Ricoh has officially announced its new high-end compact camera, the GR IV. Scheduled for release in the fall of 2025, the GR IV is similar in appearance to the existing GR III, but is introduced as a model that includes new components and major functional improvements internally.
The GR IV continues the tradition of the GR series by adopting a fixed focal length F2.8 lens with a 28mm equivalent angle of view. It can take photos and videos only with the rear LCD without a viewfinder. Its appearance is similar to the GR III and GR IIIx, with some improvements in the button layout and controls. The rotary dial surrounding the existing directional keys has disappeared, and the adjustment dial marked 'ADJ' appears to have been changed to a fully rotary dial rather than a left-right switch.
There have also been significant upgrades in the technical specifications. Compared to the GR III, the sensor resolution has been slightly increased from 24 million pixels to 26 million pixels, the maximum ISO sensitivity supports up to 204,800, and the image stabilization has been improved from 3-axis to 5-axis. The focal length and aperture of the lens are the same, but the optical design has been redesigned, and the addition of an aspherical lens improves distortion and aberration correction capabilities.
Autofocus performance has also been improved, face and eye detection features have been added, and the internal storage space has been significantly increased from 2GB in the GR III to 53GB in the GR IV. However, the storage medium has been changed from a conventional SD card to a micro SD card, which may be a matter of preference.
Ricoh is also set to release another version of the GR IV later this winter, this one with a Highlight Diffusion Filter (HDF). This appears to be aimed at users who prefer a soft, film-like image with the benefit of light bleed.
The GR IV will be unveiled as an exterior sample at GR SPACE exhibition halls in Tokyo, Beijing, and Shanghai from May 31. Pricing has not yet been set, and the official specifications may change in the future.
