I bought my Ricoh GR II sometime around 2017. I learned about it because some Japanese photographers used that series of cameras for producing a kind of high contrast black and white I was really into at the time. I learned about who Daido Moriyama was, and that his photos were often shot with GR cameras, film and digital. The GR II had an Hi-Contrast B&W mode that was mimicking that style, and I surely did have fun with it!
By using the GR, I understood there was so much more to it than deep blacks and burned highlights. It became an extension of myself. I used to bring it with me always, even to places where I would never consider taking photos. It helped me find inspiration and dare to approach the mundane differently, with a big impact on who I became as a photographer. It was always with me not so much because of its size but rather because of the photos it produced and the way it operated.
Before the GR, I thought every photo had to be planned. Snapshots and βproper photosβ were separated, in my mind, by a collection of actions and decisions. Using the GR, I learned that our knowledge can express itself through instinct and by daring to act.
Its controls and size were so carefully designed and perfect for a one hand operation. And its look was minimal and yet unique. It was not a professional camera. It was not a vintage decorative piece. It was just itself. A practical tool for finding joy in photography and expressing myself with it.
I wonβt bother you with more on the GR II. If you are interested, I wrote a couple of articles about it, starting with a review in distant 2019. I wonβt even go too much into my thoughts on the GR III, which are already well documented in many posts here on the blog.
What I am talking about today is the Ricoh GR IV.
As you may already know, I did not like the GR III and I had very few hopes for the GR IV. After watching some reviews and reading about it, it seems my fears turned into reality. Well, I should not be so dramatic: after all itβs just a camera. So letβs say my doubts were justified. This sounds better.
The GR IV is an evolution of the GR III. I will ignore the apparently improved sensor and lens: the GR III was already excellent in that sense, so really, who cares. I will go straight to what matters to me, and what made me unhappy with the GR III.
They basically kept the smaller size of the GR III, while improving the stabilization. So, this camera will also overheat, probably even more than the GR III. I watched a video (link) and the reviewer had the camera freezing and becoming hot during usage. No, firmware wonβt fix this. This is what you get when you make a camera extremely small and pack an APS-C sensor with IBIS into it.
The GR II size was fine. It was a bit bigger and helped the heat dissipate. There was no real reason for making the camera smaller. I will never understand that. We are used to big smartphones. The GR II was still unbelievably small, considering it has an APS-C sensor. Go figure. For saving some mm and grams they made the camera an heat dissipation nightmare.
The jpg filters that made so many (me included) love the GR II are not back. The GR IV uses the same convoluted and redundant Image Control system the GR III had. Gone is the beloved Positive Film, replaced by the same uninspiring and timid version from the GR III.
The integrated flash is not back. They decided to replace it with an external one, that will cost more money and will fight with the concept of extreme practicality and portability of the GR.
Did I mention the cost? The GR IV costs 1500 dollars. The GR II in 2015 costed 799 dollars at launch, dropped then to 699 after not even a month. Adjusted to inflation, that would be around 950 dollars today. Thatβs a 550 dollars difference.
Do you know why Ricoh can do this? Because in last years, the Ricoh GR III became extremely trendy. Look at the multitude of YouTube influencers producing videos on videos about how the GR III is the best camera they ever had, the perfect every day camera, and all the usual YouTube hyperboles. Ricoh knows they have a niche and they are trying to see how much they can milk the cow.
I know, everything became more expensive today. Inflation is only part of the matter. We live in turbulent times and there are so many factors at play. But still, Ricoh is asking 1500 dollars for a camera that is basically the GR III with some minor updates and not real fixes for the main issues that users and fans complained about. The camera is still prone to overheating, the battery life still sucks, thereβs still no dust protection, thereβs still no integrated flash, and so on.
I would have paid 1500 and even 2000, if the camera had proper protection from dust entering or it was revisited for making cleaning the sensor much easier. Even if that meant bringing the camera back to the size of the GRII. Which for me was ideal anyway. I didn’t need a new lens or new sensor. So I won’t pay for them.
What did Ricoh do in the years between 2019 (release of the GR III) and 2025 (release of the GR IV)? Can it be 6 years were not enough for fixing the issues of the GR III? Ricoh said that properly dust proofing the camera was not feasible because the camera would overheat. Well, their camera still overheats and the dust remains an issue. Because they decided making the camera smaller was all that mattered. And by the way, there are other cameras with an extending lens where dust is not a problem like with the GR.
Ricoh had two ways to solve the issue: go back to the GR II size or even few mm bigger, and implement some proper sealing without worsening the overheating issue. Or they could have made it easier to open the GR for sensor cleaning. I opened my GR II countless times for removing the dust from the sensor. That camera is not built for being easily opened. And the rubber element that is supposed to protect the sensor from dust is laughable. I refuse to believe skilled engineers canβt solve this. It is clear the shareholders didnβt care about producing a better camera, they wanted better numbers to write in the marketing material. So, a better sensor! Better lens! Better IBIS! Better battery (50 shots more for batteryβ¦).
Lots of people preordered the GR IV. I suspect, mostly for turning a profit by reselling them while they are out of stock. The camera will be promoted by all the YouTube influencer that will swear it is the best camera ever made and they canβt live without it.
For me, the Ricoh adventure ended with my GR II. Maybe at some point I will get a GR IV just for the sake of giving you an honest review about it, but right now I have no will to buy it. I bought and sold the GR III three times, because I wanted to be fair to it and publish an unbiased opinion, after all!
I have never been a blind fan of anything. If my favorite band did an album that sucked, I said so. If my favorite author wrote a boring book that seemed ghost written by someone else, I said so. If the maker of my favorite camera produced a camera I disliked, I said so.
