The street camera par excellence?
The Ricoh GR IV in a practical test.
The Ricoh GR series has been firmly established in the world of street photography for years: Small, unobtrusive, fast and amazingly powerful at the same time. With the new Ricoh GR IV, Ricoh is building on this and delivering sensible, practical improvements.
Always ready: Speed & instant deployment
What counts in street photography? Reaction time. And this is exactly where the GR IV shows its greatest strength: The optimized switch-on sequence reduces the switch-on time to just about 0.6 seconds, faster than any GR before. So if you pull it out of your jacket pocket and switch it on at the same time, it's ready before you even hold it in front of you. Simply switch it on and pull the trigger immediately.
Ricoh has not only thought about street photographers in terms of start-up speed, but also in the details, such as the Snap Focus function. Instead of having to search for it in the menu first, as with the Ricoh GR III or IIIx, the mode is now available directly on the front dial. This means that Snap Focus can be selected more quickly, which is a real advantage especially in dynamic situations (passers-by, street scenes, fleeting moments).
Compact and discreet - shooting with one hand
The GR IV is compact: at just 229 g and 32.7 mm deep, it disappears into any pocket - handbag, jacket pocket or trouser pocket. More importantly, you can easily operate it with one hand and therefore take pictures quickly and unobtrusively. This is a real argument, especially for street photographers who value restraint.
The design supports the concept: the ergonomically contoured thumb grip is secure, the controls have been rearranged and are easy to reach with one hand. The former ADJ lever has been replaced by an intuitive rotary wheel, which makes operation more direct. The lightweight magnesium alloy body also ensures robustness without unnecessary weight.
Although there is no integrated flash, the compact flash can be used via the existing hot shoe Ricoh GF-2 WW flash can be easily retrofitted via the existing flash shoe - practical for spontaneous brightening without bloating the pocket setup.
Ricoh Flash GF-2 WW
- Ricoh flash GF-2 WW for RICOH GR IV
- very compact housing
- maximum guide number of 3 (at ISO 100/m)
- can also be used with other models in the RICOH GR series
- integrated lithium-ion battery
- Charging via USB type C
Look straight out of the camera - without post-processing
If you like taking photos but want to spend less time in post-processing, the GR IV is the right choice. The new Cinema color profiles (in yellow and green tones) deliver a harmonious, cinematic look reminiscent of analog street photography. In addition, many other color profiles such as "High Contrast B&W" or "Positive Film" (our favorite) can be used directly in the camera and individually adjusted. Grain can also be added in-camera to create a vintage touch. Finally, the GR-World app makes it easy to transfer the images to your smartphone and it only takes a few minutes to set up.
If you prefer to create your very own look in post-processing, you can of course simply use the camera in RAW mode. The files can be easily processed in your preferred image editing program. Ricoh has also significantly increased the internal storage capacity (53 GB), which makes it easier to make spontaneous backups or share images at short notice.
Autofocus and low-light: Fast, with minor weaknesses
The hybrid autofocus reacts quickly and precisely, especially in daylight. In combination with the large APS-C sensor and the fixed focal length of 18.3 mm at f/2.8 aperture (equivalent to approx. 28 mm in 35 mm), you can take detailed, sharp pictures right into the corners of your shots.
However, the camera reaches its limits in low light. If you turn the ISO value up too high, the image quickly looks a little "spongy". One solution for low light that you could use in such situations is the integrated image stabilization: it can compensate for camera shake and thus enables longer exposure times without directly increasing the ISO. However, this option works best if you have the time to stand still and hold the camera steady.
Conclusion: The GR IV lives and breathes street photography
The Ricoh GR IV is not a jack of all trades and that is precisely its advantage. It is a specialist for fast, spontaneous, visually strong images: light, ready to use and with a look that is immediately usable. Technically, it brings sensible, practical improvements over the GR III/IIIx (new BSI sensor, 5-axis SR, new optics, more onboard memory) without fundamentally changing the series. Anyone who shoots street photography and wants a camera that you can always have with you should definitely consider the GR IV.
