Ricoh GR Digital: Resurrecting a pioneering camera from 2005

Delving into the depths of my digital archive, I unearthed a slew of largely forgotten images. A few had been taken with the pioneering Ricoh GR Digital camera, often now referred to as the GRD, which I bought in 2007. After a little more searching, I found the original box with instructions and the charger. But no camera, until much later when it appeared not in the case I was expecting.

Is this 17-year-old compact camera just a museum piece, or can it still perform? It certainly did perform in its day.

The box bore three interesting labels, or accolades, which revealed the technical accomplishments that the little camera had achieved following its launch in 2004 and its arrival on the market the following year.

First was the Technical Image Press Association 2006 award for the Best Prestige Camera. The second was a Special prize from the Camera Press Club in 2006. And finally, the Ricoh GR Digital won the iF Product Design Award.

These were relatively early days in the digital photography era. Yet, derivatives of this camera are still made today in 2022. The GR III and GR IIIx, fitted with bigger APS-C sensors, have a cult following and look very little different to my digital relic. In between, there have been at least one or two variants with a zoom lens, which I also owned and then sold when they had served their purpose. But the little Ricoh GR Digital somehow survived.

During the picture library research, I discovered a legacy of several hundred retained images, of which at least sixteen had been published worldwide through a picture library. The image quality was certainly not found to be wanting commercially. But by 2009, new competition had appeared. Images from my new Leica X1 and M8 clearly were superior, leading to the retirement of my GRD for serious work. The brand was sidelined until now.

The light magnesium alloy body of the Ricoh GR Digital is diminutive, making it a superior and pocketable little camera like no other digicam of its time. Smartphones had yet to be invented. The GRD possesses a modest 8.1MP CCD sensor but can capture RAW files, as an alternative to JPEGs, in two levels of compression to meet the limitations of expensive but low-capacity memory cards. The GRD is limited to 2GB cards, which are difficult to find nowadays.

The Ricoh GR Digital has an excellent fixed 5.9mm (28mm equivalent) GR optic with a maximum aperture of f/2.4, which performs impeccably. The GRD proved to be enduringly popular with street and travel photographers by virtue of its small size, low weight (less than 200 grams), silent operation and excellent results. It is inconspicuous.

From the archives

Searching the internet, I discovered that the original model outlined in this article is nowadays much sought after for its ‘film-like’ treatment of the pictures it produces. In addition, users like the rendering of black-and-white photographs. So it appeals to those seeking to portray the modern world like ‘yesteryear’, where its propensity for showing noise at its higher ISO settings passes convincingly for grain. Until its resurrection in my hands this year, the camera had rarely been used in this way.

How times have changed. However, Ricoh GR Digital lacks a built-in viewfinder, relying on a fixed LCD monitor on the back of the camera (as do, incidentally, the current iterations of the GR). There is a hot shoe for attaching a small viewfinder, or more powerful flash, although the camera already has a tiny inbuilt electronic flash unit, missing from later models.

So, the question arose, is the original GRD still usable today? Let’s find out.

Back to the present

Batteries, neglected for more than ten years, were put on charge. Much to my relief and pleasure, they did recharge and were able to power the camera. They do need replacing, however, and new ones are on the way.

Since writing Raw files to memory takes a relatively long time (up to ten seconds), I could not envisage using it that way today unless waiting time is not an issue. So I reset the camera to produce top-quality JPEGs in normal black and white. Being already winter, I set the ISO to 400 and ventured out to see what I could find.

Surprisingly, I did not miss having any form of viewfinder. I put this down to Ricoh GR Digital’s slender size and ease of composing on the rear monitor. In very bright conditions, it’s easy to brighten the LCD screen. Compositions form in the mind and are confirmed in the preview.

Unlike a rangefinder camera, there is no compulsion to raise the camera to eye level. It is easy to place the camera at differing heights, away from the face, thus concealing any intentions of picture taking. I believe this is the reason why the little Ricoh GR is so popular with street photographers, who are quickly disregarded by passers-by.

As to my flirtation with monochrome photography, I became quite enthusiastic, helped by generally indifferent weather conditions. My enjoyment is ongoing, reflected in the images shown here. I also include some of my earlier work.

Despite its small size, I quickly appreciated the Ricoh GR Digital’s fine ergonomic features and easy handling. It is the only camera I own that I can operate comfortably with one hand. I missed the ability to store my personal settings conveniently, a feature which soon appeared in later Ricoh models.

But that did not prevent me from obtaining remarkably satisfying results. In fact, very soon, I was watching YouTube videos extolling the virtues of later and current models. One video showed a challenge in London and revealed spectacular A2-size printed results.

Watch this space

Will I be upgrading my GRD? Well, I have to confess that the reunion with the old original Ricoh GR Digital, together with the consistent technical advances made by Ricoh during the ensuing interval, has tempted me to buy the Ricoh IIIx. This new derivative model has a more useful focal length of 40mm (in full-frame equivalence). I should have it by the time this article is published. So watch this space!