Ricoh will never invite me to promote anything, thatβs for sure. I am glad I actually work as a photographer and I can pay bills with that, so I donβt have to do videos trying to talk nicely of mediocre products. This blog exists only because I love photography and writing, and I am thankful to everyone that reads it and leaves comments. Even the ones that disagree with me! Over the years I only decided not to approve one comment, because it was clearly trying to troll and offend, and I have no will to waste time like that. One thing is to disagree, another is to be toxic because anonymity makes it so easy. But I digress.
So, this was my post about the GR IV. Some of you asked my opinion about it and there it is. There will be more posts about the GR II for sure, but nothing else about the GR III, and nothing about the GR IV unless I get one in the distant future just for writing an article.
My GR II is broken, so all the photos in the post were shot with a Nikon D700, which is currently my everyday camera. I am using it because I am intrigued by the fact that we can now buy for around 300 dollars an amazing pro-level full-frame camera that was used for shooting at the highest levels years ago. Spend 150-200 dollars or so and you get a Nikon 28mm f2.8 AI-S to put in front of it; probably the best 28mm Nikon ever made, after the 28mm f1.4 ED. Do that and you have an indestructible, weather resistant, reliable, full frame camera with amazing 28mm lens. You want to be more flexible? Get a Nikon 50mm f1.8 and you are good to go.Β And you spent less than 600 dollars, including an extra battery, even if a battery will last you days of shooting.
This small kit is how I am lately enjoying personal, every day photography. And thatβs what I used for the photos in this post. Just random moments that I would have otherwise captured with the GR.
There is something brilliant and inspiring in the fact that many could afford this setup and enjoy photography, without having to spend 1500-2000 dollars on a trendy camera like the GR IV or the Fuji X100VI. This is democracy. The quality coming out of the D700 is just delightful. Yes it is not pocketable and it means I need to go out with a small backpack (which I would still take with me because I like to travel with a book, stuff for writing and drawing and sometimes a laptop).
But how much does it really matter to have a pocketable camera? Does it really justify accepting to have the sensor gather dust or the camera overheating? Does it justify the high cost? For some, sure. Not for me.
Anyway, enough with the D700. Expect a post about it soon, probably already next one!
I want to take the chance once more to say thank you to all of you, for reading the blog and commenting on it. It means a lot to me. I donβt post as often as I would like, because work is hectic. I’ll try to do better.
I wish you all to be safe, through the difficult times we are living.
Keep taking photos and learning about photography! Letβs be positive and not fall into the traps of becoming blind fans of anything, not of a style, a brand, a softwareβ¦ life is too precious to waste it ignoring the diversity and brilliance of everything around us, and our intelligence is too miraculous to waste it with hate and prejudice, instead of applying it to improve ourselves and learn about the world.
Be curious, be kind, and look for beautiful light π
PS: all the color images are straight out of camera photos with only minor luminosity changes in lab mode. The bw photos were edited. I resized them but I am not happy with the results, and I think from now on I will post the D700 photos in full size, in the end it’s just 4-5 mb for picture. I could post less and in better quality, what do you think?
Spot on – again. The joy and respect I felt for Ricoh with the GRDIII, GRDIV, GR, GRII is gone. I got the feeling they really cared about the photographer then, now is money and influencers all they care about it seems like. Long live my GRII!
And funfact, I got myself a Nikon D700 about 6 months ago. What a handydandy beast of a camera! I simply fell in love. Everybody is talking about the colors, but I work in b&w and like the output. It’s a funny coincidense, isn’t it? Thanks again, Andrea, for a great blog.
Ps. I would love to see a YTchannel by you! Take care.
What a coincidence about the D700! It is really a lovely camera. It seems it’s becoming popular on YouTube, there are lots of videos about it but they mostly repeat the same two concepts. I will post about it soon, I just need to shoot some more photos for the post. Thanks for reading and commenting! And the YouTube channel is definitely coming, as soon as work slows down a bit!
Well, for me the IS in the GRIII, and the GRIIIx were huge positives over the GRII, specifically for how I use it, and personally I’ve never suffered major overheating issues, although my IIIx is a little unstable these days due to how badly I’ve treated it.
But as a near-continuous GR user since the GR1, they’ve lost me with the GRIV. The III is peak GR for me. I might need to buy a spare IIIx though….
Hi David! I am glad you had no issues with the GR III, and I understand there is few incentive for getting a GR IV, since it looks like a minor incremental update. Thanks for reading and commenting!
Thanks much for your thoughtful analysis of the GR IV!
Iβll keep disassembling and cleaning my GR II, too. Best, Larry
Yeah I will be stuck disassembling the GR II too π
The GRI whose sensor I had modified for BW has the shutter stuck on power-up but it still works from the 2nd trigger and I love it. I found a very nice used GRII to buy after considering your opinion and your reviews, the color photos are magnificent! I was disappointed by the colors of the GRIII and I had it modified for BW and for the moment I get magnificent results. Thank you AndrΓ©a for your uncompromising analyses always accompanied by magnificent photos. Take care too. Armand.
Hi Armand! I never used a GR with the sensor modified for bw, do you have some examples of the photo it shoots? It sounds really interesting. Thank you for your comment!
Hello Andrea,
I think it’s the same everywhere these days, with influencers promoting anything that only brings in a few euros.
An honest opinion like yours isn’t really in demand, and that’s precisely why it’s so important for opinion formation.
I’m looking forward to your post on the Nikon D700.
Best regards,
Adam
Hi Adam, it’s very difficult to find YouTube channels and websites that are not promoting stuff, yes. As soon as a photography channel becomes a bit popular, it starts selling stuff and doing the usual reviews where they start declaring “company X sent me the camera/lens but I was not told what to say, all opinions are mine” and so on. Well no, if you received the camera from a brand, you won’t be completely free. There is so much hypocrisy in that sentence, and that’s usually when I close the video.
