A New Camera for the Right Reasons
Hello Ricoh GRIIIx
This is not a review, more a business case, of sorts. Retrospectively, as all good camera purchase justifications are.
The biggest critique of my new purchase is me. Echoes of ‘GAS’ (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) reverberate between the ears, at times out-competing tinnitus as the most attention-grabbing child.
One major issue with contemporary hobbies - especially those that garner popular interest - is that they come with a price tag. New gear is always surfacing and more often than not it is hard to ignore. I mean, we are literally rubbing shoulders with pseudo-influencers reviewing the free gear - how can we avoid it?
To date, I had done fairly well roaming the local footpaths with a second-hand Fuji X-Pro1 (acquired in 2020) and a very battered Olympus OM-1 that does have literally parts falling off of it (any wonder a roll of film sticks around!).
Admittedly there is a Fuji XT5 in personal stock so I can scratch the landscape and wildlife itch - needless to say this is simply not frequently enough.
Here comes GAS.
In steps the Ricoh GRIIIx.
This camera has been on my radar since its launch in 2019 for many reasons. Here’s a smattering of features I admire:
Compactness - arguably the heavy lifter in the ‘B’ of Benefit Cost Ratio, and I am sure this aligns with the views of man GRIII/GRIIIx owners. The benefits of said physical compactness is this, for me, is what I am looking for to grow my creative outlet. It’s what the hipsters on YouTube term the ‘Every Day Carry’ or ‘EDC’ if you work in the public sector and like 3-letter acronyms. There are trips and ambitions requiring some discreet (and safe) photography this year - this camera now helps. This is about creating more and more frequently.
Image Quality - now this is quite hard to determine without first-hand use and interrogation of in-camera outputs. That didn’t stop me getting the reviews from others, seeing the digital and physical outputs (with/ without applied presets) coming from the 24.2MP camera. Part of my brain says it shouldn’t be a surprise that the quality is so so good - this is 2026 - but in such a small, compact point-and-shoot it’s far beyond my expectations. Bravo to the team at Ricoh. Why not use your phone? This is a great question, but again, this is about photography - I like to bet out photographing without the draw of apps, messages and phone calls. My phone stays in my bag, out of mind.
Focal length - 40mm focal length was the reason for the ‘x’. As much as I enjoy capturing the world with 28mm (I use this more than not for 35mm film photography), I wanted something closer to 35mm as ‘the eye would see’. If this is coming with me like my house keys, then the preference is it captures as close to human perspective as it can.
Beyond this the technical specs can read how they like. As someone who spends probably too much time researching and reviewing before investing, I can see that there are pros, cons, strengths and weaknesses of all cameras; in 2026 they are often formed by tiny margins or start of life being designed specifically for sub-sections of the community/ professional world.
My hope with the Ricoh GRIIIx is to become more prolific with the camera - EDC is the 2026 fuel for Engaging Daily Creativity. Life can be a very good teacher for educating you that time is scarce, and for doing what you really enjoy, very precious.
I have added some accessories to the gear bag too, mostly practical ‘necessities’ (ahem!):
1. Aluminium lens cap - you know, for keeping the wee thing snug and safe.
2. Spare batteries and charger - you never know until it’s too late!
3. Retropia Viewfinder - handy for stealth-hip-level-shooting-mode. You can grab yourself one here:
Do you own a Ricoh GRIIIx? Or have you ever considered it? Let me know your thoughts.
All images in this blog have been taken with the Ricoh GRIIIx from two short local walks.
