Ricoh GR IV Review
The fourth GR keeps the formula: an APS-C sensor, a 28 mm equivalent f/2.8 lens and no viewfinder in a body that weighs 262 g with battery and card. Ricoh changed the sensor, the stabilisation and the storage, and still publishes no burst rate.
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The Verdict
The GR IV is for people who already know they want a 28 mm camera that goes everywhere. 25.74 megapixels on a 23.3 × 15.5 mm sensor, an 18.3 mm f/2.8 lens, 262 g with battery and card. Ricoh's case for this generation is in the details: 5-axis shake reduction rated up to 6.0 stops at the centre on its US product page, a 2-stop ND filter built in, approx. 53 GB of internal memory and a 0.6-second start-up.
The trade-offs are the familiar GR ones. There is no viewfinder, video stops at Full HD 60p, the battery is rated at approx. 250 shots, and Ricoh makes no dust or splash resistance claim. Ricoh also publishes no continuous-shooting rate or buffer depth. Storage moved to microSD, which matters if you own a drawer of full-size SD cards.
- Overall
- 7.2/10
- Image quality
- 8.5
- Autofocus
- 6.8
- Video
- 4.6
- Handling and build
- 8.6
| Announced | August 2025 |
|---|---|
| Sensor | APS-C back-illuminated CMOS, 23.3 × 15.5 mm, approx. 25.74MP effective |
| Resolution | 6,192 × 4,128 (3:2); 14-bit RAW (DNG) and JPEG; crop modes at 35 mm (4,944 × 3,296) and 50 mm (3,504 × 2,336) |
| Lens | 18.3 mm f/2.8–f/16, approx. 28 mm equivalent; 7 elements in 5 groups, 3 aspherical |
| Focus range | Approx. 0.1 m to infinity from the lens face; macro mode 0.06–0.15 m |
| Stabilisation | Sensor-shift Shake Reduction, 5-axis. Ricoh's US product page: up to 6.0 stops at the centre, 4.0 at the periphery (CIPA 2024) |
| ND filter | Built in, 2 EV; auto, on or off |
| Autofocus | Hybrid: image-plane phase detection and contrast; face and eye detection, tracking, focus limiter. No point count published |
| Snap focus | 0.3 m to 5 m, plus infinity |
| Continuous shooting | Available; Ricoh publishes no frame rate or buffer depth |
| Shutter speeds | Lens shutter 30 s to 1/4,000 s (1/2,500 s at f/2.8, 1/4,000 s from f/5.6); timed exposure 10 s to 20 min, bulb, time. Firmware 1.11 adds an electronic shutter to 1/16,000 s, usable at f/2.8 |
| ISO | 100–204,800 |
| Video | Full HD 1,920 × 1,080 at 60p/30p/24p, H.264 (MOV), built-in stereo microphone; up to 25 min or 4 GB per clip, stops early if the camera gets hot |
| Rear screen | 3.0-inch TFT, 3:2, approx. 1,037k dots, capacitive touch, air-gapless tempered glass; no tilt or articulation listed |
| Viewfinder | None |
| Storage | Approx. 53 GB internal, plus microSD / microSDHC / microSDXC (UHS-I); no simultaneous saving to both |
| Dust removal | Ultrasonic sensor cleaning (DR II) |
| Start-up | Approx. 0.6 s (Ricoh: the fastest of the GR series) |
| Battery | DB-120 (1,800 mAh): approx. 250 shots to CIPA at 23 °C; approx. 240 min playback |
| Connections | USB-C: charging and power with Ricoh's optional AC adapter, MTP data, DisplayPort video out; hot shoe for dedicated flash; Wi-Fi 2.4 / 5.2 / 5.8 GHz; Bluetooth 5.3 LE |
| Weight | Approx. 262 g with battery and memory card |
| Body only | Approx. 228 g |
Maker-published figures, with source and date: Numbers & Sources below.
What Stands Out
- 25.74MP APS-C sensor in a body of 262 g with battery and card
- 5-axis shake reduction, up to 6.0 stops at the centre per Ricoh (CIPA 2024)
- Built-in 2-stop ND filter, plus an electronic shutter to 1/16,000 s since firmware 1.11
- Approx. 53 GB internal memory as overflow when the card is full or forgotten
- Macro mode from 6 cm, normal focusing from 10 cm
- 0.6-second start-up, the fastest GR according to Ricoh
Trade-offs
- No viewfinder, and Ricoh lists no tilt for the rear screen
- Full HD 60p is the video ceiling; no 4K
- Approx. 250 shots per charge to CIPA
- No published burst rate, buffer depth or AF point count
- microSD only, so full-size SD cards from an older GR do not fit
- No dust or splash resistance claim from Ricoh
In Depth
The 28 mm lens and the new sensor
The lens is an 18.3 mm f/2.8, approx. 28 mm equivalent, built from 7 elements in 5 groups with 3 aspherical elements. It focuses from approx. 10 cm measured from the lens face, and macro mode covers 6 to 15 cm. Behind it, Ricoh describes a newly developed back-illuminated APS-C sensor of 23.3 × 15.5 mm with approx. 25.74 effective megapixels, for 6,192 × 4,128 files in 14-bit DNG.
If 28 mm is too wide for a scene, the crop modes give you 35 mm and 50 mm framing at 4,944 × 3,296 and 3,504 × 2,336 pixels. That is a crop of the same file, not a second lens; at 50 mm you are working with about a third of the pixels.
Stabilisation, ND filter and shutter
Shake Reduction moves the sensor on five axes. The spec page stops at "5-axis"; Ricoh's US product page adds the rating: up to 6.0 stops at the centre and 4.0 at the periphery, to CIPA 2024, for yaw, pitch and roll. The built-in ND filter takes 2 EV off, and an auto setting lets the camera decide when to use it.
