- First Ricoh Gr IV ‘Unboxing’ reveals an even thinner compact design
- The arrangement of control has minor adjustments, including the return of a + / – rocker
- Automatic focus and starting are apparently faster
While we are approaching the launch date of the Ricoh Gr IV, the first examples of images taken with the compact premium hit Ricoh’s social media to sharpen the appetite.
Meanwhile, one of his ambassadors shared the first practical video with the GR IV, discussing his first impressions before using the Premium Pocket Vivaneau for real.
As an owner GR IIIX, I have a particular interest in his successor, especially since we assess the GR III / GRI IIIX as one of the best series of compact cameras. In simple terms, it offers the best image quality from a truly pocheable Vivaneau.
That said, I must admit that when I saw the technological specifications and images of the GR IV product in May, followed by the presence of June, I felt disappointed.
At first glance, the latest version apparently fails to deliver many of my higher wishes GR IV – there is still no integrated flash, inclination screen or improved construction quality. Most technological specifications also seem quite similar.
However, what matters most is real use, and practical video on the Samuel Streetlife YouTube shows a lot of reasons to be excited.
To watch
A Premium Pocket Pocket Plus Snapp
My best request for the next GR model was that it remains small – in other words, if it is not broken, do not repair it. Ricoh apparently took better and made the body GR IV even thinner, while making the hand more pronounced. The handle on the back seems to have a greater groove for the thumb too. It is a solid start.
According to brief tests illustrated in the first practice (see the YouTube video above), the autofocus seems to be more snap. This could be another major victory, especially given the poverty of the GR III autofocus performance. The tests were carried out under covered daylight conditions, rather than in the most difficult conditions of the night.
The start -up time is also faster, almost instantly. For a particularly popular camera with street photographers who may need to respond quickly to times, it is a higher functionality.
What the video does not dig is the image quality, although we have the first glimpse of this on Instagram from Ricoh (below). An image has impressive macro -photography skills, while another demonstrates the 5 -axis image stabilization – a hand monochrome shot where the movement is blurred but the static subjects are clear.
According to technological specifications, we know that there is a modest resolution bump, from 24 MP to 26 MP, while the 28 mm f / 2.8 objective is redesigned, but these images on social networks cannot clearly demonstrate if there are real image quality improvements – which will come from appropriate tests.
There are a few more remarkable updates – the GR III records on an SD card and has an internal storage of 2 GB, while the GR IV uses an SD micro and has 53 GB of internal storage. I do not know what I prefer from both, but the GR III series has never been a quick and fast shooting, so the slower micro SD card type in the new model may not be a circuit breaker.
From what I saw in the launch accumulation, I put my hopes for the next GR IV. As for its release date, rumors without mirror have drawn a screenshot from the B&H photo retailer, which suggests that pre -orders are launched at 6 p.m. HE today (August 20). However, when I clicked on the link, the information had been deleted.
So, even if we do not know when pre -orders start exactly, the GR IV could be available very soon – color me excited.
