Ricoh GR III HDF

Ricoh often trots out its veteran GR III compact camera in different finishes, but the $1,069.95 GR III HDF goes beyond the aesthetic changes of the Diary, Urban, and other limited run editions by swapping out the in-lens neutral density (ND) filter for a Highlight Diffusion Filter (HDF). Otherwise, it's the same wonderful pocket camera as before: It matches a crisp, wide-angle lens with a stabilized APS-C image sensor and an effective hybrid phase-contrast autofocus system. The GR III series remains especially suitable for photojournalists and documentarians thanks to its top-notch image quality and discreet design, but it doesn't quite measure up to the outstanding, Editors' Choice-winning Fujifilm X100VI, which has superlative controls, subject detection autofocus, better video abilities, and partial weather protection for a higher price of $1,599.95.

Design: Puts an APS-C Sensor in Your Pocket

As you might guess by the name, the GR III HDF is part of Ricoh's third-generation GR series and follows the $799.99 GR and $699.95 GR II. There are sundry differences among them—the GR III has a slightly different body style than its predecessors and a much higher price—but all are similar in concept and execution. A GR camera is one you can slide into your pocket and operate entirely with one hand. And importantly, its APS-C sensor delivers images with the same clarity and color depth as many entry-level interchangeable lens cameras (ILCs).

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

By the numbers, the GR III HDF measures 2.4 by 4.3 by 1.3 inches (HWD) and weighs just 9.1 ounces. Its silhouette is smaller than the iPhone 15 (5.81 by 2.81 by 0.31 inches), and the camera isn't too much to stuff into a typical pocket. It's easily the smallest camera among peers with large sensors. The Leica D-Lux 8 (2.7 by 4.7 by 2.4 inches, 14.0 ounces) and Fujifilm X100VI (2.9 by 5.0 by 2.2 inches, 1.1 pounds) are a size bigger. That said, the GR III HDF doesn't include an electronic viewfinder (EVF) like those alternatives.

The HDF is available in black only, though Ricoh might roll out color variations as it has with the standard GR III. Despite its small size, the GR III feels like a serious camera because of its magnesium alloy exterior and chassis. There's no weather protection, however, and the lens doesn't have a built-in filter thread (NiSi sells a 49mm adapter for $19) or manual focus ring. The Leica Q3 is weather-sealed by comparison, while the X100VI gains full weather protection if you purchase a protective filter and the necessary adapter to mount it.

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The GR III HDF's 28mm F2.8 prime lens gets you a wider view than the X100VI's 35mm F2, though both feature a stabilized image sensor. Ricoh also markets the GR IIIx and IIIx HDF, which opt for a tighter 40mm F2.8 prime. You can add the GW-4 Wide Conversion Lens ($249.95) to either the GR III or IIIx to broaden their angles to 21mm or 30mm, respectively.

Standard versions of the GR III put an adjustable ND filter inside the lens, a feature that landscape photographers can take advantage of to blur subject motion in bright conditions. It's one of my favorite features of the camera because I have an eye for street scenes with blurred movement and landscapes with smoothed-out flowing water.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

As mentioned, this model swaps out the ND filter for an HDF that softens incoming light and adds a glow (diffusion) to the brightest parts of an image. It's a noticeable effect for images in dark environs with bright lights—think a bar with neon signs or well-lit city streets at night—and a more subtle one in sunlight (you see a soft focus glow in backlit scenes). Importantly, this isn't the same effect as what you can get from a soft-focus lens—the GR III HDF delivers sharp photos, after all. This is the closest I've seen in digital to vintage film lenses that have a so-called "glow."

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You have to weigh how much you like the HDF look versus its cost, since this version runs $100 more than the standard edition with the in-lens ND filter. Ultimately, it's a matter of preference—I find the ND filter invaluable, for instance, so I would choose the regular edition.

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Competition: One of Just a Few Recent Compacts

The compact camera market isn't the thriving space it was 10 years ago due to the rise of smartphones for everyday photography. But the GR III HDF lives in the niche that survived—it's a pricey point-and-shoot that's made for discerning hobbyists and pros who want something small. There are a few other options in this space to mull.

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First up are the other GR cameras. The GR III is available in three other versions than this one: the 40mm GR IIIx HDF and the standard GR III and IIIx. Filter and angle differences aside, the GR III family provides consistent picture quality and operations across the line. Prices vary a bit, but all GR III models fall into the $1,000-$1,200 range.

