- Prototype Ricoh Gr IV now exposed to the public in the company GR Space exhibition hall in Tokyo
- Ricoh has already confirmed that GR IV is underway for a “fall 2025” launch
- A variation with the highlighting filter will follow in “Winter 2025”
I highly expected a first overview of the next Ricoh Gr IV – but now that it happened, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed. Disappointed, even.
The long -awaited replacement for the excellent Ricoh Gr III (which will be abandoned), the GR IV should be the next flagship model of the iconic Ricoh range of premium digital points.
The GR series has won something classic cult status among photographers, appreciated for their Pochable size, unpretentious design and the use of large sensors. They are ideal for street photography and instant vacation, so the release of a new model is always an event for photo enthusiasts.
And now, a prototype of the Ricoh Gr IV is exposed to Gr Space, the Tokyo camera room and the company’s photography showroom, allowing the public members of the public to come and take a look (but not to have a practical experience – it is only an external prototype, therefore not functional).
It should be an exciting period for a Ricoh fan like me, but I find a little lack of changes compared to the GR III concerning. The design, for example, is almost identical to the GR III. I would have loved having seen an integrated flash and an inclined LCD screen, but the prototype does not have any either.
I also want improvements in autofocus and the robustness of the camera – and these things also seem doubtful. Although I will warn that with a prototype, things could change by the release date of the fall of 2025.
Reasons to be cheerful?
On the positive side, it will be delivered with a higher resolution sensor, a new lens, better image stabilization, some control adjustments and refinements such as a more / less switch and a D -PAD in place of a control wheel, 53 GB of integrated memory (as well as a microSD card – if not SD) and improvements to hope.
Instead, it seems that the GR IV will be a small upgrade. There is nothing wrong with that in itself, and users betting from older GR models or the purchase of their very first GR camera will probably be within the framework of a treat. People who have a GR III or GR IIIX, on the other hand, could find few convincing reasons to upgrade.
That being said, I can’t wait to give the camera a real world test to discover the most important thing: how it works in the field. Rass Ensuresd Techradar will get their hands on a exam sample as soon as Ricoh is able to lend us one.
