Why I’m NOT buying the Ricoh GRIII HDF and KEEPING the GRIII

The Ricoh GRIII is a wonderful camera for when you need a small, pocketable, discrete camera with an outstanding lens and sensor.
Ricoh recently launched the HDF version of the GRIII at a higher price tag than the original. There are now four models in the GRIII range:
Ricoh GRIII - 28mm Full Frame Equivalent lens, 24MP APS-C (Sony) sensor and a built in ND filter
Ricoh GRIIIX - As above but with a 40mm Full Frame Equivalent lens
Ricoh GRIII HDF - Same as GRIII but with a HDF filter instead of the ND filter
Ricoh GRIIIX HDF - Same as GRIIIX but with a HDF filter instead of the ND filter
In this video I will explain why I love the Ricoh GRIII so much and why I will NOT be buying the new Ricoh GRIII HDF. Or the GRIIIX HDF.
These are the filter accessories I am using:
Nisi GRIII Filter Adapter 49mm amzn.to/3UySb5J
Nisi Filter System for GRIII amzn.to/4aduK7J
K&F Concept 49mm Black Diffusion 1/4 Filter amzn.to/3JTgPcb
Ricoh GRIII Leather Soft Case amzn.to/44xAiZD
Links to some of the gear I use to make videos:
Camera amzn.to/4b7DKwH
Lens amzn.to/3yb7xWH
Tripod amzn.to/4bvsfyN
Key Light amzn.to/3JVBbli
Fill Light amzn.to/3y9D77c
Key Modifier amzn.to/3JQR50i
Fill Modifier amzn.to/3UxCwDD
Background Lighting amzn.to/3QEyHvv
Microphone amzn.to/3UCGc7i
Boom arm amzn.to/4dMpmvB
C Stands amzn.to/3UQxaow
B Roll Camera amzn.to/4bsvS8D
Table Light amzn.to/4bmAOMi
Table Light Modifier amzn.to/3K0MvfL
Tripod Head amzn.to/3URFuUR
These are Amazon affiliate links that help the channel at no additional cost to you.
This video is not sponsored. By anyone. :-)

[@ThisIsJulianC]

I believe that the current demand for black mist, high diffusion and other similar effects filters is a passing trend only. Am I right or wrong?

[@OttosTheName]

Sorta / mostly. Anything that soften ups the image has always been popular. Especially now that our camera's are so incredibly sharp. But I do think the whole retro and film 'A e s t h e t i c' thing where everybody wants to shoot with an x100v and a diffusion filter using a kodachrome recipe is at peak popularity now.
I do like that retro look sometimes. Not for everything I do though. And sometimes I feel like a hipster when I do it. So I'm more likely to do it for some shots taken in a social setting, less for when I try to do something artistic. Personally I just run my pictures through Analog Efex Pro or Silver Efex Pro if I want a filmic look. Nik Collection is still out there for free from when Google owned the rights to it. Just the later versions are paid (as it now belongs to DxO). Shouldn't be too hard to find thanks to archiving websites. IDK if you can emulate that Diffusion effect perfectly in software though.

[@Synchrodipity]

Yes, it reminds me of the trend for 'Photomatix' HDR from fifteen years ago.

[@leungtim1948]

thanks for your adivce on helping me to decide which gr camera to get😃

[@ThisIsJulianC]

Glad it helped! Which one did you decide on?!

[@Synchrodipity]

My GR iii is battered now - the front lens cover has broken off, there's dust on the sensor and the control wheel doesn't work properly. I did have the GR iii x for about a week too but sent it back, and I still wonder whether I should have kept it or not.
This new HDF thing really does seem too gimmicky for me - but I'm also resisting buying a replacement GRiii / GRiii x because it's been around for so long -- and I wouldn't be happy to buy a camera, only for a new GR iv to suddenly make an appearance.

[@ThisIsJulianC]

How many images has your GRIII taken so far? My LCD is showing some strange violet color on the pixels on the left edge, so maybe my screen is about to fail. I am on

[@Synchrodipity]

​@@ThisIsJulianC It's actually under 10,000 and I've had it for about three years!
I had one of those stick-on filters to protect the lens, but it cracked somehow, and when I tried to remove it, I pulled off the entire front of the lens cover.
That made way for dust to enter, but I never pursued a proper repair (was skint at the time, or more accurately, resented the thought of spending money that I wanted to spend elsewhere).
The control wheel is just temperamental, like it doesn't always do anything when I spin it - but I also think that's due to dust getting into it.
Basically, if I replace it (with an 'x'), I'll need to be more careful, probably wrap it with plastic film, keep it in a case and just be a hell of a lot more careful if I put another glass filter on it.
The image quality, however, is still superb and my LCD fine - I just need to 'spot' any dust marks when shooting at low aperture.

