The development of a new Ricoh GR III camera is now officially announced. The release is scheduled for early 2019.
Update #1 – the above promo vidoe was removed.
Update #2 – US press release added:
WEST CALDWELL, N.J., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation today announced it will debut the highly anticipated RICOH GR III camera at Photokina 2018 — the world’s largest, full-scale trade fair of photographic and imaging products, held September 26-29, in Cologne, Germany. The new camera is the latest model of the RICOH GR series, a lineup of high-end digital compact cameras providing exceptional image quality in a compact, lightweight body ideal for street photography, travel and capturing candid images.
Currently under development, the RICOH GR III features a newly designed lens, image sensor and imaging engine that further upgrade image quality, enhance functionality and improve the user interface.
For more than 20 years, the RICOH GR series has kept to its core concept of optimizing the essential values of a camera — high image quality, snapshot capability and portability — while at the same time making the refinements needed to meet emerging and evolving needs. Because of this, GR-series models have been preferred by a great many photographers, particularly professionals and highly experienced amateurs.
Designed to be the ultimate street photography camera, the RICOH GR III is a totally new breed of GR camera that will give the user new and different creative possibilities.
Pricing and Availability
The RICOH GR III will be available in early 2019 at www.ricohimaging.com and retail outlets nationwide.
Translated Japanese press release:
TOKYO, September 25, 2018 －RICOH COMPANY, LTD. and RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD. are pleased to announce a preview showing of the RICOH GR III camera at Photokina 2018 – the world’s largest, full-scale trade fair of photographic and imaging products, to be held from September 26 to 29 in Cologne, Germany. The new camera has been in the process of development as the latest model of the RICOH GR series, which features a lineup of high-end digital compact cameras combining exceptional image quality with a compact, lightweight body ideal for snapshot photography.
Over a history of more than 20 years, the RICOH GR series has always kept its basic concept of optimizing the essential values of a camera – high image quality and snapshot capability and portability – while at the same time making the changes and refinements needed to meet emerging needs. Because of this, GR-series models have been preferred by a great many photographers, particularly professionals and highly experienced amateurs.
Currently under development, the RICOH GR III inherits the basic GR-series concept, but it incorporates totally new devices in its main components, including a newly designed lens, a new image sensor, and a new imaging engine. These are designed to further upgrade image quality, strengthen many of the functions and improve the user interface.
Designed to be the ultimate snapshot camera, the RICOH GR III is a totally new breed of GR camera, one that will give the user new and different creative possibilities. We hope Photokina 2018 visitors will enjoy their first look at this new-generation GR-series model.
German press release:
Ricoh Imaging is pleased to present a prototype of the RICOH GR III, the latest model of the RICOH GR series, at photokina 2018, the world’s largest photo and image processing trade fair, from 26 to 29 September.
The RICOH GR series, with more than 20 years of history, stands for exceptional picture quality like no other high-end digital camera, which, in combination with a light and compact housing, is predestined for snapshot photography.
In addition to this basic concept, the product developers strive to meet the needs of the photographers and make changes and improvements, and to implement as far as possible in firmware updates in the current models. Not for nothing is the overall concept of the GR series very popular among photographers, especially professionals and experienced amateurs.
With the new, in development, RICOH GR III, the basic concept of the GR series is consistently pursued. In the usual compact housing, the main components are completely renewed. So there is a new sensor for a new lens and a new processor to process the larger amounts of data.
The new 24 MP APS-C CMOS sensor is a very special highlight. It is moveable and thus provides the basis for a 3-axis image stabilization, which is also the prerequisite for the new sensor cleaning function Dust Removall II. With these innovations, a new quality level for image and operation is achieved.
In addition, the RICOH GR III also offers proven functions. Specifically, the specifications for the film simulation, with the option to use different filters already when recording, the photographer’s creativity offers many possibilities. Thus, in addition to black and white and mono-chrome (in different effects), positive film, portrait, Alive or Glowing a total of 12 specifications for the film simulation are offered, of which 2 are individually customizable. In addition, more than 12 image options, such as Filmkörnung or different contrast specifications, offered.
