Ricoh GR III Review (2025): The Pocket Camera That Doesn’t Empty Your Pockets

Field-tested in the Philippines across travel, street, family days, harsh sun and low light. This review is from real use — not spec sheets.

Quick Specs

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Why the GR III Still Hits in 2025

It disappears in your pocket — and that changes your photography. At 257g, the GR III is the camera I grab without thinking. It looks like an old tourist compact, which is its superpower: people ignore you. That invisibility creates honest moments and lets you work close at 28mm without changing behaviour. The Ricoh GR series are truly pocketable, unlike the Fuji X100VI and that changes how you carry and use the camera.

If you want more flexibility than a compact camera, here’s my guide to the best interchangeable-lens travel cameras

Handling & Controls

PASM done right: I run front dial = aperture, rear = shutter, press-for-ISO, and use the rear dial for exposure comp in A mode. You also get two well-placed Fn buttons, plus C1–C3 on the mode dial that can point to any of six stored presets. The UI feels designed by photographers — everything is where you expect.

Autofocus: Not great but has two Genius Workarounds

AF is fine for static scenes but can lag with movement/low light compared to modern systems. I mostly select a point manually — face detect is there but really isn’t up to much.. The solution for fast shooting is in two Ricoh-isms:

• Snap Focus: instantly fires at a preset distance (0.3m → ∞) when you fully press the shutter. Add aperture for depth-of-field coverage and you’re faster than AF.
• Infinity Focus: hard-locks to infinity with a DOF scale — handy for landscapes/night city scenes.

Metering That Protects Highlights

Highlight-Weighted Metering is brilliant: it protects bright areas so you don’t blowout skies or reflective surfaces. More brands should copy this (Nikon already does).

Image Quality

APS-C 24MP files are clean, detailed and print beautifully at A3+ and up to 30×20″ on my Canon 44″ printer. Ricoh colour leans a touch green, but it’s easy to remove that with a little white balance tweak. The lens is sharp wide open in the centre, it softens in the corners wide open; stop down a little and it bites. Low light is usable to ISO 6400, but the grain looks more digital than Fuji’s latest sensor. Still: entirely workable and I’m happy with people shots when exposed right at ISO 3200, 6400 at a push as long as I don’t pixel peep.

JPEG Colour & Recipes

Ricoh’s Positive Film is a favourite for punchy travel colour. The GR ecosystem has great community recipes (I use a Leica-ish one for bright sun, although I’ve customised it by removing a littel green). If you enjoy SOOC JPEGs, the GR delivers — as flexible as Fuji in real use.

IBIS, Battery & Screen

• IBIS: 3-axis stabilisation helps for static subjects but it’s not competitive with other brands at this point in time.
• Battery: plan for 2 hours of active shooting. I carry two spares or a USB power bank.
• Screen: sharp and responsive but fixed and not super bright in tropical noon sun. A simple flip screen would be perfection here.

Reliability & Weather

No weather sealing. Keep it in a pocket or small pouch if you’re near spray/sand. I’ve been fine so far, but dust-on-sensor stories exist — part of the tradeoff for the size and retractable optics.

Best GR III Setup (Fast Start)

• C1: Street quick – A mode, Snap 1.5m, f/8, Auto ISO (100–3200), Highlight-Weighted, +0 to +⅓ EC.
• C2: Low light people – A mode, AF-S centre point, f/2.8–4, Auto ISO (100–6400), Multi metering.
• C3: Travel colour – A mode, AF-S, f/5.6, Positive Film recipe, Auto ISO (100–3200), Highlight-Weighted.

Tip: Learn to judge 1m / 1.5m / 2m by eye and you’ll barely miss a shot with Snap Focus. It’s the GR way.

Who It’s For

• Everyday carry shooters who want a real camera that lives in a pocket.
• Street & travel photographers who favour 28mm’s immersive perspective and getting close.
• Parents who want honest family moments without the intimidation of a big camera.

Reasons to Buy / Skip

Alternatives

• Ricoh GR IIIx — Same body with a 40mm-equivalent lens. Better for people/portraits; my daughter uses one.
• Fujifilm X100VI — Costs more and isn’t pocketable but delivers IBIS, 40MP, a viewfinder and richer ergonomics. See my X100VI vs GR III comparison.
• Ricoh GR IV — Newer, pricier, AF and battery life reportedly improved. I have bought one and it should arrive in about 1 weeks time. I’ll compare all the Ricoh GR series in detail once I have shooting time with the GRIV.

Verdict

The GR III isn’t about specs — it’s about showing up. If it lives in your pocket, more days become photo days. Six years on, it still delivers. The question becomes: Will you shoot enough to justify paying more for the newer GR IV?

FAQ

Is the GR III weather-sealed?
No. Treat it like a premium compact: pocket/pouch it near sand or spray.

How’s startup time?
Fast. Despite the retractable lens, it’s effectively as quick to shoot as larger compacts in practice.

Best battery strategy?
Carry two DB-110 spares or a small USB-C power bank. Expect 2–3 hours of active use per battery.

Can I use film recipes?
Yes — the GR has a healthy recipes community. I use Positive Film variants and a Leica-ish sun recipe.

GR III vs GR IIIx?
Same body; pick GR III for immersive 28mm scenes and travel context. Pick GR IIIx (40mm) if you lean toward people/portraits.