The lens shutter is limited by aperture: 1/2,500 s at f/2.8, 1/4,000 s from f/5.6. Firmware 1.11, published in February 2026, adds the electronic shutter from the GR IV HDF, with speeds to 1/16,000 s at f/2.8. Together with the ND filter, that leaves room to keep f/2.8 in bright light.
Autofocus, snap focus and speed
Autofocus is hybrid, combining image-plane phase detection with contrast detection, with face and eye detection, tracking and a near/far focus limiter. Ricoh gives no point or zone count. Snap focus, the GR's preset-distance mode, runs from 0.3 m to 5 m plus infinity, so the camera does not have to find focus before it fires.
On speed, the spec page lists continuous shooting as a drive mode and nothing more. Ricoh's spec page, US product page, Japanese release and the manual's continuous-shooting section give no frame rate and no buffer depth. If burst matters to your work, that silence is the answer: this is not a camera sold on speed.
Storage, battery and video
Storage is approx. 53 GB internal plus a microSD slot (UHS-I). The camera cannot write to both at once, so treat the internal memory as overflow rather than a backup copy. The DB-120 battery is rated at approx. 250 shots to CIPA at 23 °C; Ricoh puts the GR III at approx. 200 for comparison. Charging and power over USB-C run with Ricoh's optional AC adapter, and the same port outputs video over DisplayPort.
Video is Full HD only, at 60p, 30p or 24p in H.264, capped at 25 minutes or 4 GB per clip and stopped early if the internal temperature gets high. Treat it as a notebook, not a reason to buy.
The numbers, and where they come from
Published by the maker
| Sensor size (maker's figure) | 23.3 x 15.5 mm |
|---|---|
| Effective pixels | 25.74 MP |
| Pixel dimensions (3:2) | 6,192 x 4,128 |
| Battery (CIPA) | 250 shots |
| Weight with battery and card | 262 g |
Maker figures checked on 16 Oct 2026 — maker's spec sheet
Computed from those figures
| Pixel pitch | 3.76 µm |
|---|---|
| Sensor area | 361 mm² |
| Format factor | 1.55x |
| Light gathered vs 35mm | −1.3 stops |
| Print at 300 dpi | 52 cm |
| Diffraction limit | f/5.6 |
Computed from the figures above. Pixel pitch = sensor width / pixel count across. Light gathered = log2 of the area ratio to 36 x 24 mm. Diffraction limit = the aperture at which the Airy disc diameter (2.44 x lambda x N, lambda = 550 nm) reaches two pixel pitches. Other calculators use other thresholds and so quote other numbers.
How this score is put together
7.2 out of 10
- Image quality Weight 25% 8.5
25.74MP APS-C behind a 28 mm f/2.8 lens
- Autofocus Weight 20% 6.8
hybrid phase-detect and contrast AF; Ricoh publishes no point count
- Video Weight 20% 4.6
Full HD 60p only, up to 25 minutes per clip
- Handling and build Weight 20% 8.6
shake reduction up to 6 stops, built-in 2-stop ND, 262 g with battery and card
Scored against fixed-lens compacts. The overall figure is the weighted mean of the rows above — it is computed, not set by hand.
How It Compares
| Spec | Ricoh GR IV | Ricoh GR IIIx | Fujifilm X100VI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor | 25.7MP APS-C | 24MP APS-C | 40MP APS-C |
| Video | 1080p60 | 1080p60 | 6.2K30 |
| AF Points | Hybrid | Hybrid | 425 points |
| Burst | — | 4 fps | 11 fps |
| IBIS | 6 stops | 3-axis | 6 stops |
| Buy | Check price at Amazon | Check price at Amazon | Check price at Amazon |
Recommended Accessories
Essential gear to maximize your Ricoh GR IV experience:
SanDisk Extreme 256GB microSD
Ricoh specifies microSD (UHS-I) for the GR IV; full-size SD cards from an older GR will not fit.
More gear guides: Best TripodsBest Camera BagsBest SD Cards
FAQ
How fast is the GR IV's burst?
Ricoh does not say. Continuous shooting is listed as a drive mode, but the spec page, the US product page, the Japanese release and the manual give no frame rate and no buffer depth.
Does the GR IV record 4K?
No. The maximum is Full HD 1,920 × 1,080 at 60p, in H.264, up to 25 minutes or 4 GB per clip.
What memory card does it take?
microSD, microSDHC or microSDXC to the UHS-I standard, alongside approx. 53 GB of internal memory. It cannot save to the card and the internal memory at the same time.
GR IV or GR IIIx?
Mostly a focal-length decision: 28 mm equivalent on the GR IV, 40 mm on the GR IIIx. The GR IV adds 5-axis stabilisation and a newer sensor, the GR IIIx keeps full-size SD cards. The details are in Ricoh GR IV vs Ricoh GR IIIx.
Is the GR IV HDF the same camera?
No, it is a separate model, as is the GR IV Monochrome. On Ricoh's spec page the HDF version has a switchable HDF filter and no ND filter, where the GR IV has the ND filter and no HDF. This page covers the standard GR IV only.
Final Recommendation
The GR IV is a 28 mm APS-C camera that fits a jacket pocket, with better stabilisation, a built-in ND filter and more internal storage than a GR has carried before. It asks you to accept no viewfinder, no 4K and no published burst figure.
Buy it if: you think in 28 mm, want APS-C files from a camera you always carry, and shoot street, travel or everyday scenes at your own pace.
Skip it if: you prefer a tighter 40 mm view, need a viewfinder or 4K video, shoot sport or anything where burst rate matters, or want a camera with a stated dust and splash resistance.
