Ricoh GR III?

Announced: https://www.dpreview.com/news/7912788156/ricoh-announces-development-of-long-awaited-gr-iii

Press release + official specs: http://news.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/rim_info2/2018/20180925_026135.html

Some highlights/notes:

- Redesigned lens, minimum focus distance now 6 cm / 2.4" (previously 10 cm / 3.9"), built-in 2-stop ND filter still there

- Image stabilization ("Sensor-shift shake reduction (SR)(3-axis)")

- Dust cleaning! ("Image sensor cleaning using ultrasonic vibrations "DR II"")

- More advanced AF ("Hybrid AF (Image plane phase-matching and Contrast detection)")

- Touch screen 🙁

- USB-C for "Battery Recharge/Power Supply (Optional AC Adapter required), Data Transfer: MTP, Video output: DisplayPort over USB-C (DisplayPort Alternative Mode)" - nice

- Built-in flash is gone

- About the same size/weight as before; slightly less wide

- Still APS-C CMOS sensor

- Can now do 1920x1080 video @ 60p (previously max 30p)

- Available early 2019

Nothing earth-shattering but looks like a fine upgrade.
 
I'm pleased Ricoh kept the basic GR intact. Sensor-based IS will be a useful addition as will dust removal. I hope they haven't screwed up the optical quality of the lens by fiddling with minimum focus distance, etc. Improved AF will be welcomed by many but I tend to shoot in good light so I've never had any issues with the current AF. The jump from 16MP to 24MP probably won't be very noticeable except for file sizes. As long as I can turn off the touch screen, I'm okay with it. And, jeez, I had forgotten the GR even had a built in flash. I've never used it.

Give it a year to prove itself and I might be interested.
 
I use the built-in flash. Bad. But everything else looks fine. If the AF is up to current standard, it should be significantly more capable than before. Kinda expected the lack of weather sealing...

Will buy.
 
Well, at least I don't have to replace my GRII.

Nothing to see here really, glad they didn't ruin it.

Should be happy for a new camera announcement that I don't want to buy.
 
Slow and steady with the GR. Redesigning the lens for 4 more cm of close focus seems odd.

If had the II, and didn't have dust issues, I would give this one a miss.
 
Disappointing announcement, but I will likely buy this camera regardless. There simply isn’t interesting competition in the niche this product occupies. While I have never used any of the GR models, the photographer feedback is very good. I guess what could still put me off is the final pricing.
 
I lost my GR six months ago and have been waiting for this announcement. Not much here feels compelling. I'd welcome the pixels and stabilization but don't care about video, in-camera effects or AA simulation. And a touch display seems useful only on a flip screen.

But it's been tough not having a GR, so I'll likely go for it. Not sure what they could have done; the camera was already so good.

A bit OT, but I think we'll see some casualties of the mirrorless war, and Ricoh/Pentax could among the first to fall.

John
 
Lss said:
Disappointing announcement, but I will likely buy this camera regardless. There simply isn’t interesting competition in the niche this product occupies. While I have never used any of the GR models, the photographer feedback is very good. I guess what could still put me off is the final pricing.
Click to expand...

I'll suggest one possible bit of competition for the GR (I've owned all the digital GR's at one time or another). I've been using the Fuji XF10 for a month now. 24mp Bayer-type sensor. Colors are excellent. My favorite feature is Fuji's version of snap focus. Push a button and the camera snaps to 5 meters at f5.6. Push the button again and it snaps to 2 meters at f8. I like the simplicity of this arrangement a lot. The other feature I use a lot is the focal length zoom... flick the ring around the lens a bit and it zooms from 28mm to 35mm; another flick and it zooms to 50mm.
 
Looks good. I like that they've reduced the size somewhat; width by 8mm. As long as the AF and face detection are accurate and fast, and the general responsiveness of the user interface isn't laggy, I could see myself buying one.
 
Looks exactly like what I expected... though I didn't think they'd make it even smaller! However, the price will be key.... $800? ok. $1000+ ...no way. It also NEEDS modern AF that can focus down past -2EV at least.
 
I've always had a GR in my possession ever since the original small sensor GR Digital (skipping 1-2 generations in between), but I lost my 1st gen APS-C GR about a year or so ago, and I've been waiting for GR III to come out.

I ask only one thing: get rid of sensor dust issue or make it easier to remove. Literally all GR units I had over the years eventually developed dust spots that were large and blurry making post-process clean-up really annoying or often impossible.
 
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