I am trying to make the blog a place where I give my honest opinion on matters, for what it’s worth. I do work as a professional photographer and luckily I don’t need to make money from this blog nor from a YouTube channel. This blog is all about my passion for photography, about sharing it, and I am thankful for every reader and for every comment. So, thank you for reading and commenting!
Colors are amazing in this post. I was reading through it thinking, how did you get such great colors with the GR II (which does produce nice colors in positive mode but not like this) till I hit the part that it was the d700. The one thing that looked intriguing to me with the GR IV was the new cinema green profile. But I can get pretty close to it on my GR II with a little white balance tweak in positive film mode. Will use my GR II till it dies and then maybe a D700 is next…
Hello! The colors from the D700 are lovely, yes! They are already good in Standard mode, and they become quite unique in D2X mode Profile 3, a color profile that mimics the rendition of the Nikon D2X. When shooting with the Nikon D700 and that profile I just need to do a bit of luminosity and contrast adjustments in lab mode, and the photo is good to go. So, in a sense, it’s like when I shoot with the GR II Positive Film, except for the better high ISO π The D700 is a really funny camera, and I love it is so cheap and can mount cheap and yet amazing lenses. That Nikkor 28mm f2.8 Ai-S is a stunning lens, it resolves enough detail to work perfectly even on high megapixels sensors like the D850 and Z8, and in my opinion is even better than the stellar optics of the GR II. Thanks for commenting the blog!
Your article is so the moment. What have we become as photographers, more and more cameras with more tech . We have lost our way us photographers in what we shot with that has become more important than what we capture. My father is a photographer and shot during the pinnacle of film 50βs , 60βs and 70βs. There will never be another Kodachrome, but that doesnβt mean we lose our way now. Light , shadow and composition still matters.
Hi Laura, some days ago I was feeling a sense of emptiness reading forum posts about the Nikon Z9 II rumors. So, people speculating about an improved version of a camera that is already offering more than any photographer could ever need. They were fighting about specs, and in that whole photography forum there was no photography at all. It was all gear, specs, tech, and perfectly falling into the arms of camera brands’ marketing departments. I expressed my disappointment with it in an Instagram story, and an actress I love answered me saying that “they are not photographers, they are consumers”. And there is so much truth in it. I believe it’s important photographs are center stage in any photography discourse. Camera gear and the rest and not nearly as important as light, subject and idea. Thanks for commenting! π
Thank You Andrea! Still enjoying my D750 and looking for an affordable and clean GRII.
Hello Renee! The D750 is a wonderful camera indeed!
Finding a good used GR II is becoming harder, but every once in a while they do appear! Good luck! π
another great article Andrea, as usual. A joy to read and (unfortunately:)) it resonates so much. Used to own an original GR in 2013 and travelled South East Asia with it for 18 months, never had any issues. Neither the heat and humidity in Singapore nor the dust and rough handling during bike trips in the Nepal could hurt it. What a fantastsic camera that was – and an absolute joy to use. Still to this day the images look absolutely gorgeous.
Was super excited when the original GRIII was announced – bought it, first impression: huge let down. Too small, too fiddly, didn’t like the button layout, didn’t like the images that much. No connection there, the magic was gone. Returned it. Few years later, I couldn’t resist and bought the GRIIIX. Dropped it once (in a case!), screen broken. Thank god I could return it an get my money back.
Got a RX100VI now because I love the compact size and the crazy zoom range for light travel and hiking, but it handles like a bar of soap and there’s no real magic there like there was with the GR. Also got an old Canon 6D with a 40mm pancake and it gives me simmilar feelings to your D700 – an absolute bargain of a camera and still producing gorgeous images, for a total of under 350$.
Enough with the rambling. Just wanna say thank you so much for your great work, honest and unbiased articles, no bullshit approach. These YouTube influencers really are doing my head in with their justification of how great the new GR is and how it is worth paying 1500$ for it because they don’t want to lose their ambassador status. Same with the OM System ambassadors – seems like they are using the same approach, minor upgrades, huge price increase just to milk their existing customer base. Anyway, gotta go and find myself a used GRII somewhere π
Hello Basil! Fiddly is a good word for the first impression I also got from the GR III. The GR II gives a solid feeling, while the GR III seems fragile. Maybe it’s just a feeling, but it is what I also thought.
The Canon 6D + 40mm is also such a great combo! We are so lucky we can find amazing cameras for very few money. I wish more people would realize that, instead of salivating after the latest and greatest expensive new cameras.
Thank you very much for reading the blog and commenting, I am glad you appreciate it. Be safe!
Great truthful article as usual. Itβs such a pity that like Fuji Ricoh have lost their way. In my opinion Nikon build quality and colours take a lot of beating. Iβve just sold my Z8 and gone to a Zf not for any hype but because I find it more fun and the colours are more true to DSLR Nikons. I use the Voigtlander 28mm because even though it is a manual lens it has great rendering and the manual assistance on the Zf is great. Itβs great to have a blog by a βthinking personβ I look forward to your YouTube channel.
Thank you for your comment and your kind words, James! I am keeping the Z8 because of job, it has great video features and it comes in handy. I did consider the Zf for some time but at the moment I am happy with the cameras I have. Maybe in the future! The Voigtlander 28mm is very nice, quite similar to the Nikkor 28mm f2.8 ai-s in terms of rendition and optical qualities.
Out of interest when making a comment the website box would not accept my URL jameswhatleyphotography.website
That’s strange, I will investigate!