[@FarrugiaJose]

I saw on Samuel Streetlife's video that attaching a lens filter above Ricoh GRIII's lens would attract additional reflections - not ideal.
When and what situations do you use the ND filter?

[@ThisIsJulianC]

I use the ND for wide aperture bright scenes and water images when hiking. Any filter attached outside a lens and not directly attached to it will have some reflection/flare risk, so it is always a compromise. In my case I use an ND filter more than a diffusion filter.

[@mrbrown8502]

I bought a Ricoh GR III two weeks ago and decided to buy the non-HDF version. Watched some videos about the HDF and that didn't convince me. Very happy with my purchase so far. Also saved me some money 🙂

[@ThisIsJulianC]

Good choice 👍

[@jw87240]

this is a great video

[@ThisIsJulianC]

Thanks 🙏

[@brotendo]

I'm gonna buy one and here's why: I just want a new GR III. My current one I've had for a while and I don't know when it'll die, and they're becoming harder to come by (Adorama has a few at the time of this writing, B&H is out of stock). So I'm gonna buy the HDF not because I care about the new filter on it, I just want to have a GR III for as long as possible. One day these cameras will be gone and let's not kid ourselves--a GR IV isn't coming any time soon, if ever.

[@ThisIsJulianC]

If you have the current firmware you can see how many images your GRIII has taken since new, that will be a good guide to age in terms of component wear (shutter) rather than years. I gave some thought to your idea, it makes a lot of sense if you are a frequent GRIII photographer. I use the ND more than any other filter, but if I was going to buy a second GRIII like you, I'd look at the GRIIIX HDF. Then I get the 40mm FF focal length and the HDF filter too. I would be more likely to use a HDF filter in a street environment which is also where 40mm comes in to its own.

[@brotendo]

@@ThisIsJulianC I have almost 28,000 actuations on my current GR III. Which is nothing! But I guess I still want another one. On both my Nikon D750 bodies I have 320k clicks and 292k clicks and they're probably just about dead soon.

[@jonbarnard7186]

The best way to use the GRIII, and the other GR models for that matter, is that you don' take anything else with you. Maybe a couple of spare batteries but that's it. That's liberating when you're used to carrying around a system camera. I think that's the main reason it's so popular. I don't even want to decide what filter to use. In use, it is as close as you can get to invisible. I'm used to covering up the white lettering on my cameras with gaffers tape, because I hate the noisy branding. You never have to do that with a GR.

[@ThisIsJulianC]

Agree. And especially on the two batteries, probably the only complaint I have of the GRIII is the terrible battery life.

[@noneyourbusiness2509]

I don’t wanna sound dumb but if I get HDF if I just turn that off it’s the same as the GR iii???

[@ThisIsJulianC]

Correct, except you will not have the ND filter of the GRIII.

[@noneyourbusiness2509]

@@ThisIsJulianC I would love to know your opinion on which one is more versatile the GR iii or GR IIIx

[@ThisIsJulianC]

@@noneyourbusiness2509that’s covered in the video 👍

[@doctorsnarf8764]

I have an XT-5 . For what i use my camera for i only used and ND filter twice in 1 year or had a need for one. I been wanting a smaller travel camera and Getting the X100VI is not and option since its just a bit small and making it weather sealed and adding a diffusion makes it much bigger (defeating the travel point). But in my case the Ricoh is just the perfect size and i seen people add filters to there camera making it a little more bulky and we are back to square one. Maybe im just the perfect customers where the Mist filter is better use for my case than using ND filter. If i need to use a ND filter i rather use my X-T5. The only thing that has be hold up on purchasing any Ricoh GR camera is the lack of weather sealing on the front lens. "I have no dust on my sensor" " I do have dust in my sensor", both camps swear one or the other and its obvious its better to have it than not. In an ironic twist i think you might have just sold me on a Ricoh GRIII HDF.

[@ThisIsJulianC]

Thanks for your comments. I truly love using the GRIII, if you are likely to use a mist filter more than the ND then of course the HDF will make more sense for you. It is still a GRIII so you may well come to like using it as much as I do.
I have read and heard of dust-on-sensor stories but after 4 years and thousands of photos I have not come across it on any of my images.