In this video I share my initial review of the Ricoh GR IIIx HDF (the 40mm version with the Highlight Diffusion Filter). I’m primarily a portrait shooter, and this little camera is honestly right up my alley: 40mm is wide but not too wide, distortion stays under control, and the HDF gives highlights that blooming, glowy look that feels almost “cinematic” without me needing to do digital post-processing or any AI stuff. I show examples (cathedral shots and portraits) so you can clearly see what HDF is doing—glow in the bright areas while keeping the darker details intact. I also talk about why the GR IIIx is surprisingly good for flash portraiture because of the leaf shutter. You can shoot fast shutter speeds without needing high-speed sync, which means I can use a tiny low-power flash and still get a properly exposed shot—quietly and with minimal gear. Then I cover the trade-offs that come with the compact size: fewer controls, fixed screen (no tilting), no EVF, no built-in flash, and a tiny battery that doesn’t last very long (though USB-C charging helps). Finally, I go through the downsides I think Ricoh still needs to fix—autofocus isn’t reliable for moving subjects, and the exposure preview behavior is annoying for flash work (I’m using an Auto ISO workaround). Overall though, for portraiture with this field of view, I really like it, and it’s become my backup portrait camera.