Ciao Andrea,
It’s always a pleasure to read your posts and see your photos. I have more cameras than I have time to use them, amongst them a GRII, a D700 (and the 28mm f2.8 Ais), D7000, D600, D610, Fuji X100 and X100F and 35mm and 6×6 film cameras. All great in their own way and all capable of producing great work in the right hands. I’ve come to realise that what limits my photography is not the gear but my own capabilities. It is great exercise to go out with an “old” camera and produce a decent photo. Having said that I’m still susceptible by gear acquisition syndrome every once in a while. If I could only keep one camera it would be the X100F. I find it comfortable and easy to use, discrete, adaptable to just about any situation and beautiful to look at. Keep up the good work!
Hi Simon! We have the GR II, D700 and D7000 in common then π I think that what often limits our photography is not only our capabilities, but also what we manage putting in front of the camera! I believe finding the right subjects and the right light is the most important aspect of photography, and yet we spend not enough time on it. Thanks for commenting!
I completely disagree with your opinion of the GRIII and GRIV. The size has returned to the GR roots being the same as the GRD models. The GRI and GRII were too long and unbalanced in comparison.
The image settings in the GRIII are vastly improved over the earlier GRs so you can set your own style, and even reprocess the RAWs in camera for different settings.
The over heating and poor battery life are not an issue if you use the camera correctly, switching off between shots. It turns on so fast that by the time you bring it up to eye level itβs ready.
Iβve never has a dust issue with any of the multiple GRD or GR models Iβve owned, but I keep them in a belt case when not in hand, rather than put them in a pocket. Switching the camera on sucks air into the body so thereβs no way to completely seal them.
My comments are for the GRIII as I havenβt tried the GRIV yet.
Hi Nick!
For me, the smaller size is the unbalanced one. Of course, it’s a matter of preference. The same goes for the imaging system: you may find it is a great improvement, I find it to be unnecessary and I lament the loss of the previous effects, which are now gone for good. It’s all relative to us and how we use and see the camera. I presented my personal opinion.
It doesn’t sound right to imply there is a correct way too use the camera, and it is the way you use it, don’t you think so? π Beside that, if a camera requires me to keep it off from shoot to shoot, because otherwise it gets hot… forgive me, but that’s a signal that something is not right in the way the camera is made. I was not keeping the camera on for a long time without using it: I was turning it on, and start shooting, and while I was doing it, it used to get hot, and very fast, usually less than 15 minutes were enough. And it happened with all 3 cameras I owned, in different weather conditions. The issue exists, even if many say it does not, because they never experienced it because of special circumstances, or because they want to downplay it because of brand fidelity. My guess is that quality control at Ricoh is not very good, and so there are copies of the GR III where the issues is less evident, and others where it’s more intense.
I am glad you never had dust! I also never had dust in my GR II for the first years, and it then happened and I had to learn to open and clean the camera. Ricoh attempted to add a rubber guard for minimizing the effect of the air/dust sucking when retracting the lens, but it is a very lousy attempt: they just placed that rubber piece in there and and even knocking the camera a bit is enough for misplacing it. They could have done much, much better in that regard, but they chose to focus on other things, which for me, that’s my opinion, are wrong. I had other cameras with retracting lenses and never experienced dust in any of them. For instance the Pentax MX-1 and the Sony RX100 III.
That being said, I am always glad when another Ricoh user is happy with his own camera. I am not hating on the GR III: I just presented my own experience after owning the camera three times and always having the same issues.
Thanks for commenting the blog and sharing your experience! It’s very useful for offering the reader a wider point of view on the matter.
I completely agree with your point about modern cameras packing in too much tech and losing some of the simple joy of photography. Thereβs something special about focusing on the moment rather than all the settings and screens. I still use my Pen-F digital camera for that very reason β it gives me that classic analog rangefinder feel while still being digital. Itβs a perfect balance between creativity and simplicity.
Hello William! Lately I’ve been shooting a lot with the Nikon D700, even though I usually work with Nikon Z8 and D850. The camera is not magic like it’s trendy to state, but it is very good and it puts you in a different state of mind, especially when used with manual lenses. A full post is in the works. When using it, I rarely miss any tech innovation, and I think that’s because all the new tech they stuff into the cameras is not essential, but more like something to make life a bit easier at best.
I also still use my Pen-F, a lovely camera I will definitely never sell: in that case, the camera offers modern tech, but I rarely use any of it π I love the PenF for the ergonomics, for its colors, and because I really like micro four thirds and the the 4:3 format in particular. Did you read the review of the Pen-F I posted a while ago? There are also a couple more posts about it.
Thanks for commenting the blog!
Hi Andrea,
Happy that I stumbled upon your review.
I rediscovered my GR1v film camera back in February, the LED display is gone, and there was a light leak due to the foam on the door having disintegrated and needed replacing. But it reminded me of what I like about the Ricoh GR line. I took a look at the GRIII, was close to buying a GRII actually, then I heard about the IV and decided to wait and see.
Fast forward to it being sold out everywhere, your voice of reason is refreshing amidst everything else out there, and is just what I needed. Thank you for taking the time to write this!
FWIW I have since replaced the foam on my GR1v – there is a kit available online. As for digital, I will be going into the Om system.
Hi Dom! I am glad my posts have been useful to you. I never had the chance of trying a film GR, maybe one day! As for the OM System, they surely have a couple of very fun cameras, especially when paired to the right lenses. Have fun!
Hi Andrea,
It sounds like you really prefer the Ricoh GR II. I owned II and III and felt II was better but I thought it was just me. II seemed sharper. I thought about buying IV but now I am inclined to shop a used II. Thoughts? Gordon
Hello Gordon! I am very partial to the GR II, and I would suggest getting one if you find it used in a good shape! They are becoming harder to find, sadly.
