They say the best camera is the one you have with you, and I have a camera with me at all times. It's right here in my pocket. This is... my new Ricoh GR III X.
Of course, in my other pocket is a smartphone, though I'd rather it was the Ricoh GR III. Both the GR III X and my Google Pixel 4a have incredibly capable cameras, but I spent about three times as much on the camera as I did on my phone, and it doesn't make calls, doesn't organize my life, and doesn't guide me where to go.
So what could make someone part with $900 (or around $999 / AU$1,699) for a compact camera, when the money could be used to upgrade to something like the iPhone 13 Pro? Well, let me answer you by telling you a bit about my new camera.
defining moments
The Ricoh GR III X is no ordinary compact camera, costing the same as an iPhone 13 Pro. It's designed specifically for street photography, with a quick start-up time of less than a second, plus controls and dials that I can customize beforehand to make sure the setup is right for the moment that unfolds before me.
I can assign each camera setting to a custom shooting mode and I can do this for three different user defined collections. For example, one might have their focus set to a very specific distance via "Instant Focus", their Picture Style set to dynamic black and white, their exposure metering set to protect reflections, and the list goes on.
But what does all this mean? Well, as I got to know the camera and adjust it over time, I can instinctively flick a switch or turn a dial and the camera is ready to capture the decisive moment precisely, with the exposure and style I love. Minimal handling involved and much faster than a phone.
The panorama
There are other reasons why I chose the GR III X over upgrading to an iPhone 13 Pro, which is probably the best camera phone you can buy.
Despite its small size, the GR III X packs a large 24,2-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor and a sharp 40mm f/2,8 lens. That's a lot of pixels to play with, plus the sensor size and wide-aperture lens give me organic control over depth of field. I can really blur the backgrounds of my portraits, and the results beat any Portrait mode. It is not a fallible computing solution for smartphones; it's the real thing and you can tell.
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Don't get me wrong, I took some great photos with my humble smartphone and phones have come a long way thanks to the increased investment in camera technology today.
But on phones, everything from depth-of-field control to brilliant nighttime images is done by computer magic. On the other hand, this large sensor in the GR III X is capable of providing greater depth of immersion and gathering more light for true and sharp night images.
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Another big plus is the size of my new compact camera. High-end cameras are usually big, bold, and scream "professional photographer making money and passing by." But not the GR III X. It's thicker and narrower than your average smartphone, though a little deeper to accommodate that bright image sensor.
But it still slips into your pocket and is completely discreet in a way no other big, compact sensor is. On the outside, you can take it out like your phone and no one really bats an eyelid. It's a great camera for observational street photography and everyday snaps. If that's your thing, it's definitely one of the best compact cameras you can buy.
Stay focused
Photography chops aside, the GR III X's other main advantage is that it's a camera, and just a camera.
With my phone, WhatsApp will ping, or I'll be distracted by the need to buy a same-day delivery gift for my nephew's birthday. My GR III X doesn't do any of that, and that's the beauty of it. Concentrated beauty.
If I take the GR III X out of my pocket it is to take photos, not to check my messages. It encourages me to be creative. Even its limitations, like the main lens, help me develop a way of seeing things. Viewing, filming and even editing at Ricoh helps me refine my shots. For me, it's bringing back the pleasure of taking pictures.
Speaking of editing, the GR III X tries to go along with smartphones by providing a decent range of in-camera image editing, even for those raw format images for editing flexibility. . It also has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, which is fast and reliable, so I can then download those beautiful images to my phone to share (yes, the phone comes from somewhere).
There is real refinement to some of the mods available on the GR III X and this is the first time I've really gotten into black and white photography. Of course, the really complicated stuff, like cloning distracting things, still happens in free smartphone apps like Snapseed. But the crucial part of editing and developing my style is done behind closed doors.
imperfect genius
My Ricoh GR III X is far from perfect. Battery life is weak, there's no built-in flash, its video recording is Full HD, and there's no viewfinder (or even the ability to add an external one). But it also has a macro focus mode that reduces the closest focusing distance to 12cm, and with a little cropping, you can get the best quality close-ups on the iPhone 13 Pro.
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More importantly, the GR III X is simply a joy to use. It's a camera I want to have in my pocket at all times as much as on my phone, and its combination of power and customization makes it something most photographers will love.
Despite all the smartphone computing wizardry in the world, I love the genuine depth and clarity I get in images with my large-sensor compact camera. Above all, it's a discreet, fast-response, single-use device that focuses my creativity. The fact that it slips into my pocket like a phone makes it the gift that keeps on giving.