24-megapixel Ricoh GR III will bring hybrid AF, mechanical SR, touch-screen, all the Pentax goodies





It's been a little over three years now since the cult-favorite Ricoh GR compact camera series received a new model. Today, though, the company has some news which is going to delight Ricoh GR fans and Pentaxians alike. The Ricoh GR III is on its way, sporting an overhauled imaging pipeline, plus more than a few goodies inherited from the Pentax brand.

Currently in development and slated to arrive in early 2019 at an as-yet undisclosed list price, the 24-megapixel, APS-C sensor-based GR III is noticeably more compact than its predecessor. It is, however, just fractionally heavier.

The lens is still a 28mm-equivalent prime with a bright f/2.8 maximum aperture, but is said to offer improved image quality. The redesigned lens sits in front of a brand-new APS-C sized image sensor which provides a significant step upwards in resolution. The new chip has an effective pixel count of 24.24 megapixels, up from 16.2 megapixels in the GR II. It also introduces an unspecified number of on-chip phase-detection autofocus pixels.

The Ricoh GR III also sports an in-body three-axis Shake Reduction system. And it uses the same sensor shift assembly not just for SR, but also for an AA Filter Simulator function. This can be used to reduce the risk of moire and false color effects by moving the sensor just fractionally during exposure, simulating the effect of a physical optical low-pass filter.

On its rear deck, the Ricoh GR III features a newly-upgraded LCD monitor. It still has a 3.0-inch diagonal, but now has a wider 3:2 aspect ratio and a capacitive touch-screen overlay on the tempered cover glass which allows it to double as an input device.

But that's not all the upgrades. For more info, see our Ricoh GR III preview!