All the Ricoh’s are great cameras. My current camera is a Fuji X100IV, bought after X100V broke. Fuji’s are great too but there is something about the Ricoh IQ. I’m searching for a GR II. It was the best for me. They cost more now used then when I thought the II. Ricoh’s used to be cheap.
Hi Gordon! The price of the used GR II is crazy high and growing as good copies become more rare, yes.
where do i start and where do i finish,first of all i am a ricoh gr ii owner my self ,i bought the camera new from amazon for 495euros in 2018..been constantly using the camera up to 5 months ago when the camera started having issues,the main one is the closed shutter at start up..i found i way to bypass the problem as fast as possible by having the camera on aperture priority and shooting the firsdt picture at iso 3200 that helps the camera to unstuck in a matter of seconds..i know though that the camera has reached the end..the problem is the broken flex cable that connects the motherboard to the lens..the cable costs 2 euros but the fix costs 500 from an indipendent service provider since Ricoh wont service the camera since as they said it is old…mind you people out there that ricoh no longer servicing the gr iii also after the iv came out..i bought my self a lumix GF 1 with the 20mm 1.7 pancake lens and the electronic viewfinder for 190euros and i cant be more happy for the money i spent..really impressive results for its age …my main professional cameras are 2 D700 bodies and a combination of ais afs and D lenses that i bought through ut the years most of the times for reallly cheap.. i have 2 versions of the 180mm 2.8 if ed lenses on of them bought for 50euros and the second one for 150…thank god that everybody buys mirrorless and we have the chance to get a body like the D700 for like 250-300 euros..but i came here for ricoh..it is funny that all those youtubers that get the ricoh for free fail to mention all those issues that you reffered to..ricoh cameras are prone to break one way or another..i have seen comments from gr ii owners that the say that..hopefully their camera took 10.000 photos before the camera died..i can take 10.000 in a period of 2 weeks if i am on assignment or working for personall projects..my ricoh died (still functions somehow) after almost 150.000 shots and i am still not satisfied about the fact that the camera broke down and it is almost impossible to fix.your photos with the D700 are great,Thanks for the post and have a nice day.
Hi Vasileios! The quality control and the lack of proper servicing are in my opinion two of the big issues with the Ricoh line. You can’t ask premium prices if you don’t deliver premium quality. The GR II was already quite a fragile camera internally, and the GR III and (it seems like, didn’t try one yet) the GR IV are going to the same direction.
Ricoh could try to offer a more easily repairable camera, for a starter. Make it a bit bigger but easier to open and fix at least for basic stuff like cable replacing and sensor cleaning. But there is a whole fan base that will scream that having the camera few mm smaller is essential and non negotiable.
It’s sad because the concept od the GR is brilliant and for me it’s in many ways close to the “perfect camera”, since I love the 28mm focal length and an APS-C sensor can be enough for many things. But Ricoh is refusing to address its issues, and it’s instead doing something else that I don’t really understand or approve.
As you wrote, we are lucky used dSLR prices are going down thanks to the mirrorless hype. Never like today we had the choice of so many used professional cameras and lenses that can really cover all the needs of amateur and professional photographers, for stills.
Thank you for you words about the D700 shots! Since my GR II is almost dead, you will see more and more D700 on the blog π
What I find fantastic or fascinating is that people can criticise a device without ever having held it in their hands. I have the II, III and IV. If I had to part with one of these cameras, it would be the III without hesitation.
The IV is a superb camera. Admittedly, the price increase is significant. The fault lies with all the videos out there of people who talk a lot but ultimately say very little. A bit like what happened with Fuji.
I love my Ricoh despite there defaults.
Hello Alex! If you are referring me, I think there is nothing especially fascinating or strange in the fact I have a critical opinion about the GR IV, even without having used it.
It is clearly an evolution of the GR III and nothing of what I wanted to be changed has been changed. The camera is an improved GR III: I don’t need to use it for knowing I will probably not like it, just like I didn’t like the III.
If you have read my posts about the GR III you already know I bought and sold the GR III three times: I really wanted to like it, but it didn’t work for me.
So, the GR IV is an incremental and expensive evolution of a camera I didn’t like: I think it’s not weird I suspect I would not like the GR IV either, and I write about this in my personal blog π
That being said, as I always say, I am happy when people write to me they enjoy their GR III (or GR IV) and they didn’t see the issues I saw, etc. I am not against the GR III / IV or hating on them or any camera or brand. I just said I don’t like them, for a set of specific and rational issues. So, I am glad you like your GR IV! And yeah, I also think the higher price is mostly a fault of the YouTube hype, similar to what happened with Fuji.
I have GR III version, and do not experience overheating, but I live in Poland, so we have completely different temperature (during summer we have month-two with temperature over 30*C, but I cannot compare this to your country π ) I like III because of image stabilization, not important for you, but this was one of reason why I bought it, quite fast lens + image stabilization = no tripod, huge advantage for hiking. I can live with poor battery life and slow AF.
In GR IV I was hoping for weather sealing, which are equally important to me, for the same reason (hiking), and better noise at ISO 6400. Unfortunately, they didn’t fix these two things. If it weren’t for these flaws, it would be the perfect (for me) hiking camera. I’ll stick with the III and the lens adapter, which at least partially protects against weather conditions. Or use Zf with 28/2.8 (or 35/1.8) when high ISO and weather sealing matters.
Will I buy GR (III or newer) again, when I break it? Unsure. I love it, but I see cons.
