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Ricoh GR Digital III

 
Ricoh GR Digital III front
 
Portability
92
Imaging
34
Features
35
Overall
34

Ricoh GR Digital III summary

Ricoh GR Digital III is Ricoh's Small Sensor Compact digital camera first launched on July of 2009. The camera has got a 10MP, CCD 1/1.7" size sensor with a full resolution of 3648 x 2736.

Ricoh introduced the updated Ricoh GR Digital IV (Read Full Comparison) as a way to replace this model.

The GR Digital III comes in at #117 out of 261 in Small Sensor Compact cameras and over-all #978 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our list. Please check out our Advanced camera filter to get camera ratings based on your personalized requirements.

Photography Glossary

Below is a chart of specific factors used in the rating system.

Ricoh GR Digital III history

The Ricoh GR Digital III is part of a family of products. You can read the complete list underneath.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Ricoh-GR-Digital-III front thumbnailRicoh GR Digital III28mm
F1.9
10MP1/1.7"2009
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Ricoh GR Digital III Pros and Cons

Here is a shortlist of pluses and minuses of the Ricoh GR Digital III based on factors which are often regarded as important in a digital camera.

built-in flash
delivers RAW files
good max aperture (f1.9)
good minimum ISO (64)
manual focus
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
screen has good resolution (920 k dot)
doesn't have external mic jack
doesn't have HDMI support
doesn't have headphone jack
doesn't have phase detect autofocus
fixed focal length (28mm)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
lack of image stabilization
low MP (10 megapixels)
low quality video (640 x 480 pixels)
screen is fixed
screen isn't selfie friendly
sensor size is tiny (1/1.7")
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Ricoh GR Digital III Sensor features

The Ricoh GR Digital III is run by the GR engine III chip. The sensor specification on the Ricoh GR Digital III is 7.44mm x 5.58mm (1/1.7"). The 42 mm² sensor has the capability to capture 3648 x 2736 pixels with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3 and 3:2.

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The CCD sensor boasts 10 megapixels and provides a standard ISO range of 64 to 1600. RAW files are supported which means that the user has more room to maneuver in post.

The image underneath illustrates the GR Digital III's sensor size in comparison to other popular sizes. The GR Digital III sensor comes with a crop factor of 4.8 and is presented in green.

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To get a sense of various aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Ricoh GR Digital III dimensions

Ricoh GR Digital III has a weight of 0.46 pounds (208 grams or 7.34 ounces) and features outer dimensions of 109mm x 59mm x 26mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0"). The weight of average Small Sensor Compact camera is 174 grams and the Ricoh GR Digital III is weightier than other rivals.

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Underneath is a image of the Ricoh GR Digital III alongside a softdrink so you're able to have a sense of its size.

Ricoh GR Digital III dimensions scale

The top view just below will illustrate the button layout on the GR Digital III.

Ricoh GR Digital III topview buttons dials

Ricoh GR Digital III Lens features

The GR Digital III houses a built in lens with a fixed focal length of 28mm meaning that you don't have the ability to zoom.

At it's widest 28mm, it provides an aperture of f1.9 which is terrific in low light situations and getting a shallow depth of field. It would also enable you to go with a lower ISO to produce cleaner images.

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Ricoh GR Digital III Connectivity

The GR Digital III has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes

Digital cameras that come with NFC or Bluetooth connectivity can easily be controlled wirelessly with smartphones. You will be able to send images and in some cases change settings without connecting straight with the camera.

Many apps also enable a Liveview and release the shutter when you are not near the camera. If the camera includes a HDMI out, it could be attached to an external display. A good number of cameras enable you to recharge the battery pack with the USB port.

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Ricoh GR Digital III Video features

The highest possible video quality on the Ricoh GR Digital III is 640 x 480 and it can save in file format. 480p is low by today's requirements. You should really strive for a minimum 1080p quality for video recording. The body does not offer a mic or headphone socket which means you get zero control over your audio. It is perhaps a better idea to have a look at a different model in case you want decent audio in your videos.

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Ricoh GR Digital III Weather Sealing

Ricoh GR Digital III does not have environment sealing so rainy conditions could ruin the camera.

Ricoh GR Digital III Screen and Viewfinder

The Ricoh GR Digital III has got a 3" fixed screen with a resolution of 920k dots.

Sadly the screen isn't a touch screen.

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The ViewFinder specifications regarding Ricoh GR Digital III are below:

  • ViewFinder Optical (optional)

Viewfinders can be really beneficial during sunny outdoor conditions which can easily make the camera screen washed out and very difficult to view.

Ricoh GR Digital III Shutter features

The max shutter speed is 1/2000s.

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Ricoh GR Digital III Flash and Hot shoe features

Ricoh GR Digital III has got both inbuilt flash and also external flash support.

