Reviewers have a strange relationship with gadgets. They move through our lives like water; they come, and they go again. I rarely spend time thinking of a gadget well after it's sent back to the company, but it happens now and then. In 2019, my WIRED editor visited me in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico and brought the then-new Ricoh GR III.

Though we both loved the camera, as sometimes happens, a review never saw the light of day. Fast forward to now. I was putting together a guide to compact cameras and needed to test the GR IIIx, which is very close to the same camera, but with a 40-mm lens instead of the 28-mm lens in the GR III. After spending a month with the GR IIIx, I realized I had to review it because five years later, it's still the best point-and-shoot camera I've ever used.

Nearer to Perfection

Why even bother with a compact camera in the age of the smartphones? Your phones is (probably) always with you, and the best camera is the one you have on you, so why bother with another device? If you're going to bother with another device, make it a huge mirrorless rig with a big fancy f/1.2 lens that will take far better, sharper, and larger images.

If that works for you, then by all means stick to that setup. I happen to dislike carrying a phones all the time, so I much prefer a compact camera in my pocket. Even when I do have my phones I still prefer to take pictures with a camera. I find it easier to think about light, timing, and composition when I am holding a camera. It's not so much that the camera is that much better in terms of specs (though it is), but that I produce better results using it.

What I like about a phones is how well it fits in your pocket compared to my Sony A7R II. This is where the Ricoh GR III comes in. It's only moderately thicker than a phones (at 1.3 inches it's about twice as thick as a Pixel phones with a case). The GR III weighs 9 ounces (257 grams) and disappears into the pocket of most pants.

Despite the compact size, the GR III packs a 24.2-MP APS-C sensor, which is why it's my favorite compact camera. At the time of writing, there is no other camera this small with an APS-C sensor. (There used to be two others in this class, Fujifilm's x70 and Nikon's Coolpix A, and both have been discontinued). While sensor size isn't everything, the GR III's sensor can deliver remarkably crisp, contrasty, detailed images on par with what I get from my Sony.

The original GR III launched in 2019 with the equivalent of a 28-mm lens. Ricoh followed this up in 2021 with the GR IIIx, which is almost the same save for the 40-mm equivalent lens. They're both fantastic. I happen to love 40-mm lenses so I've spent more time with the GR IIIx, but for most people who want an all-around capable pocket camera, I'd suggest the 28-mm version is more versatile.

Both lenses are capable of tack-sharp images with an impressive, soft bokeh you don't usually get with a camera and sensor of this size. There's also a nice macro mode that adds a bit of versatility to an already impressive package. That said, if you want a zoom, this is not the camera for you (that'd be the Sony RX100 VII).

Three things set the Ricoh GR III above the compact camera pack. The first is the APS-C sensor. The second is the size. This camera can go everywhere with you and it doesn't get in the way. I often find, no matter how discreet I try to be, pulling out a full-size camera with a decent (read: large) lens on the front, and everyone in a scene notices and subtly changes. The GR III, on the other hand, is small enough that you can pull it out without attracting attention or ruining a scene (it also doesn't make you look like a rich tourist when traveling).

The third reason I, and legions of other photographers, love this camera is all the little extras. I mentioned the macro mode, but there's also a useful built-in neutral density filter for shooting longer exposure images without overexposing (think blurring flowing water, for example). The other mode I love is snap focus.

Snap focus mode allows you to set a predetermined focus distance. This is probably most useful for "street" photographers, but I find it works pretty well with kids and pets too. It's sort of like setting your f-stop to f/8 and then knowing that everything between 6 feet and 40 feet will be in focus. Except snap focus means you can have that focus distance range regardless of what your aperture is (though with a larger aperture, the focus panel will be smaller).

I don't use snap focus as my focus mode—I leave that at spot autofocus—but I turn on “full press snap.” This means I can use two modes of focus. If I half-press the shutter button, the GR III focuses normally. If I quickly press the shutter button, it uses snap focus and fires off the shot at my predetermined focus distance (I typically set it to 1.5 meters). I can't tell you how many images have been saved by this setting.

Other little features I love are the USB-C charging port (common today, but fairly ahead of the curve in 2019), built-in film simulations, and the easy-to-use user interface. The film simulations out of the box are not quite as diverse as Fujifilm's, but there are nearly as many ways to customize them, and Ricoh enthusiasts have created plenty of "recipes" to simulate old film stock and the like.

OK, so why nearly perfect? What's not to like? Video. The GR III can shoot HD video, but it's barely usable. Don't plan on shooting video with this thing. Pretend it doesn't even shoot video. You'll be better off thinking that way. There's no built-in flash either. And the battery life is also not that great. I got about 150 shots, and fewer in low light when the built-in IBIS is working harder. Also, be forewarned: The GR III goes from one bar of battery to blinking red in a flash. Fortunately, the batteries are small, so carrying a spare isn't too bad. I also don't like that it's not completely weather-sealed. I've not had any issues with dust, but that seems to be the one complaint some owners have—dust getting on the sensor.

Despite these niggles, the GR III is still the best compact digital camera you can buy, even five years later. Many people ask whether they should wait for an update, in case a GR IV is on the horizon. I have no insight there, but I will say that Ricoh has always answered the question by saying it would update the GR series when it saw a way to improve it, and honestly, aside from the notes above, I really can't think of much that needs improvement.