Five pros and cons for the Ricoh GRIII
I had recently acquired a Ricoh GRIII after several months of thinking about it and looking for a good deal. Shortly after receiving it, I had a road trip pre-planned with the family which would serve as the perfect way to have fun learning a new camera. I’ve been wanting the Ricoh as a lightweight, pocketable camera for trips like this, so I’m glad it arrived just in time for this mini weekend adventure.
With the bags packed, car loaded, baby in his throne and wife in the passenger seat, we were off for a weekend getaway. The first stop, Krispy Kremes.
I was able to put the Ricoh through its paces in various shooting conditions, and I quickly experienced what all the hype was about. I’ve gathered my thoughts and put together a list of five pros and cons I have experienced so far with the Ricoh GRIII.
The Pros:
1. Small Form Factor.
This camera is so small I almost forgot I had it on me! I never felt like I was being weighed down. The problem I had before was that I didn’t want to bring any of my cameras around with me, and as the saying goes, “the best camera is the one that’s on you”. I now have no excuse to go out and take photos! Another bonus that isn’t talked about enough is that because it is so small, it doesn’t scream “Hey look! This guy is taking photos!”. It is so discreet, which is a top feature in itself.
2. Not relying on depth-of-field.
This camera is not a “bokeh superstar”, but how is that a pro? Hear me out. It is not the camera you grab if you need that creamy smooth, dramatic separation of subject/background. However, this camera was never meant to fit that purpose and is a non-issue for me. It lets me focus more on taking a better composed shot, not relying on crazy depth of field to somewhat force an appealing photo.
3. Image Quality.
I was worried this would lack, but I am thrilled to say that the image quality out of this camera is simply fantastic. The images you see on the camera’s LCD screen do not do the photos justice. I thought the images looked a bit meh, but when I loaded them onto my laptop/phone, I was totally impressed. Better than a mobile phone? Absolutely.
4. The fixed 28mm lens.
I like not being bogged down by making another choice when choosing which bit of kit I want to take with me on an outing. With a fixed 28mm lens, that decision is made for me. I have also customised a button so that I can quickly switch to tighter focal lengths and shoot at either 35mm or 50mm with a press of a button.
5. IBIS.
Some people love it, some people see it as an extra expense that isn’t worth it. Me? Love it. It is great for letting in that extra bit of light by being able to reduce the shutter speed that extra bit further.
The Cons:
1. Battery life.
Oh the battery life… The rumours are true, the battery life of these cameras is sad. Fortunately, I found myself able to charge it in my car often using a power bank, but if I were out shooting all day I would definitely feel more confident with a spare battery…
2. Lack of weather sealing.
Although I had not pushed to test it myself, the amount of horror stories I have seen online is alarming, and I for one do not want to risk damaging this bit of kit. I was at a beach and wanted to take photos, but the sand and water blowing in the wind had me extra paranoid, which is not something I would be feeling with my other camera gear…
3. Autofocus.
It’s not great. As a casual carry-around camera, it does the job, but I wouldn’t trust this autofocus in any high-pressure situation. There is a workaround for this – snap focus. I have not dived into snap focus just yet, but I am excited to learn all about it and share my findings with you soon.
4. No flip/tilt screen.
I knew what I was getting into when I bought this camera so it is not a deal breaker, but I really like a tilt screen. I can live without, but it would be nice.
5. Removal of in-built flash.
The decision to remove this feature causes many debates online. I have a flash that can slide onto the hot shoe to counter this, but an inbuilt flash is nice to have, especially for candid outings with friends.
So there you have it.
My list of pros and cons. For me, the camera has fit perfectly into my kit (and my pocket). I look forward to taking it on trips where I don’t want the extra weight of a bigger camera slowing me down. The small form-factor and image quality is enough for me to reinforce that I made a great purchase. It does what it was built for very well – capturing those every day moments quickly, quietly, and beautifully.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the photos and found some value in me sharing my thoughts.
