The essence of the Ricoh GR and what’s new

For someone who started with the Ricoh GR 1v film camera (my review is here), there is a kind of quiet honesty I’ve always loved about the Ricoh GR line: a camera that disappears in the palm, yet returns with images that generally exceeds my expectations for a body this compact, and on good days, even poetic.

With the Ricoh GR’s design already honed across the generations, the Ricoh GR IV doesn’t try to be clever for the sake of it. Instead, Ricoh trims the body even thinner, keeps that glove-like grip, and doubles down on the refinements: a new 26 megapixels APS-C sensor, a redesigned 28 mm equivalent ƒ2.8 lens, improved 5-axis image stabilisation, faster startup and more reliable and improved autofocus plus a few meaningful touches that speak to real street use rather than spec sheet vanity.

Ricoh also did some work at long-standing pain points: improved dust sealing around the lens assembly, a bigger battery, and surprisingly, a 53 GB of internal memory plus a microSD slot.

All this improvements and yet at the same time ensuing that the Ricoh GR IV stays truly pocketable and in fact, the thinnest Ricoh GR camera yet.

Let’s take a deeper look.

if keen, some of my GR reviews are here: Ricoh GR IIIx HDF, the GR IIIx, and GR III

tl:dr

The GR IV gets the fundamentals right for a successor model: the new lens design improves image quality, especially at the corners, the improved image stabilisation gets one steadier handhelds, and both autofocus and startup are snappier.

That built-in 53 GB storage is a genuine “forgot-your-card” safety net, while the ergonomics feel reassuringly old-school GR, now with dual command dials and a useful Snap-Distance Priority right on the mode dial. Caveats remain: subject-tracking autofocus still has room for improvement, making single-point/zone or Snap options the reliable choices for decisive moments, and although battery life has improved, it is not ground breaking.

I had hoped for weather-sealing which did not happen, but Ricoh worked on improved dust sealing for the lens element.

In short, the Ricoh GR IV is for photographers who prize stealth, speed and a transparent tool over bells and whistles; if you live at 28 mm and shoot from the hip, this is the most refined GR to date.

Technicalities and Handling

• 25.7 Megapixels CMOS APS-C sensor with updated imaging engine; native ISO up to 204,800.
• 18.3 mm ƒ2.8 (28 mm equivalent) with a new optical formula.
• In-body 5-axis image stabilisation
• Hybrid autofocus system with improved speed; new Snap Distance Priority mode on the dial.
• Storage: 53 GB internal + microSD (UHS-I).
• Dimensions of 109 x 61 x 33mm and 262g (including memory card and battery)
• 3.0 inch fixed LCD (Approximately 1.04 million dots) touch-capable, non-tilt and non-flip.
• USB-C, hot shoe; improved dust sealing around lens barrel.
• Video recording of 1080p up to 60 fps (H.264), 25-min clip limit; stereo mic.
• New 6.9Wh DB-120 battery, approximately 40% greater capacity than the DB-110 used by the GR III , IIIx series
• There is also a newly designed flash unit GF-2 for the GR IV which I have purchased but have not used enough to comment on.

Even though there is little difference cosmetics wise, the Ricoh GR IV sports a new optical design focused on better contrast and improved edges and thankfully, kept to a 26 megapixels sensor.

Megapixels wise, it is not always the more the merrier and for the GR’s design intent, 26 MP is perfect.

The ergonomics of the Ricoh GR IV akin to the Fujifilm X100 series has been improved and honed across the camera generations and once one gets the knack for it, most user friendly.

To start, the two top command dials are placed near where one’s thumb and forefinger naturally rest, giving one quick control over exposure settings.

One of the most important updates/upgrade to me is that Ricoh has improved on the build quality of buttons from the Ricoh GR III. The Ricoh GR IV’s buttons are now firm and much more tactile and no longer mushy.

Pressing the rear dial brings up the “ADJ” quick menu, and it’s fully configurable. You can load up to five categories such as Color mode, Drive, ISO, Focus mode, and more. The two dials split duties elegantly: one scrolls through categories, the other changes the setting within each. Better still, you can arrange the categories in any order, so your most-tweaked controls sit right up front where they belong.

