A battery is an essential accessory for the Ricoh GR III (as is a memory card). The camera comes with a battery. But rechargeable lithium batteries also don’t last forever. Over time and use, they degrade and stop holding a charge as well. So they eventually should be replaced. If you’re not getting as much shooting out of your battery as you used to, it might be time to replace it.
And having a spare, charged battery on hand can help you keep shooting longer. You can, of course, charge the battery while it’s inside the GR III, but that can slow you down and isn’t always convenient.
RELATED: I’ve posted some of the photos I’ve taken with my Ricoh GR III separately. You can find them here. I also have other posts related to the GR III here.
Ricoh GR III Batteries
The Ricoh GR III takes a battery with model number DN-110.1 It’s a small, lightweight rechargeable Lithium-ion battery rated for 3.6V 1350mAh 4.9Wh.
A few other cameras take this same kind of battery, so you can sometimes find it under different listings. The Olympus Tough TG-6/TG-5 cameras are notable examples. So you can find the same battery listed under Olympus model number LI-90B, and you can go ahead and use that interchangeably if that’s more readily available in your area.
With camera batteries, you have a choice: you can choose to go with the official battery with the manufacturer’s battery or an aftermarket version made by a third-party manufacturer. Each option has its pros and cons.
Official Replacement Battery for the Ricoh GR III
You can find the official Ricoh version here.
The advantage of sticking with the official brand is that it comes with the extra peace of mind of knowing that it’s officially supported by the camera manufacturer. So if you’re ever on the phone with their tech support and they ask what battery you’re using–as they inevitably will–you can avoid any awkwardness by being able to say that it’s an official Ricoh battery. And the batteries put out by camera manufacturers are usually high-quality batteries made with top-quality cells and with reliable quality control. The downsides of going with the officially branded battery are that they usually come at a premium price, and they’re not always as widely available in stock in stores.
Aftermarket Batteries for the Ricoh GR III
Another alternative is to go with an aftermarket battery made by a third-party manufacturer. The main advantage is price: aftermarket batteries are often significantly cheaper than the official versions. They can also offer more choices too, not just in the manufacturer, but also in terms of whether they come in 2-packs or with chargers included.
- COMPATIBILITY - Works with these popular Ricoh cameras that use DB110 batteries: Ricoh GR III, Ricoh GR...
- BATTERY & CHARGER SPECS - Premium Grade-A cells rated at 3.7V, 1300mAh for longer run-time and battery...
While mileage can vary, I’ve had good experiences with some of the more prominent aftermarket battery manufacturers such as Watson, Wasabi Power, and Anker. I routinely use Wasabi Power batteries in my GR III, and have found them to work well.
I generally steer away from no-name brands that I’ve never heard of. While some are probably good, there’s also a risk that their manufacturing and quality control isn’t up to the same standards.
Battery Chargers & Power Supplies for the GR III
You can charge the battery in the camera with a USB cable (the GR III has a USB-C connector (also known as a USB Type-C).
There are also external battery chargers available that are especially useful for charging spares out of the camera. Again, there are official and aftermarket versions.
The official version is model number BJ-11
You can also find good-quality aftermarket versions, sometimes bundled with replacement batteries.
There’s also an AC adapter (model number K-AC166). It’s used to power the camera for longer shoots, such as time-lapse, or if you happen to be using the camera for live streaming as a webcam. It connects via the camera’s USB-C port.
Something to watch out for is what charging source the charger requires. Some plug into an AC wall socket. Others are USB chargers. Both systems can work well—it’s just a matter of which you’d find more convenient. I personally like chargers that have the flexibility of using a USB power source.
Battery Life
As you’d expect, a small camera like the Ricoh GR III uses a small battery.
The life you can expect to get out of the battery before it runs out of charge is going to vary widely based on things like which of the camera’s features you’re using, how you’re shooting with the camera, and even the ambient temperature. All of which means it’s hard to pin down precise numbers for what you can expect.
Tips for Maximizing Battery Life
Modern digital cameras include many immensely useful features that also happen to use a lot of battery power. Anything from autofocus to autoexposure to saving to the memory card uses some battery power. But some features use more than others. Shooting video uses more power than shooting photos. Shooting continuous photos uses more power than intermittent single shots.
