Ricoh Imaging has confirmed something that many fans of its GR compact cameras were no doubt readily anticipating – the Ricoh GR IVx is in development!
This is an alternate version of the popular Ricoh GR IV, sporting a 40mm f/2.8 equivalent lens rather than a 28mm. Ricoh did the exact same thing with the previous generation of the camera, offering the Ricoh GR IIIx as well as later the Ricoh GR IIIx HDF with a dreamy diffusion filter.
We don’t have a confirmed release date or launch price for this camera, though Ricoh has said that it’s aiming to start shipping in Japan in October 2026, with other territories following after. This will also mean that the GR IIIx and its variants will cease production.
Here’s what you need to know about the incoming Ricoh GR IVx…
Ricoh GR IVx vs GR IV: Key differences
40mm lens vs 28mm: A 40mm lens provides a much tighter field of view than the 28mm equivalent lens on the original GR IV. It’s an angle of view that’s close to the effective field of the human eye, meaning it produces images with a naturalistic feel, and is therefore ideal for documentary-style shots.
Neither lens type is necessarily better – it’s just about which one you personally prefer. Many street photographers love the width of the 28mm perspective as it allows you to fit a great deal into the frame – however, personally I’m a fan of tighter perspectives on the street, as they allow me to keep a little more distance from subjects while still filling the frame. The longer lens also means a slightly longer close-focusing distance – 0.2m in standard mode for the Ricoh GR IVx vs 0.1m for the Ricoh GR IV.
Tighter crop modes: The GR IV features a useful crop mode, allowing the user to change the effective focal length of the lens to 35mm or 50mm, at the expense of a bit of resolution. The Ricoh GR IVx offers the same thing, but since it already starts at 40mm equivalent, the crop mode extends the effective focal length to 50mm and 71mm, providing a short telephoto perspective.
4K video: Now, this is genuinely a bit of a surprise. Ricoh GR cameras have never been particularly rated for their video capability, and with the Ricoh GR IV shooting only Full HD video, it’s few people’s first choice as a daily driver for video. The Ricoh GR IVx, however, ups the maximum video resolution to 4K, with a maximum frame rate of 30p. Honestly, I still don’t see the Ricoh GR IVx being a top choice for those for whom video is a high priority – but it is good to see Ricoh taking it more seriously and acknowledging that many photographers are also content creators who benefit from having good-looking video in their arsenal.
Beyond that, the Ricoh GR IVx sports all the GR IV features that we loved. It’s a slim, stylish, portable compact camera with fast focusing and effective Shake Reduction stabilisation – perfect for capturing swift street moments and scenes. You still get the film-style Cinema Modes, the reliable Hybrid AF, and the bright 3-inch LCD monitor for composition and image review.
Exact pricing and release-date information for the Ricoh GR IVx is still to be confirmed – make sure to sign up for updates at the link below so you can be first on the list for pre-orders.
About the Author
Jon Stapley is a London-based freelance writer and journalist who covers photography, art and technology. When not writing about cameras, Jon is a keen photographer who captures the world using his Olympus XA2. His creativity extends to works of fiction and other creative writing, all of which can be found on his website www.jonstapley.com
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