The Ricoh GR III and GR IIIx are renowned for their compact size, powerful sensor, and street photography prowess. But to get the most out of these little cameras, the right accessories are crucial.
While most accessories seamlessly work across both models, the key difference lies in the lens. The GR IIIx uses a 28mm equivalent prime lens, ideal for capturing expansive street scenes and environmental portraits. The GR III, on the other hand, features a 40mm equivalent prime lens, perfect for tighter compositions and candid moments.
Must-Have Accessories Ricoh GR III | The Basics
Best Screen Protectors Ricoh GR III
Those Ricoh GR III and GR IIIx mirrorless cameras pack a punch for street photography, but their screens aren’t invincible. Unlike the super-strong glass on some DSLRs, these screens can scratch, chip, and even break.
The good news? A screen protector is your best defense, safeguarding your camera’s value and functionality.
Expert Shield Screen Protector
They have a few options from Anti-Glare to Crystal Clear to Glass. I usually like glass. The Anti Glare is great too if you’re shooting a lot on sunny days but it will reduce the display quality. Anti-Glare is a great option for the GR III since often need to use your LCD screen out in the sun on bright days. |
Best Batteries – Official vs. Third-Party Batteries for Your Ricoh GR III:
Some people like only using official batteries, and some people are ok with third-party batteries. I like to always use my official battery as my primary, then keep some third party as a backup. It depends on you though, and how much you like to shoot in a day.
Official Batteries:
Pros: Guaranteed compatibility, and peace of mind with genuine product, usually last longer.
Cons: Typically more expensive than third-party options.
Third-Party Batteries:
Pros: More affordable, often offers comparable capacity and performance.
Cons: Compatibility might vary, quality can be inconsistent across brands, no warranty from the camera manufacturer.
If you’re coming from a GR II, note that the GR III uses new batteries and your old GR II batteries will not work.
Keep in mind when buying third-party batteries you’ll need to cycle them around five times before they start performing to spec.
Official Ricoh GR III Battery DB-110These are the official batteries of the Ricoh GR III and GR IIIx. The official batteries usually last the longest and have the most reliable performance. Since the GRI likes to eat batteries, it might not be a bad idea to have a few of these. |
Wasabi Ricoh GR III / GR IIIx BatteriesAvailable At: Amazon Of the third-party battery brands, Wasabi is one of the best. They offer these great little charging kits with two batteries at an incredible price. I’ve found with these third-party batteries it’s usually a good idea to cycle them (full charging and discharging) about 5 times. This way you get the best performance. |
Best Ricoh GR III Memory Cards
I’ve tested all the most popular memory cards in the GR III and you can learn everything you need to know about memory cards in my guide.
GR III Lens & Body Accessories
An interesting feature of the GR III is its ability to use a wide-angle lens converter. It can also take UV filters.
The GRIII lens does retract so you might not necessarily need a UV filter. I try not to use UV filters if I don’t have to. They diminish some cool looks you can get from lens flares from having a curved front element. Regardless, if you want to use a Tiffen Black Pro Mist filter or Moment Cinebloom filter, you’ll want to get set up with the UV filter adapter.
Ricoh GR III GW-4 Wide Angle Converter
Capture even broader scenes with the optional wide-angle lens converter, perfect for expansive landscapes or architectural details. The wide-angle converter gives you a 21mm equivalent focal length. On the front housing around the lens, there is a ring that removes. Behind it are some CPU contacts that will allow the camera to communicate with this lens, but you do need to get the adapter. I’ve listed both. |
While the GR III’s lens retracts, some prefer UV filters for added protection. However, they can slightly reduce sharpness and soften lens flares, impacting creative expression.
For the GR IIIx, there will be a GT-2 Teleconversion lens that gives a 75mm equivalent field of view.
JJC Ricoh GR III UV Filter KitAvailable At: Amazon If you like using UV filters on this camera you can get a nice one by JJC. It uses sticky tape to mount to the front of the lens. These UV filters are nice because they help stop dust from getting inside the components since the Ricoh does have a few issues with dust sneaking into the camera and getting on the sensor. |
Nisi GR III Filter Adapter
This adapter by NISI connects to the lens of the GR III with a bayonet mount. To attach the adapter, you have to remove the ring cap from the camera body first. You can find the instructions on how to do that in the user manual. |
Ricoh GR III Viewfinders
The Ricoh GR III boasts fantastic capabilities for street photography, but its lack of a built-in viewfinder might have you wondering if an external one is right for you. The good news is, that there are a couple of excellent options available, each catering to different preferences and needs:
Ricoh GV-1 External ViewfinderWide-angle enthusiasts and budget-conscious users. Features: 21mm frame lines, matching the wider field of view provided by the optional wide-angle lens converter. |
Ricoh GV-2 External Mini ViewfinderUsers who prefer a compact and lightweight solution for the standard 28mm lens. Features: 28mm frame lines, matching the standard field of view of the GR III lens. For shooters that have no interest in the 21mm wide-angle adapter, this viewfinder has only 28mm frame lines. This will not be useful for the Ricoh GR IIIx. |
Ricoh GR IIIx Viewfinder
The Ricoh GR IIIx has its own EVF for the 40mm equivalent lens with 1:1 shooting frame marks.
