RICOH has just announced their newest version of a previously popular — albeit reasonably rare to see in the wild — crop sensor body. With a new lens, this could well be a serious contender for a walkaround street photography camera and at a reasonable price!
RICOH is a bit of a strange beast, I hope they won't mind me saying. They fly so far under the radar for most that you rarely see anyone with them. Nevertheless, photography enthusiasts and industry nerds like myself are more than aware of them. They have something of a cult following and you rarely see anybody particularly critical of their cameras. What they aim to do, they do well.
The RICOH GR III was released in March 2019, featuring a 28mm, wide-angle lens, and was revered for its small form factor, ease of use, and image quality. They quickly became popular with street photographers, leading RICOH to even launch a Street Edition version of the GR III.
The new RICOH GR IIIx retains more or less everything its predecessor had, but with some important changes, most notably being the new lens. The 26.1mm GR lens on the APS-C sensor provides the equivalent of a 40mm angle of view on a 35mm sensor; a popular and common focal length in street photography due to its versatility.
What has always been the most impressive about this range, to me at least, is that while it does what it aims to do very well, its cost is more than reasonable. The new GR IIIx is up on the RICOH website for €999, though it isn't on B&H yet to see the price in USD. For reference, the GR III is $896.95.
Hopefully, I can get my hands on one of these to put it through its paces!
Been wanting the GRIII for a while. hopefully i can snag one at a discount price