But the proven macro mode, now already with a minimum focusing distance from 6 mm, or the digital focal lengths of 35 mm or 50 mm expand the possibilities of the small reportage camera significantly. For the new RICOH GR III, there will also be accessories, such as clip-on viewfinder or filter adapter with stray light.
The RICOH GR III is a new kind of GR camera. It is completely redeveloped to expand the creative possibilities of photographers. We invite you to take a first look at the new generation of the GR series at the photokina 2018.
We are particularly pleased about the GR fan meeting, the “1st GRmany Meet and Greet”, on Sunday evening the 29th of September at our booth to exchange experiences and wishes with the management and product development from Japan.
More information about the RICOH GR III can be found on the product page .
The launch of the RICOH GR III is scheduled for early 2019. The price will be announced together with the product announcement.
Major specifications:
| Lens | Lens Construction | 6 elements in 4 groups (2 aspherical lens elements) |
|---|---|---|
| Focal Length, Aperture | 18.3mm (Approx. 28mm in 35mm equivalent focal length), F2.8～F16 | |
| Image Capture Unit | Image Sensor | Type: Primary color filter CMOS. Size: 23.5mm x 15.6mm |
| Effective Pixels | Approx. 24.24 megapixels | |
| Sensitivity (Standard output) | Auto (ISO Auto Lower/Upper Limit and Minimum Shutter Speed can be set), Manual: ISO100～To be finalized | |
| Image Stabilization | Sensor-shift shake reduction (SR)(3-axis) | |
| AA Filter Simulator | Moiré reduction using SR unit (Off, Low, High) | |
| Dust Removal | Image sensor cleaning using ultrasonic vibrations “DR II” | |
| File Formats | Still Image | File Format: RAW (DNG) 14bit, JPEG (Exif 2.3), DCF2.0 compliant Color Space: sRGB、AdobeRGB Recorded Pixels: 【3:2】L(24M:6000×4000), M(15M:4800×3200), S(7M:3360×2240), XS(2M:1920×1280) 【1:1】L(16M:4000×4000), M(10M:3200×3200), S(5M:2240×2240), XS(1.6M:1280×1280) |
| Movie | File Format: MPEG4 AVC/H.264 (MOV) Recorded Pixels: Full HD (1920×1080, 60p/30p/24p), Sound: Built-in stereo microphone Recording Time: Up to 25 minutes or 4GB; automatically stops recording if the internal temperature of the camera becomes high. |
|
| Storage Medium | Internal Memory (Approx. 2GB), SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Card (Conforms to USH-I standards) | |
| Focus | Type | Hybrid AF (Image plane phase-matching and Contrast detection) |
| Focus Mode | Auto-area AF, Zone AF, Select AF, Pinpoint AF, Tracking AF, Continuous AF, MF, Snap, ∞ | |
| Face Detection | ON, Use only in Auto-area, OFF | |
| Focus Range (From lens face) | Normal: Approx. 0.1m～∞, Macro Mode: Approx. 0.06m～0.12m | |
| Exposure | Exposure Mode | Program AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE, Manual Exposure |
| Metering Mode | Multi-segment, Center-weighted, Spot, Highlight-weighted | |
| Shutter Speed | 1/4000 sec. – 30 sec. (Limit by aperture setting F2.8: 1/2500 sec, F5.6 or greater: 1/4000 sec.) Timed Exposure (10sec. – 20min.), Bulb, Time |
|
| EV Compensation | Still Image: ±5EV, 1/3EV steps, Movie: ±2EV, 1/3EV steps | |
| ND Filter (2EV) | AUTO, ON, OFF | |
| White Balance | Auto White Balance, Multi Auto White Balance, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Fl. – Daylight Color, Fl. – Daylight White, Fl. – Cool White, Fl. – Warm White, Tungsten, CTE, Manual White Balance, Color Temperature | |