Hi Maciej! Yes I imagine overheating is less of a concern in countries with colder weather (this also explains why many users in Scandinavia and Finland don’t notice this). Here in Sardinia the weather is quite different, very humid and warm, and I could notice the overheating both during summer and winter, but our winter is usually +15/+20 during the day!
Some sort of weather sealing was also very important for me, but I was not expecting Ricoh to do this. Their direction is clear. They took a decision with the GR III, and they are moving it forward with the GR IV. We will now have years of special editions, monochrome edition, HDF edition etc. I am sorry, because I don’t think I ever liked a camera as much as I liked the GR II, and since mine is currently broken I moved on (my goal is to try to fix it on my own this winter, we will see!). Thanks for your comment, take care!
Well, you are being the “counter-influencer” here. That is: influencing in the opposite way. Which means: doing the same the influencers do. You didn’t even try the camera. Ricoh GR III is a fantastic camera for photographers. It is used mainly by photographers (unlike Fuji X100, which is much more beautiful and thus directed to casual users). Ricoh GR IV is a wonderful camera. I had never experienced overheating with my GR III, nor with my GR IV for the time being. The image quality is fantastic, stabilization is quite useful. There is no positive from GR II, and that sucks, but there are a lot of good stuff about this…
Hi Joseph! I don’t know if you did read my other posts about the GR III: in them I was quite clear about why I don’t like that camera, and I repeated many times, in posts and comments, that I am glad if others appreciate it. I think I am allowed to have my own opinion about it, especially after buying it (and selling it) three times. I was really trying to like it π
About the GR IV, I tell you why I don’t need to try it: did it go back to the same size and ergonomics as the GR II? Did it bring back the Positive Film from the GR II? Did it bring back the flash? Did it solve the dust issue or add any form of sealing? No. So, I don’t need to try the GR IV to say that it’s not a good camera for me. Like the GR III wasn’t. I am honestly happy others enjoy it, and I am not saying it is a bad camera in general: it is just not for me.
Believe me I have no will to influence anyone, nor I think I do: I write this blog because I love photography and I also enjoy writing about it and about cameras, lenses, software. Everything I write comes directly from my own personal experience.
It’s great you enjoy your GR III and GR IV, and I wish you a great time with them! It’s important we shoot with cameras we love to use.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
Is it worth hearing the opinion of a never-Ricoh GRs-owner?
I donβt know, but Iβd like to share my thoughts after taking some shots with a friendβs Ricoh GR IV.
Now I can understand why so many people fell in love with this camera: having a truly pocketable device with superb ergonomics, very good autofocus, and almost full-frame quality can feel like a kind of photographic nirvana (imagining that in nirvana the sun is never at its zenith while youβre framing).
At the same time, I also understand Andreaβs and othersβ critical positions, because it really is a scandal to have such an enjoyable piece of gear to carry everywhere, yet to fear that every time you power it on in less-than-perfect conditions, you might regret it. And yes, money matters becaase every new version add a price increment.
At the end, it is a matter of tug of war between single customer and Ricoh: how long are you willing to accept to be blackmailed with increasing price without offering nothing subsustantial?
It is the same situation I’m experiencing with Adobe photoraphic sw and I made my choice: Goodbye and hello (to freedom).
The same I would have done with Ricoh Gr(x) if I ever owned one
Hi Carlo! I am also gradually removing Adobe from my workflow π
About the Ricoh GR II/IV: many fans are happy with it and not experiencing issues … or willing to ignore them. As long as this will happen, Ricoh will have incentive to solve structural problems. It’s all fine by me, luckily we live in a moment when we we have all kind of camera, for all kind of uses and with different price tags. For me, the Ricoh adventure ended with the GR II and I am fine with it π
I’ve shot Ricoh’s for 15 years, including the original IV, GR I, GR II and GR III. I liked II the best. It was sharper, I prefer the larger size and the IG was incredible. This is not to say that III and the new IV are not good cameras. Still, if could find a good II I would buy it over the new one.
Same for me, Gordon. The GR/GRII are still (in my opinion) the best digital GR cameras. Sadly, finding a good used GR II for as reasonable price is becoming harder and harder!
Andrea, thank you for the insight! My go-to camera was a Canon G1X Mark III for years, and it recently suffered water damage. To make things worse, it is no longer manufactured, and it costs double what I paid in 2020, almost $2,000! ALL CAMERAS are becoming very expensive. Makes me sad. Anyways, since my photography has been mostly wide-angle street and nature, so after buying and returning an OM-5 Mark II (I really wanted to like it), and ordered a Ricoh GR IV. Not weather-sealed, but small enough, I suppose. I am hoping some of these issues don’t turn me off to Ricoh, as it is my first one.
Great work with the GR, btw!!
Hi Juan Carlos! I really wish you to like the GR IV. Some readers think I hate on Ricoh and wish people not to enjoy it, but on the contrary, I am the happiest if others enjoy their cameras, even if I didn’t like those!
Cameras and lenses are costing more and more, yes. That’s why I enjoy finding cheaper and older gear and see what I can do with it. Lately I am shooting a lot with the Nikon D700, and I am using it as my daily camera instead of the Pen-F (my Ricoh GR II is still waiting I find the courage to order the new shutter and fix it on my own!).
Thank you very much for reading and commenting! Let me know how it goes with the Ricoh GR IV!
The Pen-F is wonderful! My daily camera now is a TG-7 (believe it or not) and I am having so much fun with it. I will get back here to report on the GR IV.