For a bit more money, the $1,599 Fujifilm X100VI is the best all-rounder among serious compacts. It sports a stabilized 40MP APS-C sensor, a bright prime lens, partial weather sealing, a tilting rear display, and a hybrid optical-electronic viewfinder. The Leica D-Lux 8 is another option at the same price.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

If you don't mind a smaller-sensor camera, several models with Type 1 chips deliver good pictures in dim light with some optical background blur. The Sony RX100 VII ($1,300), RX100 VA ($1,000), ZV-1 Mark II ($900), and Canon G7 X Mark III ($750) all fit this description. Each is a little smaller than the GR III HDF and comes with a zoom lens.

Bear in mind that the GR III HDF, as well as the bulk of its competitors, are all in relatively short supply. If you want to buy any of these cameras, you will most likely have to wait a bit for delivery. If you don't want to wait, consider getting an older GR or X100 model on the used market; we have a guide to help you navigate your choices.

Controls: Plenty of Buttons, But Not Crowded

The GR III puts the bulk of its controls on the right-hand side of the camera. And although it has plenty of buttons and dials, the layout doesn't feel at all crowded.

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The camera includes a front control dial at the top of its bump-sized handgrip, along with an oblong shutter release, Mode dial, and On/Off button just behind it. The GR III's pill-shaped shutter release is certainly distinctive, but its function is fairly standard—press it halfway to engage autofocus or fully to snap a picture.

The Mode dial includes a push-button lock just in front of the control surface that you need to engage as you turn the dial. I find this setup easier to operate compared with those that put the locking post at the center. The standard PASM exposure modes are all here, as are three user modes (U1-U3) for saving custom settings.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The GR III (and others in the series) also support a Snap Focus function. In this mode, the camera skips autofocus and instead focuses to a preset distance, selectable via the menu. Distance options include 0.3m, 1m, 1.5m, 2m, 2.5m, 3.5m, 5m, and infinity. Snap Focus also supports a Full Press Snap option; when active, the lens will bypass autofocus to jump to your preferred distance with a full press. It's a useful function for street photography at narrower apertures and a reason to choose a GR model over other compacts. This capability has never worked for the type of photos I like to take, but some creators swear by it.

Looking to the rear panel, the GR III includes a flat command dial with four directional functions (Macro, Drive/Self-Timer, White Balance, ISO), as well as Display, Fn/HDF, Menu, and Play buttons. A button on the left side panel of the camera swaps between stills and video modes or initiates the Wi-Fi transfer mode during playback.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

There's also a rocker switch at the top right corner of the rear plate for adjusting the exposure value (EV) for a scene. If you press it fully, the camera loads the ADJ (short for adjust) overlay menu with direct access to five configurable settings. I find the default set (Image Control, Focus, Metering, File Format, and Outdoor View Setting) useful, but there are 17 total options you can choose.

The ADJ screen is the only overlay menu available, so you need to deal with the GR III's full-text menu to change many settings. The GR III splits the 30-page menu into five side tabs. The lengthy, no-frills menu feels a bit dated and dense, but it at least has a logical organization. Regardless, I'd like Ricoh to add some color coding and a configurable My Menu page for often-used settings that you can't access via the ADJ menu.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Display: A Bright, Sharp, and Fixed Touch LCD

The GR III HDF doesn't include an EVF, as mentioned, so you have to frame and review pictures on the rear LCD. The 3-inch screen has ample resolution (1.04 million dots) and is more than adequate for a sunny day if you crank the Outdoor View Setting up to maximum brightness. The touch features work well, too. Menus are navigable by touch, and there are a few different options for tap to shoot. For instance, the GR III supports moving the focus box by touch, focusing and firing by touch, and touch to Snap Focus, selectable via the menu. You can also deactivate the touch screen if you prefer.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

As for gripes, a tilting screen would be a useful addition. I hope Ricoh can work one into the inevitable GR IV without compromising the camera's pocket-friendly chassis. The same goes for a viewfinder, though you can mount an optical accessory finder into the shoe. Ricoh sells two: the smaller GV-2 ($249.99) includes a set of 28mm bright lines for framing, while the larger GV-1 ($149.95) comes with both 21mm and 28mm bright lines. I didn't break it out of storage for this review, but I've used the GV-1 often with the GR and GR II with good results.