Ricoh GR Digital III Autofocusing features

Ricoh GR Digital III has got only Contrast Detect AF and is missing Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection focusing is a lot snappier and precise than Contrast Detect focusing.

Ricoh GR Digital III supports manual focus when needed during low light situations or you want to have more accurate control on focus.

Photography Glossary

Ricoh GR Digital III Battery life

The average Small Sensor Compact camera battery life is 241. Fujifilm X30 has the best (470) battery life within this range of cameras.

Below is a collection of Small Sensor Compact cameras with the highest battery life:

Ricoh GR Digital III for varying categories of photography

The following graph gives a outline of the Ricoh GR Digital III for varying categories of photography. To see more, scroll to the specific paragraph underneath.

Ricoh GR Digital III Portrait photography info

The Ricoh GR Digital III has a score of 40 which is dreadful, and means the camera is not very good for portraits. Photographing portraits leans greatly towards sensor size, RAW support in addition to the capability to work with off-camera flash.

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focusing manually
supports RAW files
megapixel count low (10 megapixels)
small sensor size (1/1.7")

Ricoh GR Digital III as a Street photography camera

With a moderate points tally of 55, the Ricoh GR Digital III is reasonably appropriate to buy for street photography. A decent street photography camera gives a perfect balance of picture quality plus portability.

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supports RAW formats
no moving screen
does not have image stabilization
very small sensor size (1/1.7")

Ricoh GR Digital III Sports photography highlights

A dreadful sports photography points total of 17 means the Ricoh GR Digital III is not very good for taking photos of sports. A camera should have great tracking plus fast continuous shooting for sports photography.

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focal length is fixed (28mm)
lack of image stabilization
sensor resolution not great (10 megapixels)
sensor is small (1/1.7")
lack of phase detect autofocus

Travel photography with Ricoh GR Digital III

Weight is pretty important in getting a travel camera. Overall, the Ricoh GR Digital III gets a above average 63 for a travel camera which makes it a fine pick to take with you on your journeys.

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flash built-in
very good maximum aperture (f1.9)
low megapixels (10MP)
does not contain selfie friendly screen

Ricoh GR Digital III Landscape photography highlights

For those who are looking to choose a digital camera for landscape photos, the most critical factor will be image quality. The Ricoh GR Digital III at it's dreadful rating of 45 as a landscape camera is not very good in the current marketplace.

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manual focus
great maximum aperture (f1.9)
screen is a decent size (3 inches)
supports RAW formats
can't switch lenses (fixed lens mount)
fixed focal length (28mm)
no image stabilization
megapixel count low (10MP)
sensor is small (1/1.7")

Ricoh GR Digital III as a Vlogging camera

A vlogging camera really should posses a moving display screen, mic input and preferably IBIS. Taking everything in to account, the Ricoh GR Digital III is not very good as a vlog camera as it delivers a dreadful rating of 25.

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great max aperture (f1.9)
doesn't have a selfie friendly screen
does not have image stabilization
video res low (640 x 480 pixels)
does not have mic support

Ricoh GR Digital III Alternatives

If you are trying to find replacements to the GR Digital III, below is a range of the highest scored cameras which fall within the category of Small Sensor Compact.

The line chart down below provides you a bird's eye view of the GR Digital III vs it's highest scored rivals listed above.

Following are several cameras you might regard as alternate options. To read a thorough comparison, simply click on the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Make
Ricoh
Model
Ricoh GR Digital III
Class
Small Sensor Compact
Announced
2009-07-27
Body design
Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CCD
Powered by
GR engine III
Sensor size
1/1.7"
Sensor dimensions
7.44 x 5.58mm
Sensor area
41.5mm²
Sensor resolution
10 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio
1:1, 4:3 and 3:2
Max resolution
3648 x 2736
RAW support
Max native ISO
1600
Lowest native ISO
64
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch focus
AF continuous
AF single
Tracking AF
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Lens
Lens mounting type
fixed lens
Lens focal range
28mm (1x)
Maximal aperture
f/1.9
Macro focus distance
1cm
Crop factor
4.8
Screen
Screen type
Fixed Type
Screen diagonal
3 inches
Resolution of screen
920k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
Optical (optional)
DXO scores
DXO Overall score
not tested
DXO Color Depth score
not tested
DXO Dynamic range score
not tested
DXO Low light score
not tested
Features
Minimum shutter speed
1s
Fastest shutter speed
1/2000s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation
Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range
3.00 m
Flash modes
Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Manual
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions
640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps)
Max video resolution
640x480
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight
208 gr (0.46 lbs)
Physical dimensions
109 x 59 x 26mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0")
Other
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage
SD/SDHC, Internal
Storage slots
One
Price at release
$399