For another example, the back screen on digital cameras is a wonderful invention. As is the ability to wireless connect to your camera. But both are also major causes of camera battery drain. So doing things like minimizing viewing on the back screen, reducing its brightness, and turning off the wireless/wifi can all help extend your battery life.
Here are some good steps to take to maximize your GR III’s battery life:
Auto Power Off. You can reduce the time of inactivity before the camera powers down.
MENU > Settings (wrench icon) > 7. Power Supply Settings > LCD Auto Dim > On
Sleep Mode.
MENU > Settings (wrench icon) > 7. Power Supply Settings > Sleep Mode
LCD Auto Dim. Reduces the time that the screen stays illuminated.
MENU > Settings (wrench icon) > 7. Power Supply Settings > LCD Auto Dim > On
LCD Brightness. Reduce the brightness of the back screen.
MENU > Settings (wrench icon) > 3. LCD Setting > LCD Setting
Outdoor View Setting. A related feature is the Outdoor View Setting that makes it easier to see the screen in bright sunshine:
MENU > Settings (wrench icon) > 3. LCD Setting > Outdoor View Setting
Other features like image stabilization will also drain the battery, but it’s so useful that I rarely turn it off.
If you’re also shooting with other cameras, some other precautions you can make to get the most out of your battery is to turn off any GPS features.
Things Worth Knowing
The DN-110 battery is symmetrical, and it’s easy to put it in back to front. It will slot in as normal, and you won’t get an error warning. But the camera won’t power on. It’s something I’ve done a number of times by accident. So if your GR III won’t power on, it’s worth check that the battery is in the right way around. The contacts on the battery should match up with the contacts in the battery compartment.
Tips for Using Lithium Batteries
- Disposing of old batteries. Old batteries shouldn’t just go in the regular trash. They’re both a fire hazard, and they also contain harmful materials. It’s why there are so many warnings in the GR III’s manual about them. Many local counties have specific recommendations on how to dispose of lithium batteries safely, so check with your local city or county waste disposal bureau’s website.
- Flying with lithium batteries. When lithium batteries burn, they burn with unusual intensity. After some onboard fires, most airlines have tightened up their rules in recent years about transporting spare lithium batteries on flights. While larger batteries for things like laptops might seem like a more obvious risk, the rules also apply to camera batteries. Check with your airline for their specific requirements, but as a general rule of thumb, any batteries that are actually installed in devices are fine to be in check luggage, but any loose, spare batteries can only go in carry-on.
- Recharging cycles. With older batteries using older technology, it used to be recommended that you fully run down rechargeable batteries before charging. That doesn’t hold true with lithium batteries. They don’t suffer the memory effect of some older batteries. And fully depleting the battery can actually be detrimental to the battery’s lifespan.
- Ambient temperatures. Lithium batteries don’t perform well in very cold or very warm conditions. The ideal operating temperature for the DB-110 is 0 to 40°C (32 to 104°F). If you’re shooting in conditions outside that range, you can expect to get shorter battery life than you might normally get in more “normal” temperatures. (If you’re shooting in very cold conditions, one tip is to keep a spare battery in an inside pocket of your jacket so that it at least goes into the camera at a temperature more conducive to longer battery life. With such a small camera like the GR III, you can also do that with the camera itself, of course.
- Lithium batteries get warm. That’s normal. But if the battery or camera is getting too hot to touch, that might indicate a problem with the battery.
- Ricoh’s internal model number is 37838. ↩
Related Posts
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Ricoh GR III Accessories & Replacement Parts
Here are the model numbers of some of the core accessories and replacement parts for the Ricoh GR III.
Ring Cap
- Ring Cap: GN-1
The ring cap is the small plastic ring that attaches around the lens. Chances are, it’s fallen off. While you do have to remove it to attach the lens adapter, it’s a poor design that tends to fall off and get lost far too often. I’ve lost a couple of them now.
The camera will work just fine without it. But that will leave some contacts exposed around the lens barrel, which isn’t ideal.
The official replacement part is overpriced. But you can also pick up much less expensive aftermarket versions. They’re also available in different colors, so you can bling up your camera with a personal touch—or make it look like the Street Edition.
- 【Compatibility】: Designed for Ricoh GRIII (only).This decoration ring is made of high quality...
- 【Easy to use & Protector】:Easy installation and removal and Protects lens barrel exterior.