Power and Connectivity: USB-C Charging and Wi-Fi

The GR III HDF uses a USB-C port to charge its DB-110 battery and to offload files to a PC. It does not support the UVC/UAC protocols, however, so you can't use the camera as a plug-and-play webcam. The battery life isn't great. The DB-110 is rated for 200 shots per charge by CIPA standards, so I recommend carrying either a power bank for on-the-go replenishment or a spare battery (or two) if you plan to be out all day. An additional DB-110 costs $39.95, though third-party alternatives are available for far less.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

USB-C is all you get in the way of a data connection, as the camera doesn't include any sort of HDMI port. It does have 2GB of internal memory for up to 140 JPGs or 40 Raw format pictures, however. It's a handy feature if you forget your memory card, but it isn't enough to forgo the need for a UHS-I SDXC card entirely. Like the other models in the GR III series, this one doesn't have a built-in flash. You can add an external strobe to the hot shoe if you want. The in-lens leaf shutter supports flash sync at up to 1/2,500-second at f/2.8-4, and as fast as 1/4,000-second at f/5.6-16.

The GR III connects with the Ricoh Image Sync smartphone app for Android and iOS via dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2. Pairing the camera isn't too hard. All you have to do is type in the camera's identification number (visible on the GR III's rear LCD during pairing) into the app and hit the OK button on the camera after a prompt. The Sync app supports file transfer and remote control. It works as expected, though the thumbnail gallery is a little slow to load. Transfers are speedy enough, about 3 seconds for a JPG and 8 seconds for a DNG.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Autofocus: Hybrid Phase/Contrast Without Subject Recognition

The GR III uses a hybrid phase-contrast detection autofocus system, the same type as advanced mirrorless cameras. It makes for smooth, quick results in practice. You can select from a variety of areas of interest for autofocus, everything from a tiny flexible point up to the full area of the sensor.

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The camera can recognize human faces and eyes in its Auto Area (full sensor), Select (small flexible box), and Pinpoint (flexible point) areas of interest in AF-S (Single) mode only. Continuous (AF-C) and Tracking are available without that ability. And regardless of focus mode, there's no subject detection for animals or vehicles. The Fuji X100VI offers all of these capabilities, though I think train and plane detection is a little much for a camera with a wide-angle prime. I definitely missed having animal eye detection when I used the GR III to snap some photos of a friend's new kitten, however.

The GR III has a special macro focus mode for close-up shots only. With this setting active, the lens focuses from 2.4 to 4.7 inches (standard focus ranges from 3.9 inches to infinity), so you can get right up to a subject. The wide-angle lens limits how large subjects project onto the sensor, but it gets a decent 1:2.9 reproduction ratio at its nearest distance. The macro focus option is useful, though I sometimes forgot it was active until the camera failed to focus on far-off subjects.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Don't bother with manual focus. The GR III doesn't have a real manual focus ring around the lens, so you're restricted to using the rear control dial for adjustments, which is far from ideal. In manual mode, you first need to press the Macro button (at the rear dial's 12 o'clock position) and then turn the dial to set focus. The autofocus is reliable enough to make manual mode an academic interest, but creators who prefer to work this way should look to the X100VI instead, thanks to its traditional focus ring.

Image Quality: Stabilized 24MP APS-C

The GR III HDF uses the same 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor as the standard GR III and both editions of the GR IIIx. It's the same size chip as in many interchangeable lens cameras like the Pentax K-3 III and Fujifilm X-T5, so dynamic range and high ISO performance are competitive with those models. It's not quite the latest tech, however, as the vanilla CMOS architecture isn't as stellar at the high end of its ISO range as fresher chips with BSI CMOS tech. Nonetheless, I'm still happy with its performance.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The sensor covers an ISO 100-102400 range in either 8-bit JPG or 14-bit DNG format. The GR provides clear, detailed pictures with little evidence of noise up through ISO 800, and you can still get excellent detail and color at ISO 12800 if you don't mind a bit of noise. The noise appears rougher starting at ISO 25600, but the colors hold up well. The grain takes on a roughshod appearance from ISO 51200-102400, and colors suffer at these extreme settings, so it's wise to use them selectively. You aren't likely to bump into extreme ISOs accidentally, however, since the GR III HDF limits its upper Auto ISO to 6400 by default (it's configurable as high or low as you prefer). For reference, the camera calls for an ISO 12800, 1/30-second exposure in a dimly lit room at f/2.8, so you should be able to keep it under ISO 25600 in many situations. You still might want a flash if you're working in an especially dark environment, however.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

