Few cameras on the market have been lucky enough to attract such a cult following as Ricoh’s GR line-up. The GRII especially found plenty of popularity with photographers who wanted a compact digital camera and loved the excellent image quality from GR's APS-C size sensor.
The internet had provided plenty of rumours that Ricoh may be about to release something new and now the brand announced at the Photokina Show in Germany that the GRII’s replacement - the GRIII - is in development and will be arriving in early 2019.
The GRIII will stick to the APS-C sensor, but the resolution will jump from 16-megapixels to 24-megapixels and there’ll also be a new processor engine to get the most from that larger resolution, too. Also new will be a freshly design version of the 18. 3mm (28mm at 35mm equivalent) lens, which boasts a fast f/2. 8 maximum aperture.
The GRIII gets more resolution, better autofocus, image stabilisation and a touchscreen!
What’s more, the new sensor will include three-axis sensor-shift stabilisation - a first for the GR line-up and a feature that will be sure to please street photographers who will use this camera in low light. Autofocus will be improved via an all-new phase detection system and in another first for the GR range, the GRIII will features a touch-sensitive LCD.
Ricoh's lighweight GR system gained cult-status thanks to its compact dimensions and excellent image quality.
Video specs have also been enhanced and, although there’s no 4K on offer, the GRIII will be able to record Full HD at 60p, allowing users to create 2x slow motion using editing software. With a built-in stereo mic, footage can be recorded for up to 25 minutes at a time and will save to the single SD card slot.
A USB-C connection will enable charging on the move and the GRIII’s Wi-Fi will allow images to be transferred to smart devices out in the field. Despite all these specs, the GRIII will weigh in at just 257g (with battery and SD card). This small, discreet and unobtrusive form factor was the key to the GR range’s success and it looks like the new GRIII will continue this ethos.
. digitalrev.com2018-9-26 03:00