The Ricoh series has always been designed to be used single-handed, and I love that they have returned the exposure compensation buttons in the GR IV.

One can say the Ricoh GR IV is almost utilitarian in appearance and this is a deliberate choice in design. After all, this is a camera designed to be discreet, portable and for snapping candid moments

The menu system is also entirely navigable by touch if you prefer a more direct form of interaction. In short, the Ricoh GR IV’s menu and physical buttons design provides a lot of room for customisation, while actually allowing the beginner (or those who don’t bother to) to just pick it up and start photographing.

Like a Leica M camera, the Ricoh GR IV can be extremely quick to operate once it is set up, letting one change the most-accessed settings on the fly while staying in the moment, and making it easy to focus on the essentials of photography, rather than thinking where is that ‘damn’ function on the camera.

Performance

For the review, I simply took the Ricoh GR IV back to it’s intended natural environment, on the streets and into a street bazaar for the rich diversity and colours amongst the crowds (or what we refer to as a ‘Pasar Malam’ in Singapore).

In a way, it was also a deliberate choice to bring it out at night as I had read about some criticisms by the usual ‘keyboard critics’ who have not touched the camera but yet somehow managed the ability to criticise the autofocus of the GR IV.

I mean .. while it is obvious the Ricoh GR IV will never match the autofocus prowess of say the Sony A9 II, I found some of the harsher criticisms doubtful.

What I enjoyed the most was frankly how no one literally bothered that I was happily snapping away, bringing the Ricoh GR IV up to compose or simply taking a shot from the hip. I can imagine the irritation I would have caused if I was using a larger, more in-your-face camera.

For the way a GR is actually used, pre-focus, frame the shot, commit, the Ricoh GR IV is the snappiest yet. Single-point and zone autofocus works the best in my experience, while I have to say that Subject tracking is still one of the weaker points of the Ricoh experience.

Autofocus options (such as small AF point, pinpoint options) are only selectable in singe focus modes, and only activate when the shutter is half-pressed. In general, I will even go as far to say my favorite way to use the GR IV is to simply touch LCD to ‘select autofocus point’ and snap or simply use Snap focus.

The Snap Distance Priority on the mode dial makes a real difference to users, and it is one function I genuinely encourage GR users to try.

Face and eye detection works great and is generally reliable but do expect that the subject needs to be ‘big’ enough in the frame for the camera to pick it up. The Ricoh GR IV in general was quick and accurate when focusing in its single autofocus modes, though it does hunt occasionally in low contrast scenes.

Images with the revised lens design renders with that familiar GR presence but finally brings better edge performance wide open. There’s a noticeable lift in micro-contrast and corner acuity at ƒ2.8, with uniform sharpness by ƒ4 onwards.

Beyond these, Ricoh has also added two cinematic-leaning profiles and a new GR-World app if you enjoy shared recipes and challenges which I will reserve comments until they start rolling these out.

Conclusions

The Ricoh GR cameras have always felt like honest tools: nothing more, nothing less. A very ‘this is what it is’ type of cameras with little useless gaudy fluff and pomp and this is a reason why I love them.

The Ricoh GR IV keeps this spirit true and smooths off the right edges, improving in the current version IV where it matters. Subject-tracking autofocus still isn’t the reason one buys a GR. The battery won’t survive a long shooting day without a spare, but the images one gets does the talking, and the camera stays largely invisible while you listen.

If your work lives at 28 mm and like me, you prize the act of carrying a camera every day, the GR IV is a camera worth considering. It’s the one I’d throw into the pocket on the way out the door, not because it dazzles on paper, but because it stays out of my way when a small human moment walks into the light.

Thank you for reading.

Disclaimers:

1. All product photos and samples here were photographed by me. I believe any reviewer with pride should produce their own product photos. 

2. All images were shot with my personal set of the Ricoh GR IV, not a review set loaned by the local distributor which quite a few readers inquired about.

3. This review is not sponsored.

4. I write as a passion and a hobby, and I appreciate that photography brands are kind enough to respect and work with me.

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