DNG files offer plenty of leeway to edit exposure and fine-tune color (or apply a film look preset). And if you're a JPG photographer, you've got some creative options with the GR as well. Its processing engine includes many configurable profiles (Standard, Vivid, Black and White, Soft Monotone, Hard Monotone, High Contrast B&W, Positive Film, Bleach Bypass, Retro, HDR, and Cross Processing). For instance, you can adjust the amount of noise the camera applies, as well as fine-tune the color and contrast to create custom looks. GR series enthusiasts also provide a selection of homespun Recipes that you can program into either of two Custom profile slots. In-camera Raw processing is available, too, so if you want to create a special version of a picture without desktop software.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The 3-axis IBIS system isn't the most impressive on paper since the Fuji X100VI supports compensation along 5 axes. Still, Ricoh's implementation is good enough to support longer handheld exposures. I stretched the shutter to 1/4-second without a tripod and saw no evidence of blur. I had to use an external ND filter (I just held it in front of the lens) to get this type of shot in daylight. If you enjoy long-exposure photography, you should get the standard GR III with its 3-stop ND filter.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

I used Imatest to check the performance of the GR III's 28mm f/2.8 lens. It scores in the outstanding range for a 24MP sensor (3,400 lines) wide-open with relatively even results from center to edge. Narrowing the aperture doesn't improve the detail, an indication that the lens provides nearly ideal resolution through f/8. Diffraction lowers the contrast and corresponding Imatest score at f/11-16.

Photographers often opt for the tiniest apertures to induce sunstars in landscapes or other images with small points of bright light, but I wasn't very impressed with how the lens renders those effects. Sunstars simply don't show clearly defined tines, even when I caught light coming in through leaves on a tree (a scene that typically makes sunstars look their best). On the plus side, I didn't note much false color or ghosting when I pointed the lens at a bright point of light; you can freely use the GR III for backlit photos.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The lens limits distortion, too. I don't see any visible barrel or pincushion distortion in either JPGs or DNGs, so you can comfortably use the camera for architectural images. As for bokeh, you're most likely to coax blurred backgrounds at close focus distances. Defocused highlights show soft edges and are free from ugly onion skin texture, a combination that makes for smooth backgrounds without too many distracting elements. The HDF filter further softens backgrounds and adds some glow to defocused highlights, but I noticed a slight checkerboard texture pattern to said highlights with it active.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Video: Not a Strong Suit

To borrow a line from Magritte, "Ceci n'est pas une video camera." Translation: This is not a video camera. The GR III supports up to 1080p60 video but does not record any sort of 4K. The 3-axis IBIS system does a good job smoothing out bumps and jostles for static shots, though it falters if you you start walking around during a recording. The 8-bit H.264 QuickTime video looks pretty soft too, even on a 15-inch laptop screen.

(Credit: JIm Fisher)

The GR III is a non-starter for professional video and vlogs. The former pursuit calls for better color sampling and more resolution, while the latter requires clearer audio than the basic in-camera mic provides. The GR III also omits a front-facing screen, so it's not ideal for self-recording. It's fine for grabbing quick clips, but even a recent smartphone rolls better video. Meanwhile, the Fujifilm X100VI supports full-width 4K30 recording with 10-bit 4:2:2 color sampling.

Verdict: Stunning Photos and Compact Style

If you are looking for a go-anywhere camera with intuitive controls, a fantastic lens, and a stabilized image sensor, the Ricoh GR III HDF might be an ideal point-and-shoot. Its Snap Focus feature adds something unique for street photography, while the HDF can give photos a special look (the ND filter on the otherwise identical standard model is also intriguing if that suits your style better). The camera absolutely lives up to its iconic predecessors in form and function: It's a lot of fun to use, and its image quality competes with that of larger, interchangeable lens alternatives. But a GR camera won't appeal to everyone due to its fixed wide-angle view, limited video capabilities, and short battery life. Fujifilm's X100VI ultimately remains our Editors' Choice winner and justifies its extra cost for most people since it offers the advantage of longer runtimes, an eye-level viewfinder, and more advanced imaging and video tech.