Industry News: Ricoh Announces The Ricoh GR IIIx Urban Edition Special Limited Kit

Ricoh GR IIIx

Ricoh announced a new camera, with a clear “life-style” attitude: the Ricoh GR IIIx Urban Edition Kit.

At a glance:

  • 24.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • GR Engine 628mm f/2.8 Lens (35mm Equivalent)
  • 3-Axis Shake Reduction System
  • 3.0″ 1.037m-Dot Touchscreen LCD
  • Full HD 1080/60p Video Recording
  • Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi
  • Hybrid AF System, Snap Focus Feature

Limited quantities will be available starting April 2022 for $1099. This is basically an overpriced GR IIIx for hipsters.

Ricoh press release:

RICOH Announces Ricoh GR IIIx Urban Edition Special Limited Kit

Limited-edition package includes metallic gray-finished camera with blue-accented lens barrel and exclusive accessories; model debuts new GR IIIx exposure and focus modes

PARSIPPANY, NJ, March 9, 2022 — Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation today announced the RICOH GR IIIx Urban Edition Special Limited Kit. This package features the RICOH GR IIIx high- end digital compact camera, with a metallic gray finish and navy-blue ring around the lens barrel. It also includes exclusive, specially designed accessories: a leather hand strap and a metallic hot shoe cover. The kit will be available in limited quantities starting in April 2022 for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $1,099.95.

A second special package–the RICOH GR IIIx Urban Edition body only version (camera body only, without the genuine-leather hand strap and the metallic hot shoe cover)—is scheduled to be available in the summer of 2022.

| Main Features of the RICOH GR III Street Edition Special Limited Kit |

The RICOH GR IIIx Urban Edition camera body is accented by a navy-blue ring around the lens barrel. This color was selected to represent typical street shooter imagery such as deep blue skies reflected in a puddle following a rainfall or the bright neon signs of a never-sleeping city. The camera body is finished in metallic gray, reminiscent of the gritty tones of the urban landscape. This unique exterior finish requires a multi-coat process, which results in the camera’s distinctive appearance and smooth texture. The coating also helps to make it easier for a photographer to get a firm grip on the camera.

The navy-blue stripe on the leather hand strap matches the color of the lens barrel ring, complementing the overall design of the camera. The package also includes a specially designed black metallic hot shoe cover.

This camera also debuts several new functions that will also be available for standard GR IIIx models with firmware updates that will be released along with the availability of this Limited Edition Kit. These are:

  • Snap Distance Priority mode, a new exposure setting: Once the preferred distance for snapshots and the desired depth of field (DOF) are set in advance, the camera lets the user quickly and easily recall these settings. This setting is programmed to select the aperture, providing the depth of field used in pan-focus photography, making it particularly handy for quick snapshot photography.
  • Auto Area AF (Center) focus mode: Instead of covering the entire image field, this mode operates only in nine focus zones around the center of the image field, preventing the camera from focusing on unintended elements, such as a grassy field in the foreground of an image.
  • Enable AF mode shutter-release capability: When the shutter-release button is pressed halfway down, the user can lock the AF system only, without locking the AE system.
  • Snapshot mode: A distance setting of 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) has been added to the Snapshot mode; and a long press on the monitor during playback allows the user to instantly recall the playback function selection menu.

When the camera’s power is turned off, the camera displays an original shut-down screen featuring the product logo and a street-view image symbolizing the package’s urban-oriented concept.

Note: The camera’s other specifications are identical with those of the standard GR IIIx model.

Industry News: Ricoh GR III Premium APS-C Compact Camera Announced

Ricoh GR III

Ricoh GR III at a glance:

  • 24.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • GR Engine 6
  • 28mm f/2.8 Lens (35mm Equivalent)
  • 3-Axis Shake Reduction System
  • 3.0″ 1.037m-Dot Touchscreen LCD
  • Full HD 1080/60p Video Recording
  • Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi
  • Hybrid AF System, Macro Mode
  • 35mm and 50mm Focal Length Crop Modes
  • USB Type-C Port, 1x SD Card Slot

It took them a lot of time but eventually Ricoh announced the replacement for their much beloved Ricoh GR II compact camera with APS-C sensor and fixed lens. Guess Leica should have a close look at the design of the Ricoh before touting their overpriced toys for “letting you go unnoticed on the streets“. If I want to be unnoticed on the streets I’d go for Ricoh GR III and not for a ridiculously priced Leica camera.

The Ricoh GR III can be pre-ordered for $899.95 at B&H Photo and Adorama

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.

Click here to open the rest of the article

Canon working on a 360-degree spherical imagery camera (Ricoh Theta competitor)? [CW3]

Ricoh Theta S

I’ve been told (thanks) that Canon is working on the development of a camera that has similar features as the Ricoh Theta S camera (announced September 2015).

The Ricoh Theta S is a camera device with two lenses (one on each side) that allows to capture full 360-degree spherical imagery with different levels of exposure on each side. The Ricoh Theta S has the following features:

  • Record 360° Spherical Photos/Videos
  • 2 x 12MP 1/2.3″ Sensors, 14.4MP Output
  • Twin Lens System, f/2 Maximum Aperture
  • Full HD 1080p Video Recording at 30 fps
  • Live Streaming via USB or HDMI
  • Auto, Shutter Speed & ISO Priority Modes
  • ISO 1600 & Manual Exposure up to 1 Min.
  • Built-In Wi-Fi for Live View and Control
  • 8GB Internal Memory
  • Google Maps/Street View Compatible

While this might sound a bit gadget-like to someone, it is also a cool camera concept that will appeal to many people, and that maybe will play a big role in the future of photography (think GoPro and the huge commercial success it had). Camera concepts like the Ricoh Theta may well become a best seller and who wouldn’t want to have a best-selling camera in their catalog? These are also times when DSLR sales figures are going down and I am sure all the big manufacturers are looking out for new ideas.

It’s not surprising to me to hear that Canon might work on such a camera. Canon is the biggest camera and lens manufacturer out there but camera concepts like the Ricoh Theta are not on offer by Canon. To get a better idea what such a camera can do have a look at the video below, released by Ricoh for the announcement of the Ricoh Theta S.

I rate the rumor CW3 because of the source. However, a grain of salt is appropriate here.