If you’re looking to add some versatility to your compact Ricoh GR III set up, a NiSi filter system is a fantastic choice. In this article, I’ll tell you about the Ricoh GR III Master Kit and why you might want to carry this super-lightweight bit of kit in your bag.
This is my third article about the Ricoh GR III, a camera I bought in early 2023. The main reasons I love using it are because it’s compact, it’s pocketable, and it has fantastic image quality.
In my first article, I explained Why I Switched From the Fujifilm X100V to the Ricoh GR III Diary Edition, outlining some of the key differences between the two cameras.
My second article, Ricoh GR III: the Perfect Compact Camera for Street and Travel Photography, was a review of the camera ,examining its features, design, build quality, and image quality. I also showcased some of my favorite photos that I’ve taken with the GR III so far.
If you love compact cameras for street and travel, make sure you check those articles out.
Versatility
The thing I love most about the GR III is just how light and compact it is. Now, you may be thinking, why would you want to add something else to the GR III? In one word, versatility. If you are travelling light but would like some extra options up your sleeve, this NiSi Kit is a worth a look.
Build Quality
NiSi products are well-regarded for their solid construction and attention to detail in manufacturing. This GR III Master Kit is no different: the build quality is excellent.
The metal parts of the kit, such as the adapter ring and the filter holder, are made from the same high-quality aluminum alloy used in other popular NiSi filter systems. The filters themselves are made from high-grade optical glass.
NiSi makes a quite a few products for specific cameras. This master kit is designed specifically for the Ricoh GR III camera. You can tell a lot of thought has gone into this product for GR III users. Above and beyond the excellent build quality, it’s fantastic to see added touches like a spare silver ring in the kit and the ability to use circular 49mm filters with the adapter.
Features
It might be small, but the Master Kit has quite a few inclusions. Here’s what’s included.
GR III Adapter
If you’re wondering how you can use filters with your GR III, wonder no more. The newly designed GR III adapter is a circular metallic ring crafted from high-quality aluminum alloy.
The adapter is easy to install. To attach it to the camera, you first need to remove the ring around your GR III’s lens. Then, align the dot on the adapter with the dot on the camera and twist it into place.
Before you attach the filter holder, there’s one more cool feature to tell you about. The adapter has a thread on it so you can attach any 49mm circular filter — super cool!
Filter Holder
Next up, we have the filter holder. This screws into the adapter, allowing you to use the rectangular filters that come in the kit.
Once in position, you’ll notice that the filter holder continues to rotate 360 degrees. This allows you to use graduated filters for both horizontal and vertical compositions. You’ll also notice it has not one, but two filter slots, allowing you to stack filters.
Filters
The NiSi Filter System for Ricoh GR III (Master Kit) comes with five filters:
- Soft GND8 (0.9) 3 stop graduated filter
- Medium GND8 (0.9) 3 stop graduated filter
- HD polarizer
- ND8 (0.9) 3 stop neutral density filter
- ND64 (1.8) 6 stop neutral density filter.
The soft and medium GNDs are rectangular filters that help you darken specific areas of an image. One part of the filter is clear glass, while the other has a neutral density filter.
Typically, you’d use GNDs when you have a bright sky. Placing the filter over the top part of your composition will allow you to better capture a photo without blowing out the highlights. The bottom half of your image remains unaffected. You can move the filter up and down to place these filters precisely, getting a real time view of how it affects the image on the Ricoh’s LCD screen.
The HD Polarizer help reduce reflections and glare. It’s perfect for removing glare on water and reflections when shooting through glass. It also provides greater color and tonal saturation.
The ND8 (3 stop) and ND64 (6 stop) are neutral density filters that provide a 3- and 6-stop exposure reductions, respectively. These filters allow you to photograph with a wider aperture or slower shutter speed than normally required. By slowing your exposure time, you are able to control the depth of field and show movement in your images. This includes things like water flow (3-stop), smoothing water (6-stop) and other applications such as creating movement with people or traffic during an exposure.
All filters in the NiSi line are made from high-quality, precision-annealed optical glass. ND filters have nano coating to prevent losing any detail. There is no visible effect on the color of images.
Replacement Silver Ring
Next in the kit, we have a replacement silver ring for your GR III. If you’ve ever lost your original ring, this is a fantastic way to get a new one.
Carry Case
The last item in the Master Kit is a hand carry case for the filters.
Using the Kit
Once you have the adapter and the filter holder attached, the kit is easy to use. I enjoyed playing around with the filters and looking at the effect they had on my images. The ability to stack two filters was handy.
Of course, as soon as you add the adapter ring and filter holder to the camera, it’s not quite as pocketable anymore. I don’t see this as a problem, though, as you’d typically attach the kit for an early morning or late afternoon shoot, then take it off again.
Summary
I’ve impressed with the NiSi Master Kit for Ricoh GR III. The adapter and filter holder are made with excellent quality aluminum alloy, and I love that the adapter ring allows you to use any circular 49mm filter with the GR III. If you have a step-up ring, you could even use bigger filters with this adapter. The filters themselves are small, lightweight, and are manufactured from high-grade optical glass.
If you’re looking to keep your set up super compact and lightweight, but still would like extra options when shooting, this is a fantastic bit of kit to consider. It’s also pitched at an attractive price point, retailing for just $99 at B&H Photo.
What I Liked
- Excellent build quality.
- Good price point.
- Brings added versatility to your GR III.
- Use any circular 49mm filter with the adapter ring.
What Could Be Improved
My only criticism of this kit is that it doesn’t include the excellent NiSi Natural Night filter. That filter is available in GR III Professional Kit, but not the Master Kit.
