Ricoh confirms development of GR III
In news that will have street photographers jumping for joy, Ricoh have announced the successor to its popular GR II cameras is officially in development.
Designed to be the 'ultimate snapshot camera', The GR III will continue the basic GR-series concept, but incorporate 'new devices' in its main components, including a newly designed 28mm equivalent f/2.8 lens, a new 24MP image sensor, and a new imaging engine. Inside we can expect sensor-shift image stabilisation along with on-sensor phase detection, with Ricoh saying the GR III's sensor can now shift in three axes to compensate for camera shake. A touchscreen is also expected for the first time.
The redesigned 28mm lens will feature six elements in four groups, including two aspherical elements. The minimum focus distance will now be as short as 6cm, with the built-in 2-stop ND filter from the GR and GR II remaining. Finally the GR III gets a boost in video recording capabilities, offering 1080/60p video.
The GR III is expected to be available in early 2019, with more details on pricing expected shortly.
Ricoh GR III specs (preliminary)
| Body type | |
|---|---|
| Body type | Large sensor compact |
| Body material | Magnesium alloy |
| Sensor | |
| Max resolution | 6000 x 4000 |
| Image ratio w:h | 1:1, 3:2 |
| Effective pixels | 24 megapixels |
| Sensor size | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) |
| Sensor type | CMOS |
| Color space | sRGB, Adobe RGB |
| Color filter array | Primary color filter |
| Image | |
| White balance presets | 8 |
| Custom white balance | Yes |
| Image stabilization | Sensor-shift |
| Uncompressed format | RAW |
| File format |
|
| Optics & Focus | |
| Focal length (equiv.) | 28 mm |
| Maximum aperture | F2.8–16 |
| Autofocus |
|
| Autofocus assist lamp | Yes |
| Manual focus | Yes |
| Normal focus range | 10 cm (3.94″) |
| Macro focus range | 6 cm (2.36″) |
| Screen / viewfinder | |
| Articulated LCD | Fixed |
| Screen size | 3″ |
| Screen dots | 1,037,000 |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| Screen type | TFT LCD |
| Live view | Yes |
| Viewfinder type | Optical (optional) |
| Photography features | |
| Minimum shutter speed | 30 sec |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 sec |
| Exposure modes |
|
| Built-in flash | No |
| External flash | Yes (via hot shoe) |
| Flash modes | Auto, Flash On, Flash On+Red-eye, Slow-speed Sync, Slow Sync+Red-eye |
| Self-timer | Yes |
| Metering modes |
|
| Exposure compensation | ±5 (at 1/3 EV steps) |
| Videography features | |
| Format | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Modes |
|
| Microphone | Stereo |
| Speaker | Mono |
| Storage | |
| Storage types | Internal, SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I supported) |
| Storage included | 2GB |
| Connectivity | |
| USB | USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) |
| USB charging | Yes |
| HDMI | No |
| Microphone port | No |
| Headphone port | No |
| Wireless | Built-In |
| Wireless notes | 802.11b/g/n |
| Remote control | Yes (via smartphone) |
| Physical | |
| Battery | Battery Pack |
| Weight (inc. batteries) | 257 g (0.57 lb / 9.07 oz) |
| Dimensions | 109 x 62 x 33 mm (4.29 x 2.44 x 1.3″) |
| Other features | |
| Orientation sensor | Yes |
| GPS | None |