Like most photographers I know, I spend far too much time fantasizing about cameras I don’t own. Not always the expensive kind with huge lenses and cinematic bells and whistles, but small, discreet, versatile tools that work. Cameras that disappear in the hand and let the act of making images take over.
I’ve been using the Fujifilm X100F for a few years now, and it’s been a solid companion; a perfect mix of form and function, with a 35mm equivalent lens that suits almost everything. But after recently getting hands-on at The Photography & Video Show, something else got under my skin – the Ricoh GR IIIx.
It was tiny. Unassuming. And it felt good. I barely noticed it in my hand. But what really stuck with me wasn’t just the size, it was the 40mm equivalent lens. Slightly longer than the usual 28mm you get on most compact cameras and, for me, closer to how I actually see the world. The GR IIIx straddles the line between environmental context and intimacy in a way that few compacts do. It’s been on my mind ever since.
What draws me to the Ricoh isn’t just the specs (though the 24MP APS-C sensor, in-body image stabilization and fast autofocus are nothing to sniff at), it’s the philosophy behind it. This is a camera made for walking, for wandering, for instinctively responding to what’s in front of you.
One of my favorite photographers, Daido Moriyama, switched to the GR after years of shooting on the Nikon Coolpix. His black-and-white, high-contrast style found a perfect match in Ricoh's rendering, and he embraced its limitations with energy. That stuck with me. A compact camera doesn’t need to be perfect, it needs to be invisible. It should serve instinct, not perfectionism.
Ricoh recently launched the GR IIIx HDF version, which includes a built-in Highlight Diffusion Filter, designed to give images a more film-like glow. I’ll admit I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m not totally convinced about this version. For now, the standard model appeals more – no frills, just the essentials.
There are a lot of cameras that impress on paper, but few that stay in your head after you’ve handled them; the GR IIIx did just that. If I had to choose a new compact camera tomorrow, this would be the one I’d take with me onto the streets, on the train, into everyday life.
Not because it’s the best at everything, but because it quietly gets out of the way and just lets you shoot. And sometimes, that’s all a photographer really needs!
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Check out my other recent opinion pieces There's more than one job in photography! and I finally watched 'Photographer' on Disney+ and I wish I had sooner!
We also have a helpful guide on the best compact cameras on the market.
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