Ricoh GR Review

Main Features

16MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 25600

28 mm f2.80 Prime Lens

3″ Fixed Type Screen

4 fps continuous shooting

1920 x 1080 video resolution

245g. 117 x 61 x 35 mm

Replaced by Ricoh GR II

$772.44

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Ricoh GR Overview

First introduced in April 2013 , Ricoh GR is a 16.0MP Large Sensor Compact camera with a APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm ) sized CMOS sensor. Ricoh later replaced GR with GR II. Follow the link to read our in-depth comparison of these cameras:
Compare Ricoh GR vs Ricoh GR II

Ricoh GR is a member of Ricoh's GR series of cameras. Below you can see the latest models in this series and how their main specs have changed with each new version.

Ricoh GR Series History

Model	Release Date	Sensor	Max FPS	Dimensions	Weight
Ricoh GR III	2018	24.0MP - APS-C	fps	109 x 62 x 33mm	257g
Ricoh GR II	2015	16.0MP - APS-C	4.0 fps	117 x 63 x 35mm	251g
Ricoh GR	2013	16.0MP - APS-C	4.0 fps	117 x 61 x 35mm	245g

Check the link below to compare specs of the latest cameras in this series:
Ricoh GR III vs GR II vs GR

Ricoh GR has an Overall Score of 62/100 and ranked #31 out of 55 in Large Sensor Compact cameras (Top 10 Compact), and ranked #296 out of 1171 in all Cameras (Top 10 Overall).

Ricoh GR Type Scores

Imaging

Features

Value for Money

Portability

Overall Score

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Ricoh GR Compared to other Compact Cameras

Now let's get in to more details of our Ricoh GR review by analysing its specs and features and listing out its pros and cons compared to average competitor cameras in its class.

PROs

External Flash Shoe

1920 x 1080 Max Video Resolution

Optical (Optional) Optional Viewfinder

RAW Shooting

25.600 Max ISO

1.230k dots LCD Resolution

1/4000s High Shutter Speed

245g Light Body

Manual Focusing

Manual Exposure

Timelapse Recording

Fast 2.80 Lens at Wide

Fast 2.80 Lens at Tele

Good Low Light ISO - 972

AE Bracketing

Built-in ND Filter

Buy Ricoh GR from or B&H PHOTO

CONs

No Wireless Connection

No Image Stabilization

No Articulating Screen

No Touch Screen

Optical (Optional) No External Viewfinder Option

No Face Detection Focusing

Only Unknown Focus Points

Low Battery Life: 290 shots

No Environmental Sealing

Ricoh GR Sensor and Photography Features

Ricoh GR has a 16.0MP APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . You can shoot at maximum resolution of 4928 x 3264 pixels with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3 and 3:2. GR has a native ISO range of 100 - 25600 and it can save files in RAW format which gives you a wider room for post processing.

Ricoh GR is not the highest resolution APS-C camera. Sigma Quattro with its 29.0MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Ricoh GR vs Sigma Quattro or take a look at Highest resolution Compact cameras list.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. Ricoh GR sensor has been tested by DxO Mark and got an overall score of 78 for its image quality. You can find the details of their analysis of Ricoh GR here.

Let's look at how the size of the Ricoh GR's APS-C sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

Ricoh GR Physical Specs

Ricoh GR weighs 245 g (0.54 lb / 8.64 oz) and has external dimensions of 117 x 61 x 35 mm (4.61 x 2.4 x 1.38″). Considering that the average weight of Large Sensor Compact type cameras is 400g, Ricoh GR is a remarkably light camera for its class. Even better, with a thickness of only 35mm, it is also quite small, 21mm thinner than the average of its class.

Weight Comparison

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

Ricoh GR

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

Ricoh GR

Min

Average

Max

Here is the front and top view image of Ricoh GR with the dimensions:

In order to give you a better idea about the real life size of Ricoh GR, we have added an image of how it looks next to a credit card and an AA type battery.

Now lets compare the weight and thickness of Ricoh GR with its main competitors:

Ricoh GR Size Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Sensor	Weight	vs GR	Thickness	vs GR
Ricoh GR II	16.0MP - APS-C	251g	6g heavier	35mm	equal thickness
Fujifilm X100T	16.0MP - APS-C	440g	195g heavier	52mm	17mm thicker
Ricoh GR Digital IV	10.0MP - 1/1.7"	190g	55g lighter	33mm	2mm thinner
Sony RX100 III	20.0MP - 1"	290g	45g heavier	41mm	6mm thicker
Panasonic LX100	13.0MP - Four Thirds	393g	148g heavier	55mm	20mm thicker
Fujifilm X100S	16.0MP - APS-C	445g	200g heavier	54mm	19mm thicker
Leica X2	16.0MP - APS-C	345g	100g heavier	52mm	17mm thicker
Nikon A	16.0MP - APS-C	299g	54g heavier	40mm	5mm thicker

Ricoh GR doesn't have any environmental sealings on its body so you got to be extra careful to protect it against water and dust. If you shoot under these conditions very often, consider checking Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing page.

