Ricoh GRIIIX Review - The almost perfect adventure camera
I've always loved having a small camera to take with me on mountain bike rides, bikepacking, etc. As a Sony user, I naturally gravitated toward the RX100 series, a beautiful compact camera that takes pretty amazing photos for its size. The only problem is I've broken every single one I've owned! Not one, not two, not three, but five of them! That's right! I've gotten most of these cameras secondhand, but for the latest one, I paid full price, and that was the last straw.
Ever since my buddy Jake Szymanski started posting about the Ricoh cameras, I've always been interested. He goes into depth about them here.
What's not to like? Pocketable, fixed lens, APC sensor camera. Something to throw in the pack or in your jacket. Small enough to not get in the way and to bring with you everywhere.
So with a big road trip on the books, I picked one up in hopes it could be my go-to camera to capture those in-between moments.
First Impressions
I went with the Ricoh GR IIIX Urban Edition for the 40mm f2.8 because I am a massive fan of 35mm and felt the GR III 28mm lens would be too wide. In hindsight, I would have preferred the wider 28mm lens.
The build quality of the Ricoh could be better. It's light, plastic, and, well, very fragile feeling. There is no viewfinder, but you can buy an aftermarket one that fits in the hot shoe which you can buy here. I did this but immediately returned it. I am still awaiting my refund from Amazon. There is nothing to be impressed about the Ricoh, but that's not what we bought it for.
The size of the Ricoh is perfect. It comfortably fit in the breast pocket of my flannel, and since it's so light, it didn't weigh it down.
Another thing to note about the Ricoh is how fast it starts up. Like really, really fast. I like this, and it's the best feature next to its size.
All the image galleries on this post were shot on the Ricoh and edited in Lightroom. I like the photos. Nothing remarkable, but it's everything I was hoping for. I wish the F2.8 were an F2 or F1.8, but I imagine that's not easy or cheap. Regardless a wider Aperture would greatly benefit this camera.
Last and Final Impressions
As you see from the first photo of this post, unfortunately, the lens cover started to stick on the Ricoh GR IIIx. This happened on the fourth day using the camera, and I was cautious with it. At first, it would just stick, and then after a few times, it just stopped closing altogether. I was super bummed because I was getting to know the camera and had two more weeks of traveling!
This is a known issue, and some users report just removing the lens cover altogether. But being it was a brand new camera, and I purchased it on Amazon I've opted to send it back and get a refund. So I packed up the camera and completed my trip without it. I have to say I was pretty bummed and went down an internet rabbit hole looking for a viable solution or replacement.
I ended up finding the perfect solution, and that will be coming in a blog post next week. The perfect adventure camera? I think I found it.
Conclusion
Despite my bad experience, I believe this camera will work great for people, granted you get a copy that doesn't break. I know plenty of people who have used their Ricoh's for years.
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Ricoh GR IIIX
Ricoh GR IIIX View Finder
Ricoh screen protector
My favorite camera bag