The preceding GR film cameras, released starting in 1996, were popular with Japanese street photographers including Daido Moriyama and the GR Digital line built on this by offering features and settings for street photography.

The first Ricoh GR Digital (GRD, released in 2005) was praised for its "intuitive" control scheme with two dials, similar to a DSLR, allowing direct manipulation of aperture and shutter speed,[2] and "bulletproof, tanklike" build, although the camera was relatively expensive, at a retail price of US$750 (equivalent to $1,170 in 2023).

[3] It was fitted with a 28 mm (equivalent) f/2.4 prime lens and small sensor similar to other contemporary compact cameras.

[7] A year after the GRD III, Ricoh released the GXR in 2010, which had a slightly larger body than the GRD but was designed to accept interchangeable lens/sensor modules, one of which paired a "GR Lens"-branded 50 mm (equivalent) f/2.5 macro lens with a 12 MP APS-C sensor, comparable in size and resolution to contemporary DSLRs.

[10] Later that year, Ricoh released another APS-C module, this time with a 28 mm (equivalent) f/2.5 lens;[11] like the GRD series, the GXR had features oriented for street photography.