The Ricoh GR was first launched in 1996 and was the recipient for the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) award for Best Compact Camera the following year. Since then, Ricoh GR Digital cameras have never failed to impress delivering compact editions with prime lenses year after year. The Ricoh GR Digital III is the latest in the line of Ricoh GR Digital series that sells itself on its compact size, exquisite build quality, and remarkable optics. And now, it’s the “Ricoh GR III Street Edition Special Limited Kit” that comes as a nod to its street photography popularity.
Ricoh GR Digital III Review
The Ricoh Imaging GR Digital III is a compact camera, measuring 4.3 x 2.4 x 1.3 in. (109 x 62 x 33 mm). It is the smallest Ricoh GR camera to be released with an APS-C CMOS sensor. The GR III features an impressive 24-megapixel APS-C sensor, with sensor-shift image stabilization. The GR III comes with other updates, including phase detection auto-focus, a 3-inch touch screen, and a USB-C connection.
All Hail the Ricoh GR III Street Edition Special Limited Kit. (Image: Ricoh Imaging)
There’s much to admire in this super-compact size camera. When I first held it, I was able to put it in my pants pocket without discomfort. I could grip the camera in one hand and capture photos of inimitable quality. It’s one of the reasons why I love this camera so much.
Digital GR iii camera features an AA (Anti-Aliasing) filter-free design to enhance image resolving power, an anti-shake image-stabilized sensor, and a new GR Engine 6 imaging engine. It also comes with a 3-inch touch screen with 1040K dots.
Ricoh Imaging’s GR Digital III comes at a price of $999.
Ricoh GR Street Edition Special Limit Kit
The Ricoh GR III Street Edition comes with an interesting makeover – it’s similar to the original silver GR II. Limited to only 3,500 samples worldwide, the Ricoh GR III Street Edition comes with a slew of exclusive luxury accessories, including a color-matched detachable viewfinder and a genuine leather hand strap.
- GR III Street Edition camera dons a unique “asphalt-like” metallic gray texture to complement its “street edition” concept. The finish was achieved with the help of a multi-layer spray process to get that smooth-but-non-slippery feel.
- The camera is accentuated with an eccentric orange-yellow ring encircling the lens barrel, external viewfinder, and leather hand strap. This shade of yellow was chosen as it is reminiscent of traffic lines painted on streets.
- In addition to stylish features, the Ricoh Digital GR III Street Edition delights with the Full Press Snap feature, which allows you to instantly shift the focus point of the lens to a preselected position when the camera shutter is finally released. The ultra-fast focusing can be assigned to the rear LCD, where you simply need to tap the touchscreen to change focus to happy moments waiting to happen.
- The GR III Street Edition’s shutdown screen features a specially designed product logo along with a street view image as a homage to the camera’s cult following. After all, the GR III series is a darling in the street photography community.
The Ricoh GR Digital III Street Edition delights from the start. It’s beautifully designed, slick, easy to use, and produces magnificent images.
Ricoh GR Digital III Price
The Ricoh GR III Street Edition Special Limited Kit comes with a hefty price tag of $1199.95. The standalone GR III Street Camera Edition will be sold without the special viewfinder and strap and is scheduled to be launched in the Autumn of 2020.
TIPA Verdict
“Photographers who enjoy traveling with a compact camera that allows them to “grab” quality images without carrying more cumbersome gear will welcome the GR III.
TECHNOWIZE Verdict
Ricoh Imaging never fails to impress with its craftsmanship, precision engineering, and exquisite finish. Buy Ricoh GR digital III Street Edition Special Limited Kit if you’re looking for the ultimate street photography camera. It’s compact, stealthy, and comes with a newly designed GR lens.