Would anyone in their right mind contemplate spending £530 or so on a compact camera that doesn't even have a zoom lens? Why, for that money you could buy a decent digital SLR. The Ricoh GR Digital III had better be something pretty special.

Two things might stop you considering the Ricoh GR Digital III: the price and its fixed-focal-length lens. If you can swallow those, you can look forward to a camera with levels of build, design and image quality that really set it apart from the rest

Great build quality and finish; excellent lens performance; straightforward, hands-on controls.

High price; fixed-focal-length lens; adjustment lever can be fiddly.

A true enthusiast's camera that prioritises image quality and ergonomics over fancy features. Stiff competition is its only stumbling block.

DSLR image quality finally comes to Ricoh's well-respected enthusiast compact. The GR retains its predecessor's excellent and customizable user interface, making it a pleasure to use as a pocketable wide-angle photographers' camera. The JPEGs are occasionally a little muted but the raw files, feature set, and lens quality mean it's capable of outstanding results.

High quality photography in a variety of conditions, if you're after something small, wide-angle and engaging to use.;

Action photography or movie shooting.;

"In development" announcements have recently become popular with camera and lens manufacturers as the way to reassure fans that they're really working on something great after long months (or years) of silence. But Ricoh's announcement that a GR III -- the update to its GR II fixed-focal-length, APS-C compact -- is "currently under development" with few details seems a little desperate for Photokina 2018, especially since it's not slated to ship until early 2019.

Look for it in 2019.

The Ricoh GR III got enhancements under the hood, but I'm not sure how that will translate into actual use and functionality. I understand the low profile look, but I think some of the functionality and practicality aren't jiving so far with how I've seen folks use the previous camera.

A fixed-lens compact camera (no zoom, if you're unfamiliar) won't be for everyone. But for those in the know, the GR III's fast aperture and new optic combined with three-axis stabilisation open the door to great image quality potential. Shame there's no vari-angle LCD screen, weather-sealing and a joystick control - but we can't have absolutely everything at this small scale, eh?

Large APS-C sensor means great quality; Fast aperture with high-quality fixed lens further assures quality; Close-up macro without accessory; Touchscreen controls bring the GR into a far more usable and modern state;

Screen gets overly hot in use; No vari-angle LCD screen; Lacks viewfinder; No weather-sealing; Autofocus not fastest on market; New high ISO sensitivities are pointless - far too much image noise!;

The Ricoh GR III is a new high-end premium compact camera with a large sensor and fast lens that's aimed at enthusiast and professional photographers alike. At the heart of the Ricoh GR III is an APS-C-size CMOS image sensor with 24.23 megapixels and no low-pass anti-aliasing filter.

The GR III is the latest premium compact camera in Ricoh's classic GR series, which dates back to 1996. It's fair to say the world has changed a bit since then, but the GR range has always been a unique, timeless breed.

APS-C sensor inside pocketable body; Practically no distortion from lens; Sharp and contrasty LCD screen; Very good control over noise at high ISOs; Great detail across frame; even at f/2.8; Effective Shake Reduction system; Generally fast and responsive in use; Touchscreen is useful and responds...

AF can be indecisive and unintuitive; Poor video quality and no 4K recording; Colours a little flat on standard settings; LCD screen fixed in place; Battery life is quite poor; Dynamic range could be better; Expensive

The GR III is a considerable update on the GR II, blessed with a speedy performance and the capability to produce detailed, stabilised, distortion-free images, all from a tiny body you can get into your pocket. Low-light focusing performance, together with miserable battery life and last-resort video quality are limitations worth bearing in mind though.

APS-C sensor inside pocketable body; Practically no distortion from lens; Sharp and contrasty LCD screen; Very good control over noise at high ISOs; Great detail across frame, even at f/2.8; Effective Shake Reduction system; Generally fast and responsive in use; Touchscreen is useful and responds very well;

AF can be indecisive and unintuitive; Poor video quality and no 4K recording; Colours a little flat on standard settings; LCD screen fixed in place; Battery life is quite poor; Dynamic range could be better; Expensive;

GR fans, or GRists as Ricoh call them, will love this update of an iconic camera. But in the world of multi-lens camera phones the wider appeal of this fixed lens compact will probably be limited.

Small size with big sensor; Great for one-handed shooting

A lot of money; No tiltable screen or eyelevel viewfinder; No built-in flash