Ricoh announces GR series cameras featuring built-in highlight diffusion filter

Ricoh Imaging Americas Corp. announced the RICOH GR III HDF and RICOH GR IIIx HDF premium digital compact cameras. These are new versions of the RICOH GR III and RICOH GR IIIx cameras feature a newly developed Highlight Diffusion Filter (HDF) that diffuses highlights for softer light, creating more expressive images with a sense of depth and emotion. The RICOH GR III HDF and RICOH GR IIIx HDF will be available in April at www.us.ricohimaging.com as well as at Ricoh Imaging-authorized retail outlets at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $1,069.95 for the RICOH GR III HDF and $1,149.95 for the RICOH GR IIIx HDF.

Developed using RICOH’s advanced inkjet technology cultivated over the years, this special effect filter diffuses highlight areas and creates a blurred effect along the image’s edges, making it possible to produce images resembling those captured in film photography or vintage movies. The HDF can be instantly switched on and off with a single action, it lets the user effortlessly alternate between two completely different visual expressions — clear, sharply focused images characteristic of the RICOH GR series, and softer light, more expressive images captured by the HDF — depending on the subject or creative intention.

“The RICOH GR III HDF and RICOH GR IIIx HDF inherit the fundamental merits of our GR series – exceptional image quality, flawless point-and-shoot operation, and outstanding portability,” said Ken Curry, president, Ricoh Imaging Americas Corp. “The new GR HDF models give users a new creative option that expands the visual boundaries of snapshot photography.”

The new GR HDF versions incorporate the newly developed HDF (Highlight Diffusion Filter) to emphasize highlights and produce softer light and more expressive images, the company said. Developed using RICOH’s advanced inkjet technology cultivated over the years, this special-effect filter diffuses highlight areas and creates a blurred effect along the image’s edges, making it possible to capture images resembling those captured in film photography or vintage movies.

Other changes:

• The color of the shutter-release button has been changed to dark silver to subtly differentiate the HDF models from other GR series models and to symbolize the effortless shift of visual expression. The default setting of the Fn (Function) button has also been changed to the ON/OFF switching of the HDF, allowing the user to quickly engage the HDF with a press of a button.
• The user can pre-program up to three white-balance settings as the base white balance. It is also possible to couple the base white balance with the White-balance Fine Adjustment function.
• The new models feature Zone Select AF, which automatically sets the focus at the most appropriate point within the image area after the user shifts the 3X3 focus area to the desired zone.