But it’s the GRIIIx, first released in 2021, that’s especially ideal for watch photography—thanks to the addition of a 40mm focal lens, which is far better for capturing close-ups than the 28mm lens on the GRIII. “If you’re trying to do watch stuff, to me the X is the only real option,” says Pulvirent. By swapping out the lens, Ricoh accidentally unlocked a whole new audience.
The gospel of the Ricoh GRIIIx has spread quickly through the watch world. “The Ricoh really got on my radar when I visited [watch retailer] Derek Mon earlier this year at Carat & Co. and he wouldn’t shut up about it,” Traina says. Mon tells me that the first person he saw using it was Kong. “It’s funny to know that I influenced others,” Kong says, “but someone else actually influenced me first: photographer-turned-watch brand founder Ming Thein. Not only did he teach me most of what I know about watch photography, but he’s also one of the most discerning people I’ve ever met. He picked up the IIIx soon after its release in 2021 and raved to me about its output.”
Thein is the founder of the deeply creative brand Ming but, like Kong, got his start shooting watches. It makes sense that so many people in the industry would follow his lead. Thein has been using some variation of the GR camera since 2006, he tells me, but he always wanted a version with a longer focal length to shoot architecture, posed portraits, and watches. “The 40mm GRIIIx was perfect for that,” he says.
The Ricoh’s most winning quality is its portability. “It can fit in your pocket,” says Steinberg. “And I mean really fit in your pocket, without a squeeze.” Traina, Pulvirent, and Barr all loved that it was the only camera they needed to bring to Watches and Wonders. At last year’s fair, Barr had an appointment with one luxury brand whose reps were big fans of his sumptuous photography. As a crew lugged out suitcases full of camera equipment from the previous appointment, Barr strolled in carrying just his Ricoh. “They looked at me like, ‘Wait, what the fuck? This guy is shooting off this little tiny camera?’” Barr says.
“The best camera you can have is the one you can keep with you,” says Mark Cho, the co-founder of The Armoury and another longtime Ricoh owner. “And the Ricoh is without a doubt the best size-to-picture-quality camera you can find.”
The GRIIIx isn’t as idiot-proof as these experts make it out to be, though. Take it from me, an idiot. When I first got the camera, I was excited to jump right into shooting professional-grade photographs. Last summer, I had the opportunity to mess around with a Leica Q3 43 for a few weeks and even just using the auto mode made me feel like Ansel Freaking Adams. You can judge for yourself, but so far I feel like I’m at the bottom of a pretty steep learning curve with the GRIIIx. There’s a reason the Leica retails for more than six times the Ricoh’s $1,250 price tag.