Ricoh GR IIIx

The GR IIIx is a compact camera that puts an APS-C sensor and 24 megapixels into a body weighing 262 grams. It stays small enough to carry every day and to have ready when a picture appears.

A fixed lens keeps the design small, and the built-in optic cannot be exchanged for another. The 4fps maximum burst suits deliberate shooting rather than fast sequences, so the camera favours photographers who take a considered approach.

Owning it means planning around a 200-shot battery rating and topping up over USB between sessions.

A 24-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor sits at the heart of this camera. That resolution leaves room to crop images while retaining pixels, and the sensor format pairs with the compact body. Sensitivity spans ISO 100 to 102400, so exposure adjustments stay available as the light changes.

In-body stabilisation reduces camera shake, which helps when you shoot handheld at slower shutter speeds or in dim interiors. It steadies the camera rather than the subject, so it serves static scenes, streets and interiors better than anything that moves quickly.

The maximum burst is 4fps, so the camera leans toward deliberate shooting rather than long action sequences. Shutter speeds reach 1/4000 at the fastest, allowing brief exposures in daylight.

The lens is fixed, which keeps the body slim and the optical setup constant. Live view on the rear screen provides the built-in way to frame each shot.

The GR IIIx records Full HD video in MPEG-4 or MOV files. Frame-rate support includes 60fps, giving you a smoother-motion option for clips.

Full HD suits casual clips, family footage and sharing online. Projects intended for native 4K delivery will need another recording option, while 60fps support offers smoother motion than lower frame rates.

A built-in timelapse mode gives a stills-first owner an in-camera moving-image option. The 262-gram body is also easy to carry to a planned sequence location.

Framing and playback run through a three-inch TFT LCD with just over a million dots, and it works as a touchscreen. That provides direct on-screen control alongside the physical buttons.

The screen is not fully articulating, so its movement is more limited than a flip-screen design. Live view still provides a screen-based way to frame each shot.

There is no built-in flash, but the camera supports an external one, so added light is an option you choose rather than a feature you always carry.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth give the camera wireless connectivity. There is no GPS and no weather sealing, so plan on another device for location data and keep the body sheltered in rain or dust.

Images record to a single SD, SDHC or SDXC card at UHS-I speed, and the camera also includes internal storage. That built-in memory gives a second home for files beyond the removable card.

The camera has one removable-card slot, so carry enough SD capacity and a spare card for longer or unrepeatable shoots.

The DB-110 battery is rated at 200 shots, so a charged spare or charging break makes sense for longer days. USB charging lets you top the battery up between sessions.