FeaturesHandlingPerformanceVerdictSpecification

The Ricoh GR II is an update to the Ricoh GR, and features a number of updates including built-in Wi-Fi and NFC, improved white balance, noise performance, effects modes, as well as the capability to wirelessly control external flash units. Features carried over from the GR include a 16 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, plus a 28mm equivalent f/2.8 GR lens. 

The Ricoh GR II is the World's smallest digital camera with an APS-C CMOS sensor and offers not only a 16 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, but features a compact 18.3mm f/2.8 GR lens, which is the equivalent of a 28mm wide-angle lens. The camera is pocketable, being little larger than a compact camera with a normal sized sensor, making it an ideal camera to take everywhere with you, particularly with Street photography in mind. The camera even has a snap focus mode to give instant focus speeds for quick snapshots, and is a digital version of the classic Ricoh GR film camera series. 

With a large 16megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, image quality should be massively improved in comparison to other compact cameras, giving better low light performance. There have also been improvements in the GR II in image quality processing that should also improve noise performance as well as white balance performance. 

Built in Wi-Fi and NFC has been added to the camera which can be used with Ricoh Image Sync available for iOS and Android apps. The camera also features effects built in, with the button doubling as a Wi-Fi button when held. Continuous shooting has been improved with a deeper buffer allowing more shots to be taken before slow-down. The camera records FullHD video at 30fps with stereo sound.

Optional accessories include an optical viewfinder (GV-1 21/28 OVF), as well as a wide-angle lens adapter, which will give you a 21mm equivalent. 

The GR II feels well built with a tough magnesium alloy body, and a rough texture helps give the camera a premium feel. There is a large (for a compact camera) rubber hand grip that extends from the front of the camera to the rear for your thumb. On the back is a 3inch screen with a high resolution of 1230k dots (RGBW), and viewing angles are good.

The top of the camera features a flash hot-shoe, on/off switch, plus a locking mode dial. To turn the mode dial you need to hold the release button next to it, and there are three customisable "MY" modes on the dial. There are strap loop holes for attaching a neck strap in portrait or landscape orientation, and the camera has a flat edge on the left or right edges letting you shoot portrait photos with the camera resting on a flat surface.

A nice touch is the ability to turn off the green light that surrounds the on/off switch when the camera is on. The layout of controls and buttons are all neatly placed so they can be reached when the camera is being used with one hand, excluding the Filter button on the far left of the camera. Pressing in the ADJ (Adjust) button brings up a row of options that you can quickly change, such as ISO, Image quality, Aspect ratio, Focus and Metering, however you can customise this so that you have quick access to your favourite settings. The "Effect" button lets you quickly choose a digital effect to apply to the image, or a long press will activate Wi-Fi. You can also customise the function buttons, as well as what the Effect button does.

Spot focus lets you choose a specific spot from a wide area of the screen as the focus point, and you can enable an enlarged view to confirm focus. 

The menus are clear and easy to read, however the settings feel a little unorganised at times, as you can set the ISO setting and NR (Noise Reduction) options in the first shooting menus, but you'll also find additional ISO settings in the setup menu, including the ISO Auto-High settings. There isn't any built in help in the menus which means you may wish to keep the manual handy in case you get stuck on the meaning of menus items. 

Wi-Fi features - Connecting the camera to the Ricoh Image Sync app you can connect to the camera and view images on your smartphone. The app also supports remote shooting. The app works with the Pentax K-S2 and Ricoh GR II and is available for Android and iOS devices.

Battery life - Battery life is rated at 320 shots according to Ricoh / CIPA test results, which is an improvement over the 290 shots of the previous version. Charging is via USB, and a USB adapter is included, although the USB cable is not the more standard MicroUSB cable found on smartphones and a number of other compact cameras.

Speed - We took a number of shots to test the camera's responsiveness, from switch on to first photo, shot to shot, focusing speed etc. We take a number of shots and then use the average to ensure accurate and consistent tests, making it easy to compare with other cameras.