Read more from David Askham




22 COMMENTS

  1. Count yourself as part of the “cool” set, David! Old cameras are having a revival among the Gen Z generation. It is a very capable camera in capable hands. I like the “yesteryear” look in your black & white shot and I like the way it has handled the log fire too. And the macro of the red anemone is astonishing.

    • Thank you, Farhiz. So, I am part of the “cool” set. I rather like that, and so would my tech-savvy grandchildren. Experience also plays a part.

  2. Certainly brings back memories. Love the images from my Gr but the menu’s weren’t easy to navigate for my occasional use. Sold it and purchased a Nikon A1, similar images, menus were more familiar to me so I kept it. The new iteration with 40mm lens is tempting except the Leica Q does the same with a bit of cropping.

    • I also have and use the Leica Q, which has a much bigger form and weight, but the Ricoh IIIx can also crop to 50mm and 71mm, not with cropped frame lines but filling the LCD. I am still exploring this feature but can already see its potential and have assigned the feature to the function button.

      71mm may not seem particularly impressive, but it can be surprisingly useful in a super compact fixed-lens camera when shooting contextual portraits.

  3. Super article David, and it just shows the seemingly never ending race towards ever more megapixels is not the be all and end all so many other manufacturers would have us believe either. Don

    • Thank you, Don. Most non-professional photographers do not need more than 24 megapixels, which is still capable of being improved by cropping, when necessary. The biggest limiting factor is the amount of imagination in the human brain. No camera designer can help nurture that ability, or lack thereof..

  4. Always great read your articles, my GRD4 is still going strong.the GRD4 has an unique hybrid focus system it somehow couples contrast autofocus with an external autofocus sensor on the cameras body. How I sure as hell don’t know but it blows away any thing else that is used for street photography. Any way it knocks my socks off.again thank you for this article.

  5. I love the idea of historical “unboxing” – I used the film GR for years and still have it. Your article prompts me to unearth my old D-Lux models – I think I still have numbers 3,4 and 6

  6. Great review, David, and stunning images. Casts an interesting light on “progress” in the last 17 years. Of course, cameras became ever more capable. But the images do not necessarily turn out more attractive. Your decision for a GR IIIx is excellent. There are quite some reviews here on Macfilos. I started to like my own one very much during a 40 millimetre project… that once more showed me that even a very old camera with limited options can be perfect for nice results. All the best and my your GRD serve you for years to come! JP

    • Thank you for your comments. Much appreciated. The results certainly surprised me and encouraged me to try a later model. It is a sector of the market all but abandoned by Leica. Sadly!

  7. Thanks David for posting a great set of images and article. The original GRD cameras (1 to 4) had that wonderful CCD sensor that you don’t have in the new iterations. The GRD1 was my first digital Ricoh but it no longer works. I still use the GRD4 a lot. The buffer on the GRD4 is faster when shooting raw (about 2 seconds). You also benefit from in-body stabilization. It certainly will accompany me to the Alps in a couple of days.

    • I have never understood Ricoh’s model numbering. I am sure my copy was the first of digital. What was the later sequencing?

  8. Interesting and thank you for posting. I have one of these Grads which bought for a trip to Peru in 2006 after the changes in carry on luggage (severely curtailed at the time). I bought the full set with wide & Tele adapters and additional view finder. Maybe I should dig it out!

    • Thank you Gérard. I think you should consider writing a retrospective account of your trip to Peru, using your GRD kit. I would like to see the results from your extended kit and an assessment of the usefulness of your adapters. I am sure Mike would welcome such an article. Do not fear the low resolution. It is no limitation for publication.

      • David, thank you. Yes I’ll put something together (I’ll have to work out how to post photos etc). I’ve just glanced through the photos and I have to say they surprised me in their quality (the 10,000 of thousands of photos we hold on hard drives!). Funnily enough I never really bothered with all the extras, they made the camera too bulky and were a faff at altitude. I had for years used the GR1 (which I still have) and loved that. A perfect replacement for my old Rollei 35. It was with the GR1 that I fell in love with the 28mm lens. I have far too many cameras, numerous Nikons & Fujis (many of which are barely used -sad). I’ve tried others (m4/3rds etc) but I’m always happiest with a 28mm or 40mm. I suspect it stems from the Rollei & GR1. The Leica X-U always attracted me, but I’ve never quite gelled with 35mm. If it were 28mm….I’d have been all over it.(I spend a much of my time saltwater fly fishing etc, so proper weather sealing is important – I’ve used the Nikon 1 AW with success – just wish it had a larger sensor for DoF reasons).

        • Well done. Email Mike for advice on posting pictures. I normally email the lot once I know the limitations on file sizes. He will always advise you.

  9. Nice article – thank you! The New York Times published an article this week that said people in their late teens and early 20’s were buying older digital cameras like yours because they were “cooler” to take pictures with than modern “clinical” iPhones. It’s time you posted this article on SubStack!

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