Ricoh GR IIIx HDF

Ricoh released the GR IIIx HDF in 2024 as a compact camera, and its defining move is putting an APS-C sensor with 24 megapixels into a body that weighs 262 grams. That is a large sensor for a camera of this size.

The combination suits photographers who want a larger sensor than a typical compact carries, in something that fits a jacket pocket. It is a camera to carry every day rather than one you plan trips around.

Owning it means accepting a light body with no weather protection, so it rewards fair-weather and everyday shooting over rough conditions.

Still photography is built around an APS-C sensor, the format used in many interchangeable-lens cameras. For a compact body this is unusually generous, and it gives more control over depth of field than the smaller chips found in ordinary compacts.

Resolution sits at 24 megapixels, which is plenty for large prints and leaves room to crop a frame while keeping detail for smaller sizes and online sharing. The margin also means an image can be straightened or trimmed in editing without losing a usable output size.

Ricoh pairs the sensor with GR unique optical technology, which the company developed for high image quality. The optics are matched to the sensor, so the resolution on paper has lens support behind it rather than working alone. In a camera this small, that sensor-and-optics pairing carries most of the still-image appeal.

Video tops out at Full HD 1080p. The frame rates on offer are 60p, 30p and 24p, covering the common choices: 24p for a film-like cadence, 30p for general shooting and 60p for smoother motion with moving subjects.

The Full HD ceiling matters if you crop footage during editing, because there is no spare resolution to work with. Framing needs to be right in camera, since a significant crop quickly softens what the file can deliver.

Audio is recorded in stereo, so ambient sound and dialogue keep some left-right separation rather than collapsing to a single channel. For casual clips, family footage and web sharing, Full HD with stereo sound remains a workable package.

At 262 grams this is a genuine take-everywhere camera. It fits a jacket pocket or a small bag slot, which means it is on hand for moments a heavier kit would have stayed home for.

Weather sealing is absent. In dust, sand or rain the camera needs a case or cover and some sensible care, because the body itself offers no protection against the elements.

Read together, those two traits describe the camera's practical character: it is very easy to carry and reliant on care rather than sealing when conditions worsen. That trade suits everyday, fair-weather shooting, which is where this compact body and its 262-gram weight naturally belong.