USB Cable
The GR III has a USB Type-C connector port. When you get a cable, you can get them with another USB Type-C connector on the other end or a more traditional USB Type-A connector. Which you choose depends entirely on what you’re plugging into. For example, some newer laptops only have USB-C, while most other computers have USB-A.
![Anker USB C Cable, [2-Pack, 6ft] Premium Nylon USB A to USB C Charger Cable...](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51nSeBrQ+0L._SL160_.jpg)
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Battery & Charger
- Battery: DB-110
It’s a rechargeable lithium-ion battery rated at 3.6V 1350mAh 4.9Wh.
There are some other cameras that also use the same battery—notably, some Olympus cameras (the Olympus model number for the same battery is LI-90B). So they’re quite widely available. You can get the official Ricoh version. There are also aftermarket versions that can be much better value but work just as well.
- COMPATIBILITY - Works with these popular Ricoh cameras that use DB110 batteries: Ricoh GR III, Ricoh GR...
- BATTERY & CHARGER SPECS - Premium Grade-A cells rated at 3.7V, 1300mAh for longer run-time and battery...
- Charger: BJ-11
You can charge the battery in the camera (using a USB-C cable). There are also external battery chargers available. They’re especially useful if you’re using spare batteries, so you can charge and shoot simultaneously.
- AC Adapter: K-AC166
This is used to power the camera for longer shoots, such as time-lapse, or if you happen to be using the camera for live streaming as a webcam. It connects via the camera’s USB-C port.
Wide-Angle Conversion Lens
Ricoh has produced a wide-angle conversion lens that takes the standard 28mm view down to a 21mm (in 35mm equivalent). While it does add some extra bulk to an otherwise small camera, it works well and adds a more dramatic, wider view. I have an in-depth review of it separately.
Something to be aware of, though, is that you will also need to pick up the lens adapter separately. For reasons I really don’t understand, the wide-angle conversion lens doesn’t come with the adapter, and both are required to make it work. So make sure you pick up one of those at the same time.
Remote Shutter Releases
- Wired Shutter Release: CA-3
This is the official Ricoh remote shutter. It connects to the camera via a USB cable, and it’s a simple shutter release (i.e., there’s no timer or intervalometer).
You can also find aftermarket shutter releases for the GR III.
- Easy to operate, Half-press to focus, Full-press to shoot
- Fits macro photography well, eliminates camera shake
External Viewfinders
- Standard External Viewfinder: GV-1
- Mini External Viewfinder: GB-2
The Ricoh GR III doesn’t have a built-in viewfinder. But they make two versions of an external viewfinder that slides into the camera’s hot shoe. It covers both the standard 28mm view as well as the 21mm view if you’re using the wide-angle conversion lens. There’s also a mini viewfinder; that model seems to be hard to find.
Screen Protector
The back screen of the GR III is quite exposed, and if you lie the camera on its back, the screen comes in contact with the surface. Even if you’re putting the camera in your pocket, there’s a risk of keys or coins scratching the screen.
There’s no official screen protector, but there are good aftermarket versions. The one I use is this one. It’s essentially a consumable that protects the screen. If you scratch the protector, you can quickly and easily replace it with another from the pack.
- ✪LCD Screen Protector perfectly fit for Ricoh GR 3 DSLR Camera . Not for other model. Easy to install...
- ✪9H Hardness - Longer tempering time, which made the screen protector has a higher hardness. Prevents...
Carrying
- Soft Case: GC-9
You can, of course, use the GR III with just about any camera case or bag. But Ricoh does make a dedicated soft-case that fits snugly around the camera and offers some protection even if you’re toting the camera around in your pocket. I’ve been using one for a couple of years, and it’s held up very well, and it keeps my camera safer from bumps and scratches.
- Neck Strap: GS-3
Again, there’s no particular reason you have to use the official GR neck strap, but there is one. The main part is leather, and it even has a discreet, embossed "GR".
If you do use a different strap, be aware that the strap loops on the camera are very small and won’t take thicker (i.e., stronger) attachment loops. So you might need to use some D-rings as well.
- Hand Strap: GS-2
There’s even an official "GR" leather hand strap! But, again, aside from the branding, there’s no special reason to use the official strap. If you do use a different one, you might need D-rings if the thread doesn’t go through the camera’s small attachment loops.
External Flash
The GR III doesn’t have a built-in flash. It supports the Pentax P-TTL flash protocol.
Pentax External Flashes:
