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Ricoh GR IV: What the new trouser bag camera can do
by Samuel Buchmann
With the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome you only see black and white
16.1.2026
Translation: machine translated
The Ricoh GR IV Monochrome continues what the GR series has consistently done: with the fixed focal length and the focus on black and white images, you have to consciously search for motifs.
A camera with high-quality equipment that only shoots in black and white? Where most people shake their heads, artistically ambitious photographers might take notice. In February, Ricoh is launching a version of the Ricoh GR IV compact camera that shoots exclusively in black and white. Like the other GR models, it also has a fixed focal length. It costs around 1800 euros or francs.
The idea is not new. Leica has long had various models with a black-and-white sensor in its range. In December, the company presented the compact Q3 Monochrom. Among DSLR cameras, Pentax, which now belongs to Ricoh, is also worth mentioning with its K-3 Mark III Monochrom
The sensor only records brightness information
The APS-C sensor with 25.74 megapixels does without a colour filter and only captures brightness information. There is no colour interpolation and each pixel contributes directly to sharpness and tonal value. According to Ricoh, the image therefore benefits from greater sharpness, more precise details and finer grey tones. At the same time, more light falls on the sensor, which makes the camera more efficient in low light and enables higher ISO values. The sensitivity range extends up to ISO 409,600 - twice as high as the colour model.
Another special feature is the integrated physical red filter, which can be activated using the function button. It enhances contrasts, for example between sky and clouds, and enables classic black and white looks without additional accessories.
Source: Ricoh
Like all Ricoh GR cameras, the monochrome version of the GR IV comes with a fixed 18.3 millimetre focal length (28 millimetres in 35 mm equivalent). Telephoto shots are not possible. Thanks to the low close-up limit of ten centimetres, macro shots can be taken to a limited extent.
And now to the most important question: who needs an expensive camera that deliberately does without the usual functions?
Why a camera that can do less?
Ricoh emphasises the principle of reduction. The cameras can do less, but they can do it very well. The fixed focal length eliminates distant subjects. The GR series is therefore popular in street photography due to its compact size.
In contrast to colour cameras, with the monochrome version you cannot decide afterwards whether colour or black and white is more suitable for a photo. Pure black and white images require an eye for which scenes come into their own without colour.
The target group does not buy the camera despite its limitations, but precisely because of them. Anyone who shoots in black and white anyway will get sharper images with the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome than with cameras that only have a mode for black and white on board.
Header image: Ricoh
Feels just as comfortable in front of a gaming PC as she does in a hammock in the garden. Likes the Roman Empire, container ships and science fiction books. Focuses mostly on unearthing news stories about IT and smart products.
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