel like the GR is so good at.
I probably won’t buy the GR IIIx anytime “soon” either. Just so expensive. $1,000 US I saw finally. Probably cave around $600, like the original GRIII is now used sometimes. We’ll see if I can scrounge up a deal sooner rather than later. Will probably need to sell some other gear first…
My original GR (2013 model) is still kicking. I bought it $200 used already in kinda rough condition. Lots of scratches. Dust on sensor. Shutter button is sticky sometimes. Tripod thread is coming out. Keep waiting for that thing to die but it is holding on like a champ. I take it on every dusty dirty mountain bike ride, using it with sweaty hands in the hot hot heat. So, at least it has that going for it even if it doesn’t have WR.
Hey folks, long time no post.
I jumped for joy when I saw the GRIIIx announcement as well. 40mm is in fact my very favorite focal length. However, and even though I've ordered one from Ricoh (and it was shipped yesterday, albeit very s-l-o-w-l-y via UPS Ground), I'm conflicted, and probably will be until I can take some shots and come to terms with it.
The reason for that is that I'm very used to the fact that the 28mm GR is special, as 28mm is special. It's a complicated focal length that allows for some really creative work, by "pushing and pulling." It pulls in close objects, making them larger, and pushes out distant objects, making them appear smaller. On top of that, it has the ability to just fire away and get something, what with the bigger frame. However, to use really well it takes careful attention, and distortion plus getting straight lines in the composition not to be slightly off-kilter. In other words, it makes the GR a fantastically capable tool, but one that needs careful, considered use. Which is both in keeping with... and, somehow, at odds with... its design ethos.
By which I mean, the camera is designed to go with you everywhere, and to be very effortless and quick to shoot with. Which means, yes, that you can concentrate on the composition and not have to fiddle with anything much, that's good. Here's the thing, though. 40mm is a terrific neutral, direct focal length. It's point and shoot (that's why many old point-and-shoots and a number of smaller, cheaper rangefinders were around 40mm back in the day). Which, honestly, might be the perfect complement to the run-and-gun style of the GR. It's just that it takes away some of that complexity of the 28mm, which was good much of the time, and also bad a little bit of the time.
I do wish the 26.1mm lens on this new GR had a tad larger aperture. It will do a slight amount of subject separation and seems to have nice bokeh, when you can see it. But, as it stands, the 20mm f1.7 on my Olympus still has more shallow DoF, even with a slightly smaller sensor. 20mm and 26mm are actually rather close to one another (not for framelines, they're quite different, but for DoF). So, yes, an f2 would have been perfection with this camera, but I'll still take what I can get within the bounds of real-world physics.
We shall see! I'm conflicted, but excited.
Oh, yeah, and the people who answer me "just keep both" - I'm not rich enough for that. $999 is steep, I need to sell some stuff in order to justify it.
Quote from agentlossing on October 15, 2021, 4:49 pmHey folks, long time no post.
I jumped for joy when I saw the GRIIIx announcement as well. 40mm is in fact my very favorite focal length. However, and even though I've ordered one from Ricoh (and it was shipped yesterday, albeit very s-l-o-w-l-y via UPS Ground), I'm conflicted, and probably will be until I can take some shots and come to terms with it.
The reason for that is that I'm very used to the fact that the 28mm GR is special, as 28mm is special. It's a complicated focal length that allows for some really creative work, by "pushing and pulling." It pulls in close objects, making them larger, and pushes out distant objects, making them appear smaller. On top of that, it has the ability to just fire away and get something, what with the bigger frame. However, to use really well it takes careful attention, and distortion plus getting straight lines in the composition not to be slightly off-kilter. In other words, it makes the GR a fantastically capable tool, but one that needs careful, considered use. Which is both in keeping with... and, somehow, at odds with... its design ethos.
By which I mean, the camera is designed to go with you everywhere, and to be very effortless and quick to shoot with. Which means, yes, that you can concentrate on the composition and not have to fiddle with anything much, that's good. Here's the thing, though. 40mm is a terrific neutral, direct focal length. It's point and shoot (that's why many old point-and-shoots and a number of smaller, cheaper rangefinders were around 40mm back in the day). Which, honestly, might be the perfect complement to the run-and-gun style of the GR. It's just that it takes away some of that complexity of the 28mm, which was good much of the time, and also bad a little bit of the time.
I do wish the 26.1mm lens on this new GR had a tad larger aperture. It will do a slight amount of subject separation and seems to have nice bokeh, when you can see it. But, as it stands, the 20mm f1.7 on my Olympus still has more shallow DoF, even with a slightly smaller sensor. 20mm and 26mm are actually rather close to one another (not for framelines, they're quite different, but for DoF). So, yes, an f2 would have been perfection with this camera, but I'll still take what I can get within the bounds of real-world physics.
We shall see! I'm conflicted, but excited.
Well that's exciting! I haven't ordered one yet. As you said, I'm not made of money (although feel very fortunate I could even CONSIDER. A $1,000 camera), so it would mean selling a beer of pieces of gear to afford it at this point. I definitely want to try it out, it's just a question of now or in a year. Not sure if I can wait a year. I'm also a little worried because there's that slight chance the supply chain keeps getting worse and somehow they can't make much of these, and they then becoming harder to get. Maybe not a legitimate thing to worry about.
Im with you that I love 40mm but have gotten used to the 28mm. So it would be interesting to see if I would gel the same with it or not.
Please if you have time share some thoughts and feelings about it here once you get the chance. Curious to know your experience.