Ricoh GR Lens

Ricoh GR features a 28 mm F2.8 Prime lens. This prime lens makes GR a specialized camera. You compromise the flexibility of a zoom in order to enjoy the high image quality and unique rendering of this fast lens.

Wide Coverage

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

Widest - Canon G1 X II

Average

Telezoom

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

Longest - Panasonic ZS200

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

Fastest - Panasonic LX10

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

Fastest - Leica Q

Average

Ricoh GR's lens also has a Manual Focus Mode.

Ricoh GR Other Features

LCD and Viewfinder

Ricoh GR has a Fixed Type 3″ LCD screen with a resolution of 1,230k dots. Both the screen size and the screen resolution is up to the standards of this class.

GR doesn't have a built-in viewfinder but an optional external viewfinder is available. Lack of a viewfinder can be problematic especially under strong light where visibility of LCD screens goes down dramatically. If you need a Large Sensor Compact camera with a built-in viewfinder in a similar price range, consider Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III (Compare) or Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 (Lumix DMC-TZ100) (Compare).
If the price is not an issue, take a look at our Top Rated Cameras with Viewfinders.

Max Shutter speed
Ricoh GR can shoot continuously at max speed of 4 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/4000 sec.

Flash
GR has a built-in flash, and it also has a flash shoe to mount your external flashes too.

Focusing
Ricoh GR features a Contrast Detection autofocusing system.

Video Features
With Ricoh GR, you can record your videos at a highest resolution of 1920 x 1080 at 30,25,24 fps and save in and MPEG-4 formats. Full HD resolution of Ricoh GR will be adequate in most of the situations. But if you are after the highest resolution videos available, see our list of Top Cameras with 4K (Ultra-HD) Video.

GR has a built-in Mono microphone and a Mono speaker.
Ricoh GR doesn't have any connections for external microphones and headphones. If you need a Large Sensor Compact camera with external microphone connectivity, consider Fujifilm X100T or Fujifilm XF10 in a similar price range.

Connectivity and Storage

You can connect GR to compatible devices via its HDMI port or USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) port.

Battery Ricoh GR is powered by battery which provides a shooting life of 290 according to CIPA standards. Considering that the average battery life of Large Sensor Compact type cameras is 305 shots, its battery life is about average in its class but it would still be wise to invest in some spare batteries for long photo trips.

Battery Life Comparison in Large Sensor Compact Cameras

Ricoh GR

Min

Average

Max

Leica X Vario with its 450shots is the model with longest battery life among Large Sensor Compact cameras. Check the comparison of Ricoh GR vs Leica X Vario or take a look at Longest Battery Life Compact cameras list.

Ricoh GR Features Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Max Video	Battery Life	Wi-fi	Bluetooth	NFC
Ricoh GR II >>Compare to GR	1920 x 1080	320shots	Yes	No	Yes
Fujifilm X100T >>Compare to GR	1920 x 1080	330shots	Yes	No	No
Ricoh GR Digital IV >>Compare to GR	640 x 480	390shots	No	No	No
Sony RX100 III >>Compare to GR	1920 x 1080	320shots	Yes	No	Yes
Panasonic LX100 >>Compare to GR	3840 x 2160	300shots	Yes	No	Yes
Fujifilm X100S >>Compare to GR	1920 x 1080	330shots	No	No	No
Leica X2 >>Compare to GR	None	450shots	No	No	No
Nikon A >>Compare to GR	1920 x 1080	230shots	No	No	No

Lowest Price
Current Lowest price for Ricoh GR is $772.44

What type of Photography is Ricoh GR Good for?

In this section, we review and score Ricoh GR in 5 different photography areas. This first spider web graph shows how the GR compares with the average Large Sensor Compact camera.
Hover your mouse over the points to see the score details for each photography type.

Ricoh GR for Portrait Photography

Ricoh GR has a score of 55 for Portrait Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Portrait is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Portrait Photography list.

Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode

Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling

Read the details of how we scored Ricoh GR for Portrait Photography

Ricoh GR for Street Photography

Ricoh GR has a score of 57 for Street Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Street is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Street Photography list.

Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage

RAW shooting capability
Small Body
Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization

Read the details of how we scored Ricoh GR for Street Photography

Ricoh GR for Sports Photography

Ricoh GR has a score of 43 for Sports Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Sports is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Sports Photography list.

Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Manual Exposure Mode
Manual Focus Mode
External Flash Shoe
RAW shooting capability
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.0fps

Environmental Sealings
Unknown Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 290 shots
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
28 mm Tele Lens

Read the details of how we scored Ricoh GR for Sports Photography

Ricoh GR for Daily Photography

Ricoh GR has a score of 69 for Daily Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Daily Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 Compact Cameras for Daily Photography list.

Compact Body
245g

Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability

Read the details of how we scored Ricoh GR for Daily Photography

Ricoh GR for Landscape Photography

Ricoh GR has a score of 55 for Landscape Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Landscape is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Landscape Photography list.

Manual Exposure Mode
Manual Focus Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
RAW shooting capability

Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings

Read the details of how we scored Ricoh GR for Landscape Photography

Ricoh GR Alternatives

In this section, we analyse how Ricoh GR compares with other Large Sensor Compact cameras within a similar price range. In the Bubble chart below, you can see Overall Score vs Price comparison of GR and the top 10 contenders in the same range. Hover your mouse on the bubbles to see the details of the cameras.

Read a more detailed analysis of Ricoh GR alternatives.

Popular Comparisons of Ricoh GR

Here is the eight most popular comparisons of Ricoh GR amongst Camera Decision readers.

Ricoh GR II

Compare

Fujifilm X100T

Compare

Ricoh GR Digital IV

Compare

Sony RX100 III

Compare

Panasonic LX100

Compare

Fujifilm X100S

Compare

Leica X2

Compare

Nikon A

Compare

Ricoh GR Alternatives in Mirrorless Cameras

It would also be interesting to compare Ricoh GR with Mirrorless Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked Mirrorless cameras in Ricoh GR's price range.

Sony A7 II

Compare

Panasonic G85

Compare

Sony A7

Compare

Sony A6400

Compare

Panasonic GX8

Compare

Olympus E-M5 II

Compare

Olympus E-M10 II

Compare

Olympus E-M1

Compare

Frequently Asked Questions about Ricoh GR

Does the Ricoh GR have Image Stabilization?
Does the Ricoh GR have RAW support?
Does the Ricoh GR have Weather Sealing?
Does the Ricoh GR have built-in GPS?
What is the Max ISO of Ricoh GR?
What is the Sensor Size of Ricoh GR?
is the Ricoh GR a Full Frame (FF) camera?
Does the Ricoh GR have Touch Screen?
Does the Ricoh GR have built-in Wireless?
What is the Max Continuous Shooting Speed (fps) of Ricoh GR?

Ricoh GR Detailed Specifications

General
Brand	Ricoh
Model	Ricoh GR
Announced	2013-04-17
Body Type	Large sensor compact
Price	$772.44
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	28 mm (1x)
Max Aperture	F2.8
Macro Focus Range	n/a
Screen
Screen Type	Fixed Type
Screen Technology	TFT LCD
Screen Size	3″
Screen Resolution	1,230k dots
Live View
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (optional)
Viewfinder Resolution	no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage	n/a
Viewfinder Magnification	n/a
Photography Features
Min Shutter Speed	300s
Max Shutter Speed	1/4000s
Continuous Shooting	4.0 fps
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation	Yes
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	5.40 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync	1/4000s
Flash Modes	n/a
External Flash
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Exposure Modes
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	78
DxO Color Depth	23.6
DxO Dynamic Range	13.5
DxO Low Light ISO	972
	Report a correction

Sensor
Sensor Type	CMOS
Sensor Size	APS-C
Sensor Dimensions	23.7 x 15.7 mm
Sensor Area	372.09mm²
Sensor Resolution	16 megapixels
Max Image Resolution	4928 x 3264
Max Native ISO	25,600
Min Native ISO	100
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	Unknown
Number of Cross Focus Points	0
Video Features
Video Resolutions	1920 x 1080 (30, 25, 24 fps), 1280 x 720 ( 60, 50, 30, 25, 24 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 25, 24 fps)
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	MPEG-4
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
USB	USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Weight	245g
Physical Dimensions	117 x 61 x 35mm
Battery Life	290 shots
Battery Type	Battery Pack
Battery Model	DB65
Other Features
Self Timer	Yes
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None
Storage Type	SD, SDHC, SDXC
Storage Slots	1