Hi Andrea,
This was a great read and although I disagree with some points, Im also disappointed with Ricoh. The IVβs upgrades are very incremental and im frustrated by their unwillingness to increase the size of the camera. Especially by their choice to reduce the SD card slot to micro. Love your photos and I also love the 28mm AIS! Cheers
Hi Raymond! I guess Ricoh will now start with the usual series of special/hdf/monochrome editions and will go on milking the GR IV for some years, like they did with the GR III before. It works for them and they are a business after all, so, good for them! I doubt they will ever go back to the GR II ergonomics, and I have the feeling the GR IV may be the last GR. We will see! About the Nikkor 28mm f2.8 Ai-s: what a marvelous lens! It is permanently mounted on my D700 and they form my everyday camera setup since some time. Fun to use, and the images are stunning. I was dubious about focusing via rangefinder dot, especially for portraits, but I was surprised by the accuracy. Thank you for your comment!
Andrea, I stumbled across your blog while trying to find reviews for the GR IV from proper photographers (read: non-YouTubers). After reading a few of your blog posts, rather than placing an order and waiting a couple of months for a GR IV, I have a used (and overly expensive π« ) near mint GR II on the way from eBay. Iβm excited to get my hands it.
Fred
Hi Fred! That’s a big responsibility π I really wish you to enjoy your GR II, you were quite lucky finding one in mint condition! My advice for the first times: don’t start pushing the camera towards the edges of where it starts to fail: avoid low ambient light or poor indoor artificial light (unless you are into using the flash of course). Start from where the camera shines (outside in day light) and gradually move from there towards more challenging situations. This way you will start enjoying it for what it does best, and later learn to deal with its shortcomings. Have fun!
Wow, you are saying everything I was thinking :)οΌI also like the size of gr2. a more durable body without ibis. Everything you said is on point. And I also want to mention, who the f need ibis :). I just hate ibis so much. When you hold a camera with ibis, it feels like a fragile egg. Really dispotined with gr4, nothing interesting but mediocre. And those influencer hipster youtuber review also disgusted me. I couldnt tell, it is the same shit like those fuji camera . For example, the fuji x100vi .When the first years it announced, they are brained washing like it’s the only camera you need, cant live without it , what so ever. But now nobody talk about it. And the truth is , you dont need the lastest greatest, best image quailty, fasted focus,any camera from the last decade is more than enough for daily use to profession work. At least for me π And the older camera acutally have better build quality, feels good in hand, better image tone, or so called more characteristic. The camera market are cursed now. The more you hope the more you dissapinted.
hahah maybe I am too emotional. Also sorry for me poor English. I am a native Chinese, unintentionally fond your blog when searching the gr4. Btw your photo are really nice, I almost jealous π
Hi Alex! You surely are emotional π I also am not a fan of ibis. There are times when it is useful, but it is true it gives cameras a feeling of fragility, because of the moving mechanism. Even an heavy and well built camera like the Nikon Z8 feels more fragile than the D850. I really appreciate cameras that don’t feel fragile. Camera gear industry is currently in a rough situation: they sell few and they are very adverse to risk, both in development and in marketing. The GR IV is a safe bet for Ricoh. The GR III sold well (also thanks to good Youtube marketing) and so they gave people a slightly better GR III. Fuji did the same with the X100V vs X100VI. Sigma is the only camera brand still taking risks, but it sometimes seems they are building extravagant cameras they know are bound to be an unsuccessful niche object, just for the sake of it. I dream someone would build a digital Contax RTS or Voigtlander Bessa, with just enough technology inside, well build bodies, something you can buy and use happily for 10 years. Of course it will not happen. That’s why it is so nice we can buy older and good cameras for cheap, like the Nikon D700! Thank you very much for your comment, have a great day!
Hi Andrea!
I love your blog and your work; it gets me excited as I begin my own photography blog (coming soon).
Anyway, I am now joining you in the disappointment with Ricoh cameras.
I bought the griii last year because I wanted a fun, little camera. Surprisingly I found a brand new one sale too! I used it happily for 8 months here in Texas. Shockingly, I never dealt with overheating issues, even during the hot summer here in America’s Southwest. I love the images, and I used it for a wide variety of photo genre’s; my favorites being portraits and landscapes. Macro mode is also a delight.
Alas, my Ricoh had issues last week, and now it does not open due to “lens issues.” I’m sending it in for warranty; however, given what I’ve read online and here on your blog I’ve lost trust in the camera. I have never dropped it, clean the exterior regularly. Considering I do live in a dusty environment it is quite frustrating how sensitive the camera is to dust issues. We’ll see what the repair shops says, but after it’s fixed I plan on selling the gr iii and getting an equivalent lens focal length.
I am more than happy to join you and others in getting Ricoh to focus on better design for their cameras. They really are a delight! It is quite the shame worrying over the fragility for such an expensive camera.
Hello Gabriel! I am sorry you experienced issues with the GR. It’s the destiny of every Ricoh user, apart from unbelievably lucky ones π It would be beautiful if Ricoh could improve their quality control and the reliability of their cameras. One thing I decided I don’t want to do ever is to babysit my cameras. With the GR III I constantly felt I had to be careful because dust could enter, because a small hit could create issues to the retracting lens mechanism, and so on. The GR II was also delicate in its own way, but much better than the GR III. As long as YouTube influencers will keep saying how amazing the GR III / IV are, in the hope of becoming sponsored by Ricoh or to ride the GR hype train, I don’t think Ricoh will change anything in how they build their cameras. I actually think the GR IV line will be the last GR, I have this definite feeling. We will see!
I normally never post answers to blogs, but what You’ve said helped me shake off GAS creeping up on me recently.
I was thinking of getting rid of my big mirrorless camera (there’s nothing wrong with it) to “scale the hobby down” in preparation for a child, and of course was looking for X100v & vi. To get one even used I’d have to sell my mirrorless both old and new and a lens of two… For an apsc with ibis still on fuji’s old battery. I used to plow through 4 of those a day on my old no-ibis mirrorless during intense traveling and I still considered going back to it despite evident upcoming problems.
