Attention Ricoh fans! There’s a new Ricoh GR series compact camera – in fact, there are two of them. Unfortunately there is no GR IV in sight, but new ‘HDF’ versions of the GR III and GR IIIx. And what’s different about these new models? It’s all in their new filter.
The new Ricoh GR III HDF and a Ricoh GR IIIx HDF have a newly developed, built-in highlight diffusion filter (HDF) instead of an ND filter, but are otherwise identical to the original versions. (OK, the shutter button is dark silver instead of black, but that’s about it.)
A diffusion filter reduces overall sharpness and gives a dreamy soft effect, especially around the highlights, much like a Pro Mist filter popular with filmmakers. Ricoh says the new versions make it possible to “produce images that resemble those captured in film photography or vintage films.”
This new hardware makes perfect sense – cinematic looks are definitely in vogue, thanks to a resurgence in film photography and the popularity of Fujifilm’s film simulations. And the HDF models can give you the old-school look at the touch of a button, simply by turning the filter on – or you can just as easily turn it off and continue enjoying the sharp 24 MP photos that the Ricoh GR III can make models.
There’s more information about the filter in the announcement on Ricoh’s YouTube (above), and Ricoh has also shared a few sample images. But as a Ricoh fan, and despite the new creative impact that the HDF models bring, the announcement is a bit of an anticlimax.
Disappointment for most Ricoh fans
When vague rumors on rumor sites in early 2024 indicated that a new Ricoh camera was on the way, I, like many other Ricoh fans, hoped for a new Ricoh GR IV. That model could still appear one day, but for now it’s the GR III HDF ($1,069 / £1,049) and GR IIIx HDF ($1,149 / £1,199).
I’ve been using my own GR IIIx as an everyday camera for the past two years and there’s a lot I like about it, but it also has its flaws. I’ve listed the five improvements I’d like to see in a potential GR IV, mainly a pop-up flash, rugged construction, a tilting LCD screen, better autofocus, and retention of the super-compact size.
So when the ‘HDF’ versions of the GR III and GR IIIx were announced, it was anticlimactic: I longed for a new GR camera with better controls. Don’t get me wrong: it’s good that Ricoh is still in business and that its champion product is still one of the best compact cameras today, despite its shortcomings.
But the GR III was launched in 2018 and the GR IIIx came in 2021 with a new lens in addition to the same technology, such as the 24 MP APS-C sensor and autofocus system. Technically, these cameras are far behind the larger and more expensive Fujifilm X100VI and could use a new and improved successor.
I’m not demanding X100VI quality features in a potential GR IV, I’m just hoping for some of the aforementioned handling improvements. But right now we don’t even have a new GR IV, just a GR III iteration that trades the super useful built-in ND filter for a creative filter with limited use, even if it does create trendy vintage photo effects.
Ricoh has a three-year product launch cycle, but I hope that won’t be done this year after these HDF models. I still prefer the pocketability of the GR III series over the technically better Fujifilm X100 series. And I don’t mind Ricoh’s compromises, including poor battery life, because the compact size means I really do have a decent camera with me at all times, while the larger X100VI requires some conscious thought. I just hope a new and improved GR model is on the way as well.