The Ricoh GRIIIx HDF is the smallest camera we’ve tested recently but it truly encapsulates the saying that great things come in small packages. It may look like a point-and-shoot camera but its frame houses a 24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor that produces stellar images in the right hands.
You may have come across the saying: “The best camera is the one that you have with you” before and there is some truth to it as the barrier to taking high-quality “bangers” is having to take a larger camera around with a set of lenses that can be quite cumbersome.
This line of cameras from Ricoh has always been touted as one of the best travel cameras precisely because of its pocketability and having experienced this camera for a little over a month… I get it. Of course, there are downsides to that, and the Achilles heel for the Ricoh GRIII and GRIII/x line has always been its battery life.
The Cheat Code
One of the biggest reasons to get this version of the Ricoh GRIIIx is its HDF or Highlight Diffusion Filter, which is why the lights on Taipei 101 in the photo above have a bit of a soft haze to them. The HDF creates that dreamy vibe for your photos while subjects remain sharp and an added benefit is that it can sometimes make your skin look smooth. Of course, you can achieve the same result by slapping on a Pro-Mist or Black Mist Filter on your own lenses. But the one on this GRIIIx is built-in so if you don’t feel like using the HDF filter, you can easily toggle it on or off with a press of a button.
Ricoh has also included a bunch of Picture Control Effects that you can customize with recipes to give your shots different looks; much like how you would customize the Film Simulations on Fuji Cameras.
Video Limitations
If there’s another category to be wary about with Ricoh cameras, it’s their ability to shoot video. The rise of content creators means that the demand for cameras that can shoot great photos and videos has risen as well. Sadly, the video department of this camera is extremely lacking. It can shoot video up to 1080p and the output is decent but this definitely a photo-first camera.
Is it Worth the Money?
The price tag for the Ricoh GRIIIx HDF is Php 79,990, which is up there with your Fujifilm X-S20s or around the ballpark of Sony’s a6700; either of which are incredible for both photo and video.. But there is something to be said about the size of the GRIIIx that made me take it around more than my primary camera to shoot photos.
So if the best camera is indeed the one that you have with you and you want that built-in HDF for the aesthetic that it brings to your photos, I can easily see someone getting their money’s worth with the Ricoh GRIIIx HDF. But, if it’s just for sheer portability, I would suggest taking a look at the ones with the built-in ND filters that may prove more useful versus the HDF on this camera.