Current day camera marketing is very multifaceted, insidious and can get to Your head quickly, even without watching lots of paid evangelism on Youtube. The marketing will mask as Your own personal reasoning for making a big switch, even though it makes very little sense after purchase is made.
Thanks for Your honest toughts.
I am so glad you found something useful in the blog, Rafal! GAS is always there and I also used to fall for it often, until I understood once and for all that basically every camera from last 10-15 years is good enough for pretty much almost everything: what matters is what we put in front of it π And the search for beautiful light and interesting subjects is so much more rewarding than giving our money to companies, for incremental improvements that have no true impact on our photography. I love some photos I shot with a Pentax Q ages ago! Crazy small sensor, 12mp, terrible dynamic range, less than ideal ergonomics… but the subjects and the light were perfect, and so the camera became quite marginal. Thank you very much for reading and commenting the blog!
Hi Andrea,
Thank you for your honest and unbiased opinion. It is very helpful indeed. I personally cannot understand that the Ricoh GR IV is not dust or weather proof at that price segment. Specially considering that it is build to be used outside *lol*.
Yep, thank you for your beautiful images too and reminding myself too to grab my good old Nikon D700 and enjoy all of it glorious beauty.
Hi Moises! I think the GR IV is what happens when a camera becomes victim of its own YouTube hype. Ricoh has no reason to invest in R&D for fixing the issues, they just try riding the popularity train, incrementing some marketing usable stats, and paying a bunch of influencers. It’s sad, I really loved the GR and GR II. That being said: pick up the D700 and go hunting for beautiful spring light! π
I bought a used GRII (one of your blog posts was a big push forward!) in 2021 for $500! It was barely used and I have it with me all the time. I hope it never dies, as the GRII is now on the resale market for over $1,000!
Hi Greg! Yeah the prices of used GR II are insane!
the entire secondary market is baffling right now. Even my lumix gx85 costs more or less the same used as I got it for new in 2018!
More people need to see this account of the Ricoh GR – you are absolutley correct about the GR not being comfortably and safely pocketable. Sure, if you wear baggy trousers and a loose hanging jacket most of the time, and the pockets are silk-lined and lint-free then the GR might be easily slipped in and out with a wrist strap so that it doesn’t get dropped onto the ground.
I can’t tolerate having a phone in my pockets – I actually got rid of my smartphone and just use a small button phone that can be put in my shirt pocket, so definately no room for the GR as well.
Memo to the cool kids: just use a very small waist bag, or very small over shoulder satchel and forget about following the trends promoted by shills online.
Hi! There is definitely an abuse of the term “pocketable”! It’s funny right now Panasonic’s army of YouTube influencers is saying the new Lumix L10 is “compact” and even “pocketable” sometimes. It’s apparently a big selling point. Too bad it is not true π
Hi Andrea,
Here I am this evening, looking at your amazing pictures while a GR I is sitting on the table next to me. It’s my second oneβI got it cheaply and in mint condition with the intention to flip it. Why? Because at the same time, I bought a GR III with the infamous “Lens error”βalso cheaply (for the same price as the working GR I, to be specific) with the intention to repair it. Apparently, the repair shop changed the flex cable but it didn’t solve the problem, so fingers crossed they will find the issue since it is also in mint condition and fully boxed.
But the more I use the GR I (again, it’s my second one, since I sold my previous one last year for a profit), the more I adore its Positive Film + White Balance combo. I’m not a huge fan of the screen, which isn’t the most accurate, but the camera itself is impressive. I really want to revive the GR III to try it out too, since I’ve seen truly nice pictures from it as well, but for now, the GR I will stay with me at least for a while. It’s just too good not to be used!
Slava Ukraini and best wishes from the Baltics.
Hi Mari, I wish you good luck repairing the GR III, I also need to repair my GR II and I think it’s time I finally do it, I miss having that little camera with me. And I am glad you appreciate my photographs! Thank you for reading and commenting the blog. Slava Ukraini!
Thanks for your feedback
Thanks for this article. I still stick to my original GR but my favourite Ricoh cameras remain the GRD III & IV and the GXR system. The raw files are a pleasure to work with. I don’t have a website but some images in the LFI and Ricoh galeries. I also wrote articles for the Macfilos site as I shoot both Ricoh and old aps-c Leica if you wish to have a look.
I’m looking for a 2nd hand GR Il.
Thanks again for the review
Hello Jean! I heard a lot of good words about the GRD IV, and I always wanted to give the GXR a try. It was quite a daring project and a pity it was abandoned. I checked your articles and they are very interesting, thank you for mentioning them. I also would like to get a good 2nd hand GR II, since mine is broken, but I still could not find a good copy. Have a great day!
I love your writing, photography, and honesty. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you very much Jeremy!
GRIII overheats in 15 minutes on a warm day, the GRIV is worse.
My GRIV failed on its first outing and needs a new main board, repair waiting several months already for parts from Ricoh.
I loved Ricoh with my GRII, but now with the influencer marketing, high prices and terrible build quality I think Ricoh are a dishonest company to be avoided
I was considering buying a GR IV just for doing a proper review but after many users told me the overheating actually became worse (as I expected, I think I say it in the post) I just gave up on Ricoh. It makes me sad to see all the YouTubers praising the camera and ignoring its faults like the overheating and the bad quality control. It is an expensive camera, quality and customer care are expected. My GR II is finally dead and can’t find anyone that can fix it, so I guess that’s it for me and Ricoh, unless they suddenly start caring about photographers again, instead of focusing on being trendy among YouTubers that make a living promoting camera gear!