Ricoh GR Digital III advanced compact camera

According to Amateur Photographer (AP) Magazine, Ricoh GR Digital III will be out next month (August 2009). It is an improvement from Ricoh GR II. The new Ricoh cameras will challenge many advanced compact in the market such as Canon G10, Panasonic LX3, Samsung WB1000, Sigma DP2 etc.

Ricoh GRD III

What special about Ricoh GR Digital III?

Use 1.7″ sensor
It has fixed focal length of 28mm (equivalent to 35mm on full frame camera) with maximum aperture of f/1.9.
Viewfinder and wide lens conversion (21mm) is available
Expensive, MSRP is around $800, GBP 530
Magnesium alloy body (tough body)
Digital hotshoe for external viewfinder or flashes (compatible with some Sigma flashes)
5 frame per second continuous shooting (fastest in the class)
Selective colors saturation adjustment (great for landscape)
3 inches LCD screen 920k resolution
Fix focus for instant shooting (zero shutter lag)
High Dynamic range processing 12 EV

One thing that important to know is Ricoh does not have zoom lenses, but it has fixed focal length of 35mm which is considered wide angle and is popular among classic photographers such as William Albert Alard from Nation Geographics and many others. There are also a wide lens conversion for wider viewing angle, suitable for landscape photography.

Big aperture of f/1.9 (the best for advanced compact surpass the f/2 in LX3) is quite an achievement for Ricoh. It allows more light to come in so you can have cleaner image in low light condition Ricoh also boasts 5 fps which is considered very fast, usually only high-end digital SLR camera has this feature.

This camera also has built-in high dynamic range processing. Camera will take 2 shots in different exposure and then combine it to protect under/over exposure. This will help to compete with DSLR’s dynamic range.

Downsides

The downside of the camera is the small sensor. Some advanced cameras already use DSLR size sensor such as Sigma DP2. The other competition will come from micro four third system like Olympus E-P1.

The price of Ricoh GRD III is also ridiculously high. It is 50% more expensive than most of advanced compact in the market. With the same amount of money, you can get Olympus E-P1 with kit lens which is superior product because of the DSLR quality sensor and the interchangeable lenses feature.

Application and Conclusion

However, Ricoh GRD III do have its strong points and some of features are top of the line and never been shown before. Application of this camera will be good for street photography, architecture, and landscape. Its small form factor (but super tough) and it classic feel and looks will be appealing for many traditional photographers.