Ricoh GR IIIx Urban Edition Compact Digital Camera & Case

The Ricoh GR IIIx is a premium digital compact camera featuring a newly developed GR 26.1mm F2.8 lens giving a 40mm angle of view in the 35mm format. It offers professional grade image quality in a compact, lightweight body - perfect for street photography. A large 24.24 megapixel APS-C-format CMOS image sensor with an anti-aliasing filter-less design and a newly developed GR Engine 6 imaging engine produces super-high-resolution images and a a sensitivity of ISO 102400.

Urban Edition

Inspired by the asphalt of big-city streets, and the lights of the sky and neon that reflect in them, the RICOH GR IIIx "Urban Edition" is offered in a metallic grey body colour. This elaborately designed surface not only looks particularly classy, it also ensures a pleasant and secure grip feeling. In addition to the special housing colour, the blue lens ring is an external feature of this series. Also included with the Urban Edition kit is the custom-fit GC-11 leather soft case to guard your camera when it's not is use.

26.1mm high-resolution GR lens

The Ricoh GR IIIx incorporates a newly developed 26.1mm F2.8 GR lens, which harmonises exceptional image quality with a slim design. Unlike past GR-series models which featured a 28mm wide angle of view for exaggerated perspective, this lens provides a 40mm standard angle of view in the 35mm format, delivering images with a more natural perspective and a more truthful sense of depth for a completely different type of street photography.

The newly designed optics incorporates two aspherical optical elements at most effective positions to reduce distortion and chromatic aberration to a minimum, while effectively minimising the generation of flare and ghost images when shooting against backlight. In macro photography, the camera allows the user to move in on a subject to as close as 12 centimeters from the lens front end. Coupled with the standard focal length, it captures close-up images with a natural perspective, set against a beautifully defocused background. It also comes equipped with an ND (Neutral Density) filter, which closes the aperture down by two stops to capture high-contrast, high-resolution images with a variety of scenes and subjects and under varying shooting conditions. Its nine-blade diaphragm mechanism creates a natural bokeh (defocus) effect and a truthful sense of depth at open and larger apertures, while capturing beautiful light beams at closed-down apertures.

High-quality, high-resolution images

The GR IIIx incorporates a large APS-C-format CMOS image sensor with an anti-aliasing (AA) filter-less design and a newly developed GR ENGINE 6 imaging engine to optimise its image resolving power. With approximately 24.24 effective megapixels, this image sensor assures super-high-resolution images rich in gradation. It is also compatible with multi-tone 14-bit RAW image recording. The camera also features the RICOH-original accelerator unit designed to optimise the image data delivered by the image sensor, and provides a top sensitivity of ISO 102400 for super-high-sensitivity photography.

Compact, lightweight design

Despite the incorporation of the large APS-C-format image sensor and the newly developed optics with a longer focal length, the GR IIIx is designed to be extremely compact, functional and portable, in keeping with the GR-series concept of the camera as a pocketable imaging tool or a handy picture-taking tool. It also provides a host of user-friendly features — such as a short start-up time of approximately 0.8 seconds, control dials conveniently positioned next to the four-way controller, and effortless touch-screen operation — to enhance operability and allow the user to swiftly react to once-in-a-lifetime shutter opportunities. The exterior frame is made of highly rigid magnesium alloy to improve dependability and durability while being carried or stored.

Hybrid AF system

The GR IIIx features a hybrid AF system combining a contrast-type AF mechanism superior in focusing precision with a phase-detection-type AF mechanism assuring high-speed focusing operation. During autofocus shooting, this AF system detects the subject’s face or eye with precision, focuses on it, and indicates the in-focus position on the LCD display using the AF frame. When the camera detects multiple faces, it automatically distinguishes the main subject from secondary ones and indicates this on the focus frame. Photographers can also change the main subject with simple touch-screen operation.

SR (Shake Reduction) mechanism

Three-axis, four-step shake reduction: The RICOH-original SR (Shake Reduction) mechanism means that the GR IIIx effectively compensates for camera shake at the time of shutter release. The three-axis mechanism minimises the adverse effects of camera shake caused by pitch, yaw and roll by as much as four shutter steps. Since the SR mechanism shifts the image sensor to the ideal position horizontally and vertically, the camera lets the user take advantage of the Auto Horizon Correction function to effortlessly optimise image composition.

High-definition LCD monitor with intuitive touch-screen operation

The GR IIIx features a 3.0-inch high-definition LCD monitor with approximately 1,037,000 dots. Its touch-screen operation provides swift, intuitive control of various camera functions, such as AF frame shift, menu selection, and image advance/magnification during playback. It also features an air gapless construction, in which special resin is inserted between the LCD touchscreen monitor and a protective cover made of reinforced glass, to effectively reduce the reflection and dispersion of light for improved visibility. The Outdoor View Setting allows the user to instantly adjust the monitor’s brightness to the desired level for greater visibility in difficult lighting conditions.

Image Control function to produce desired visual effects

The GR IIIx features a creative Image Control function, which integrates effect modes into conventional image setting operations. Using 11 basic Image Control modes, the user can easily adjust various parameters, such as saturation, hue, key, contrast and graininess, to the desired level and create their preferred finishing touch. A set of adjusted parameters can be added as a custom setting to the Image Control function menu.

Advanced image editing

The GR IIIx provides in-body RAW-data development, while allowing the user to edit a captured image as desired by adjusting such parameters as recoding size, aspect ratio, white balance, Image Control setting, and exposure compensation factor, all without the need of a PC. Since the camera reduces the time required for preview after the user adjusts the parameters of RAW-format images, it enhances the speed of in-body RAW-data development. The camera also lets the user retain the adjusted parameters after the initial RAW-data development is completed, making it possible to make minute re-adjustment of the already-developed image with greater efficiency. The camera’s image quality adjustment function for JPEG images is also upgraded: a newly added monochrome mode allows more minute adjustment of parameters in full-colour images, such as filter effect, toning, contrast and sharpness, to create monochrome images with the desired finishing touches. The camera also provides such creative tools as a choice of aspect ratio (16:9 or 4:3)* and image rotation in 0.1-degree steps to facilitate the image editing process.

Other Features

- Full HD movie recording (1920 x 1080 pixels, 60 frame rate) in the H-264 recording format

- New DOF Priority (Deep) added to the program line to prioritise the closed aperture setting

- Bluetooth and wireless LAN dual communication

- RICOH-original AA Filter Simulator

- Colour Moiré Correction function to reduce the effect of moiré during playback

- Interval Composite mode, effective in capturing landscapes with traces of the moon and stars

- Electronic Level to check the camera’s inclination

Additional Urban Edition Features

- A new exposure mode, “Snap Distance Priority Mode” has been added. By setting the snapshot distance and depth of field (DOF) in advance, you can instantly recall the setting. DOF3, in particular, sets the f-stop so that the depth of field is close to pan-focus, allowing you to enjoy faster shooting.

- “Auto-area AF (Centre)” has been added to the Focus. Auto-area AF works around the centre of the frame (9 areas) instead of the entire frame. This prevents the camera from focusing on unintended areas such as the ground in front of you, allowing you more control of your street snaps.

- “Enable AF” has been added to the Shutter Button Setting. It is now possible, when the shutter button is pressed halfway, that only the AF is locked without locking the AE.

- “3.5m” has been added to the Snap Focus Distance.

- Long tapping on the playback screen can now recall the Playback Settings.

- Unique power-off graphic.