- Rumors suggest a Ricoh GR IV is set for release in the first quarter of 2025
- A surprise monochrome variation could follow later in the year
- No leaked specs yet, though a Ricoh GR IV would update the GR III
Ricoh could launch the latest model in its popular line of premium compact cameras, a would-be named Ricoh GR IV, as soon as the first quarter of 2025. That's according to a source for Fuji Rumors, who also suggests another surprise model could follow later in the year, a monochrome version the same camera.
At the start of the year, I placed a potential Ricoh GR IV in a shortlist of most exciting cameras for 2024 and with good reason. It's an alternative take on the wildly popular Fujifilm X100VI, being a truly pocketable compact camera with large APS-C sensor, sharp fixed lens and superb image quality.
I got my hopes up a couple of months after that article when Ricoh announced a new GR digital compact, only for it to be a niche variation of the GR III / GR IIIx with highlight diffusion filter (check out our Ricoh GR III HDF review for more on that one).
A Ricoh GR IV still hasn't materialized, but that could be set to change within the next few months if the latest rumors prove true. I personally own a Ricoh GR IIIx and love it, but it's far from perfect and I have previously written about the 5 things I want to see in a potential GR IV.
Let's take a look at what we can reasonably expect from a future Ricoh GR IV and if it could indeed be a compelling X100VI alternative.
A potential headache for Fujifilm?
Having the GR IIIx as an everyday camera, I've built up a wishlist of improvements in a successor. Here's what I'd like to see Ricoh do with a fourth generation model of its GR series of digital compact cameras:
- Keep the size the same
- Add a built-in flash
- Improve build quality
- Add a tilt LCD
- Improve autofocus
I unpack those points in the five things I want to see article. If Ricoh were able to implement those upgrades, the Ricoh GR IV would be a superb little snapper. It still wouldn't match the versatility and all-round performance of the Fujifilm X100VI, which has a hybrid viewfinder that I adore, but in a way it doesn't have to for it to be worth your attention.
Each camera is a different proposition. I opted for the GR IIIx more than two years ago instead of the Fujifilm X100V (which was the latest X100 model back then) because it's so small and can slip into a trouser pocket, knowing that there would be performance and handling-based compromises. Ultimately, a tiny camera with large image sensor is Ricoh's winning recipe.
And with demand continuing to overwhelm supply for the X100VI months after its launch, following the X100V going viral, Ricoh could swoop in with a credible alternative. Will it be a big upgrade from the GR III? History suggests otherwise, and that it'll just be a few tweaks. I hope to be proven wrong.
Should Fujifilm be worried? I don't think so – besides the X100VI still likely being a more powerful camera than an upcoming GR IV, it's still reaping the rewards of its popularity on TikTok. On the other hand, a monochrome version of the GR IV would be an entirely different proposition from Fujifilm.
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