| Fine Adjustment | Adjustable ±14 steps on A-B axis or G-M axis | |
| Drive Mode | Drive | Single Frame Shooting, Continuous Shooting, Bracketing, Multi-exposure, Interval Shooting, Interval Composite |
| Self-timer | 10 sec., 2 sec., OFF | |
| Shooting Functions | Crop | 35mm, 50mm, OFF |
| Image Control | Standard, Vivid, Monotone, Soft Monotone, Hard Monotone, Hi-Contrast B&W, Positive Film, Bleach Bypass, Retro, HDR Tone, Custom1, Custom2
Adjust parameters: Saturation, Hue, High/Low Key Adjustment, Contrast, Contrast (Highlight), Contrast (Shadow), Sharpness, Shading, Clarity, Toning, Filter Effect, Grain Effect, HDR Tone Level (Adjust parameter varies depending on the selected image setting) |
|
| Dynamic Range Correction | Highlight Correction, Shadow Correction | |
| Noise Reduction | Slow Shutter Speed Noise Reduction, High-ISO Noise Reduction | |
| Display | Display magnification (4x, 16x), Grid display (4×4 Grid, 3×3 Grid), Histogram, Bright area warning, Electronic Level | |
| Playback Functions | Playback View | Single frame, Multi-image (20, 48 frames), Display magnification (up to 16x, 100% view and Quick Zoom view available), Histogram (Y histogram, RGB histogram), Grid display (3×3 Grid, 4×4 Grid), Bright area warning, Auto Image Rotation, |
| Base Parameter Adjustment | Brightness, Saturation, Hue, Contrast, Sharpness | |
| RAW Development | Aspect Ratio, JPEG Recorded Pixels, Color Space, White Balance, Image Control, Peripheral Illumination Correction, Sensitivity, High-ISO Noise Reduction, Shadow Correction | |
| Edit | Resize, Cropping, Levels Adjustment, White Balance Adjustment, Color Moiré Correction, Movie Edit (Cut), Movie Edit (Divide) | |
| LCD Monitor | Type | 3.0 inch TFT color LCD (aspect ratio 3:2)、Approx. 1037K dots, Wide viewing angle, Air-gapless tempered glass |
| Touch Screen | Capacitive sensing method | |
| Adjustments | Brightness, Saturation, Blue/Amber, Green/Magenta, Outdoor View Setting: ±2 Steps | |
| Wireless LAN | Standards | IEEE 802.11b/g/n (HT20) (Wireless LAN standard protocol) |
| Frequency (Center Frequency) | 2412MHz～2462MHz (1ch～11ch) | |
| Security | Authentication: WPA2, Encryption: AES | |
| Interfaces | USB Type-C | Battery Recharge/Power Supply (Optional AC Adapter required), Data Transfer: MTP, Video output: DisplayPort over USB-C (DisplayPort Alternative Mode) |
| Hotshoe | Compatible with P-TTL Auto Flash Flash Mode: Flash On, Flash On+Red-eye, Slow-speed Sync, Slow Sync+Red-eye Flash Exposure Compensation: -2.0 -+1.0 |
|
| Lens adapter pin | Available | |
| Power Supply | Battery Type | Dedicated Rechargeable Battery |
| Battery Life | To be finalized | |
| Dimensions and Weight | Dimensions | Approx. 109.4(W)×61.9(H)×33.2(D)mm (excluding protrusions) |
| Weight | Approx. 257g (Included dedicated battery and SD memory card), Approx. 227g (Body only) | |
| Included Accessories | Dedicated Rechargeable Battery, USB Power Adapter, Power Plug, USB Cable, Handstrap | |
| Language | English, French, Germany, Spanish, Portuguese, Italy, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Turkey, Greek, Russian, Thai, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese | |
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