- Ricoh confirms that GR IV is in development and the “fall 2025” launch
- A variation with the highlighting filter will follow in “Winter 2025”
- Compacts will pack a newly designed objective, sensor and processor
Ricoh has announced the development of Ricoh Gr IV, the next generation of one of the best compact cameras. As a long -standing user of GR IIIX, I could not be more excited with regard to stores.
We have been specifying for months, even years, at the moment and if a GR IV was revealed. Along the way, leaks gave us a false hope because other iterations of the GR III were launched instead, like the GR III HDF.
Now, finally, we know (roughly) when the GR IV is launched – a press release indicates that we can expect the GR IV in “Autumn 2025”, while a version of Diffusion Filter (HDF) of Niche (HDF) is defined in “Winter 2025”. There is no word yet on “X” iteration.
In the accumulation of those who launch, the GR III will be interrupted, although the production of the GR IIIX should continue for the moment.
I have already written on the upgrades that I hope to see in the Ricoh Gr IV, and now the press release has tackled a few things that we can hope.
What is the size of an upgrade the Ricoh Gr IV?
Ricoh says that the “GR IV inherits the concept of the GR series of Basic, while also incorporating completely new components, including a newly designed lens, a new image sensor and a new imaging engine, to update the image quality more.
“It also has more advanced communication functions and is compatible with a new application designed for intelligent devices in order to improve operability and functionality.”
These improvements could indeed make GR IV, in Ricoh’s words, “the ultimate instant camera in the history of the GR series”; But as a real user of the GR IIIX, there are fewer upgrades worthy of the title that I would also like to see.
The image quality of the GR III series is already stellar, but I hope that we will see certain design improvements, in particular a better quality of construction, an integrated flash and, provided that the truly compact dimensions remain, an reclining LCD screen.
Regarding performance, GR IV needs a better autofocus, and the mention of a new processor and a new sensor gives me hope that this will be.
Ricoh says that the GR IV prototypes will be presented in the GR Space exhibition halls in Tokyo, Beijing and Shanghai from May 31. This should give us other indications of any design change, including the new objective.
The Ricoh Gr IV is a camera that I have been looking forward to for a long time, and with premium compacts particularly popular at the moment, it cannot come early enough and should be one of the most popular cameras of 2025.
