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Ricoh GR III, with updated lens, 24MP APS-C sensor and in-body IS to ship in March

Five months after its development announcement, the Ricoh GR III will be shipping this March for $899. Unlike the GR II, which was a very minor upgrade to the original, the major components on the GR III are all-new.

The controls have received a major shake-up as the GR III becomes the first in the series to use a touchscreen. The screen is a 3.0", 1.04M-dot LCD, with all of the usual features like AF point selection, menu navigation and image review onboard.

It also gains image stabilization, with a 3-axis sensor-shift system offering shake reduction rated at up to four stops. This 'SR' system can also be used to simulate an AA filter for when moiré reduction is desired. And there's now an ultrasonic dust reduction system for the sensor, which is perhaps a nod to the dust problems that some encountered on the GR I and II.

The GR III's autofocus system has been overhauled, with the addition of on-sensor phase detection. This, along with a redesigned lens, gives us hope that the GR II's autofocus will be quicker than its predecessors. Ricoh is yet to provide any technical details but says it will be 'faster and more responsive.'

The GR III's 28mm equiv. F2.8 lens has six elements in four groups, with two elements being aspherical. The lens can now focus as close as 6cm (2.4"), compared to 10cm (3.9") on the previous models. The GR III continues to offer a built-in 2-stop ND filter.

The resolution of the GR III's APS-C sensor has been bumped from 16MP to 24MP, with a fully expanded ISO range of 100 - 102,400. The GR III can now record 1080/60p video, but no 4K. Ricoh has added a Type-C USB 3.0 port on the camera (which can be used to charge the battery,) and connectivity options now include Bluetooth in addition to Wi-Fi.

Two things that the GR III lost are its built-in flash and a fair amount of its battery life. The latter has plunged from 320 shots to 200 shots per charge - a 38% drop - despite using a higher capacity battery. More than likely, the addition of in-body IS puts the biggest hit on battery life.

As mentioned above, the GR III will be yours to purchase in March for $899. A new 0.75x wide-angle adapter (GW-4) will also be available for $249.

Press Release

Ricoh launches RICOH GR III high-end, compact digital camera

Newest model in the popular RICOH GR series delivers exceptional image quality in a smaller, lightweight body, making it ideal for street photography

WEST CALDWELL, NJ, February 21, 2019 - Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation today announced the launch of the highly anticipated RICOH GR III camera. The new camera is the latest model in the RICOH GR series, a lineup of high-end digital cameras providing exceptional image quality in a compact, lightweight body ideal for street photography, travel and capturing candid images.

The RICOH GR III features a newly designed lens, image sensor and imaging engine that further upgrade image quality, enhance functionality and improve usability. The 18.3mm F2.8 lens delivers exceptional imaging performance with a slim design, consisting of six optical elements in four groups, while retaining the 28mm angle of view. It produces the clearest, sharpest images in GR-series history while reducing distortion and chromatic aberration. It also comes equipped with a macro shooting capability with a minimum focusing distance of six centimeters.

In keeping with the GR-series concept of packaging high image quality in a compact design, the RICOH GR III camera body is smaller than its predecessor, and is equipped with a large APS-C-size CMOS image sensor with approximately 24.24 effective megapixels to produce high-resolution images. Its short start-up time of approximately 0.8 seconds allows for quick, responsive shooting. The camera’s high-definition LCD monitor features touchscreen operation, offering intuitive control of various camera functions right on the screen.

The camera also features a high-speed hybrid autofocus system, built-in shake reduction, in- camera image finishing options, USB Type-CTM, Bluetooth and wireless LAN connectivity options. An accessory wide-angle conversion lens designed exclusively for use with the RICOH GR III is also available. The GW-4 Wide Conversion Lens expands the angle of view to 21mm ultra-wide angle.

“The Ricoh GR III is the ultimate street camera,” said William Hereford, a Brooklyn-based pro photographer, who has been shooting with GR series cameras for years. “The image quality and ease of use are equally amazing. I literally don’t leave my house without this camera. The GR III fits perfectly both in my hand and my pocket, so it is always available to capture a moment.”

Hereford says that the image quality is so great, that photos taken with his GR cameras have the potential to be used in national ad campaigns and magazine articles.

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 shipping in March 2019 and will be available at www.us.ricoh- imaging.com and retail outlets nationwide. Price is $899.95 for the camera, $249.95 for the GW-4 Wide Conversion Lens.

Ricoh GR III specifications

Price
MSRP $899 / £799
Body type
Body type Large sensor compact
Body material Magnesium alloy
Sensor
Max resolution 6000 x 4000
Image ratio w:h 1:1, 3:2
Effective pixels 24 megapixels
Sensor photo detectors 25 megapixels
Sensor size APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm)
Sensor type CMOS
Color space sRGB, Adobe RGB
Color filter array Primary color filter
Image
White balance presets 8
Custom white balance Yes
Image stabilization Sensor-shift
CIPA image stabilization rating 4 stop(s)
Uncompressed format RAW
File format
  • JPEG (Exif v2.3)
  • Raw (14-bit DNG)
Optics & Focus
Focal length (equiv.) 28 mm
Maximum aperture F2.8–16
Autofocus
  • Contrast Detect (sensor)
  • Phase Detect
  • Multi-area
  • Center
  • Selective single-point
  • Tracking
  • Single
  • Continuous
  • Touch
  • Face Detection
  • Live View
Autofocus assist lamp Yes
Manual focus Yes
Normal focus range 10 cm (3.94)
Macro focus range 6 cm (2.36)
Screen / viewfinder
Articulated LCD Fixed
Screen size 3
Screen dots 1,037,000
Touch screen Yes
Screen type TFT LCD
Live view Yes
Viewfinder type Optical (optional)
Photography features
Minimum shutter speed 30 sec
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000 sec
Exposure modes
  • Program
  • Aperture priority
  • Shutter priority
  • Manual
Built-in flash No
External flash Yes (via hot shoe)
Flash modes Auto, Flash On, Flash On+Red-eye, Slow-speed Sync, Slow Sync+Red-eye
Flash X sync speed 1/4000 sec
Drive modes
  • Single Frame
  • Continuous Shooting
  • Bracketing
  • Multi-exposure
  • Interval Shooting
  • Interval Composite
Continuous drive 4.0 fps
Self-timer Yes
Metering modes
  • Multi
  • Center-weighted
  • Highlight-weighted
  • Spot
Exposure compensation ±5 (at 1/3 EV steps)
Videography features
Format MPEG-4, H.264
Modes
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 60p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 30p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 24p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
Microphone Stereo
Speaker Mono
Storage
Storage types Internal, SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I supported)
Storage included 2GB
Connectivity
USB USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec)
USB charging Yes
HDMI No
Microphone port No
Headphone port No
Wireless Built-In
Wireless notes 802.11b/g/n + Bluetooth
Remote control Yes (via smartphone)
Physical
Battery Battery Pack
Battery description DB-110 lithium-ion battery & USB charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 200
Weight (inc. batteries) 257 g (0.57 lb / 9.07 oz)
Dimensions 109 x 62 x 33 mm (4.29 x 2.44 x 1.3)
Other features
Orientation sensor Yes
Timelapse recording Yes
GPS None


from Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com) https://ift.tt/2En0UlK

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