GV-3 External Viewfinder
The Ricoh GV-3 External Viewfinder is an optional accessory designed specifically for the Ricoh GR IIIx camera. It offers several benefits to photographers who prefer using a viewfinder. Key FeaturesThe high-precision optical viewfinder provides a bright and clear view of your scene, even in bright sunlight. This can be especially helpful when composing your shots or when the rear LCD screen is difficult to see. 40mm Frame Coverage: The viewfinder features frame lines that match the 40mm equivalent field of view of the GR IIIx lens, aiding in accurate composition. |
Ricoh GR III Cases
While full-carrying cases are available, consider body cases for on-the-go protection and improved grip.
Personally, I prefer leather half-cases for my street cameras – perfect for quick access and a classic look.
Gariz Leather Half Case GR IIIAvailable At: Amazon I’ve used several Gariz cases over the years on different cameras. They make some nice gear and their cases do a great job of adding additional grip and protection. This case does have an aluminum base and this will add height to the body of the camera which is great for those with big hands. It also comes in brown. |
Soft Case For GR III
There is an official soft case for the Ricoh GR III sold by Ricoh. Like the Gariz case above, it is made of genuine leather. What is genuine leather? It’s the same thing as a hotdog. All the bits of leftover leather are pressed into leather sheets. Sometimes it can mean just not top grain or full grain as well. |
Flash For The GR III
The GR III is TTL compatible and works with the Pentax P-TTL flash system. Unfortunately, Pentax doesn’t make any small and compact flashes. The best option you have is the Pentax AF201FG Flash. For those that didn’t know, Pentax owns Ricoh which is why you see compatibility between many of their electronics.
There is also a LightPix Lab Flash Q20II that’s gaining popularity for the Ricoh GRIII.
Pentax AF201FG FlashThis is an all-weather P-TTL flash for Pentax and Ricoh cameras that support P-TTL. It does not rotate, but it will tilt from -10 to 135 degrees. The effective range is 2.3 – 26.2′ at ISO 100 f2. Runs on 2 AAA batteries, so you might want to grab some high-capacity rechargeables as it will eat through them quickly. |
LightPix Lab Flash Q Q20IIThe FlashQ Q20II from LightPix Labs is an ultra-compact flash that weighs a mere 4 ounces and fits snugly in your palm, making it the perfect companion for street photography, travel, or minimalist setups. On the GRIII what a lot of people are doing is they will hold this flash in one hand and have the camera in the other and use it to trigger some angled lighting. Manual exposure control: 1/64 to full power adjustment. |
Camera Straps
It’s always tough recommending straps because there are so many now from so many different brands.
There are the cotton straps like the VKO (Amazon) that are popular, and there are the Peak Design wrist straps (Amazon) that are popular that you probably already know about. I will list a few straps you may have never heard of that I like and that I think are pretty cool.
NOTE: With the GRIII, you can’t just buy any strap, it has to work with the strap lugs of the GRIII, be careful about this. It takes the little compact strap types that have threaded connections.
Gordy’s Camera Straps
This is a cool little leather company out of the USA that uses high-quality leather to make various straps and wrist straps. Some are cool and they age very well. Here is one of the straps I like on my old Sony. |
Available At:
LuigisCasesAvailable At: LuigisCases This is the real deal leather out of Italy. This is top-tier, no, god-tier leather. It doesn’t get better than this. These are the best leather straps you can buy, even better than Tap & Dye. My tip for navigating this site. Get a cup of coffee, put on some relaxing music, maybe sweatpants, and maybe sit down in a nice comfortable chair. It takes work. My router marks this site as not secure, and I don’t know what’s going on with their site. It’s not that hard. :/ |
Must-Have Accessories Ricoh GR III Conclusions
These are all the basic accessories to get you started with the GR III or GR IIIx, a few nice choices between cases and straps. With the new GR IIIx hitting shelves I’ll try to update with any additional accessories for that camera as well.
