Ricoh GR IV Review: Everyone's Favorite Pocket Camera Gets Better

New lens with improved corner sharpness. Slightly larger sensor offers improved image quality. Rearranged rear dials make it easier to use. Dust sealing around lens. Improved autofocus and subject tracking. New snap focus mode.

Still no weather sealing. Video capabilities are lacking.

The past year had a remarkable number of big new camera releases. Nikon updated the Z5. Sony released a new A7. Leica even released a camera with an electronic viewfinder. Interesting though the year was for big, fancy cameras, perhaps the most anticipated new camera of the year is the little, unassuming Ricoh GR IV.

The GR series has been the pocket point-and-shoot to have for years, going all the way back to when it was a film camera. I'm happy to report that the latest addition to the storied lineup continues the tradition. But then you probably already know that, because you probably preordered one back when they were announced. Let's take a minute to run through the next 1,000 words on why you're smart and that was a great purchase. The two of you who didn't can leave comments below telling the rest of us why we're idiots.

GReat Update

Truly great photographs aren't always beautiful, but they have something extra about them that makes them stick in your mind. Cameras are like that, too. Most of the cameras that I've really loved were far from perfect: the Fujifilm x70, the Ricoh GR III, the Panasonic GF1. All of these cameras have flaws, and yet they are the most compelling cameras I've used in over 10 years of testing cameras for WIRED. I like the GR III so much I did a second review of it, way past the date that a review made any sense. (I appreciate your indulgence, WIRED readers.)

All of which is to say, I've been looking forward to the GR IV, so much so in fact that probably nothing could really live up to the expectations. But GR IV comes very close. It is everything the GR III was, but better.

Let's start with what Ricoh didn't change: the body. The GR IV is essentially the same size as the III. Technically it's a couple millimeters narrower and a few grams heavier, but in practice I could tell no difference from the GR III. Most importantly, it still fits in your pocket. And I don't mean you need to do some pocket yoga and then it fits (looking at you, Fujifilm X100). The GR IV actually, legitimately slides right into your pocket.

The control layout has changed slightly, and in a good way. There are two unlabeled adjustment wheels, one in front, one in back, and yes, the one on the back is a proper wheel this time, not the side-to-side rocker switch. By default, the front wheel is set to aperture and the rear to shutter speed, making this one of the easiest cameras on the market to shoot in full manual mode using one hand. You can of course customize these to something else if you like. (You monster.)

Ricoh wisely ditched the dial around the outside of the D-pad, opting instead to stick with just a D-pad and then a +/- rocker switch at the top right side of the back of the camera. Again, it's easy to change everything you'd ever want to change regularly using one hand. (All these switches and dials are customizable.)

Also unchanged is the rear LCD screen, which does not rotate or fold out in any way. No waist-level shooting for you. The GR series has always been an opinionated camera, and this is one of those places that I think shows that dogmatic stance about what it is trying to be. You either love that or this isn't the camera for you.

Ricoh has also moderately improved the battery life with a new battery that manages 250 shots on a charge (up from 200 in the GR III). It's better, but this is still the weakest point of the GR. You're going to want some extra batteries.

The extra battery room appears to be the cause of perhaps the strangest thing about the GR IV, which is that it uses microSD rather than a full-size card. Given the paltry video specs on the GR IV, microSD is fine, and there are plenty of cards fast enough to handle what the GR IV is capable of. If you don't have a good microSD card, have no fear. There is 54 GB of built-in internal memory.

The sensor inside the GR IV has a few more megapixels. It's a 25.7 MP APS-C CMOS sensor compared to the previously used 24.2 MP sensor. This sounds like nothing on paper, but in practice the image quality is subtly, but importantly, better. I'm honestly unsure how much to attribute the improved image quality to the sensor and how much to attribute to the redesigned lens. The GR IV retains the same 18.3mm f/2.8 (28mm equivalent in full frame terms), but it has a completely new optical design.

The result, whether sensor or lens or both, is better image quality. The lens is definitely sharper in the corners than the GR III, but more impressive to me is that images have more clarity and depth than what I got from the GR III. The files look cleaner as well. I didn't feel the need to do much, if any, post-processing on most of my shots. The GR IV will shoot video, though it tops out at 1080p, which tells you everything you need to know about what this camera thinks about video.

Also unchanged is the weather sealing. There still isn't any, though there is now some protection around the lens when it retracts, which should stop dust from getting on the sensor—a problem for some GR III cameras.

The Big Deal

While the body and button layout improvements make the GR IV easier to use, and the lens and sensor make for better image quality, the biggest improvement is the autofocus improvement. I would upgrade for this reason, even if I had the GR III.

Autofocus in the GR III was, well. So long as you understood its limitations, it did alright—some, maybe even most, of the time. The GR IV is an entirely different beast. Autofocus is plenty snappy for a camera of this size. Not only is the autofocus system much faster overall, the subject tracking and face detection are also quite good. Not like Sony or Nikon, detect-a-bird's-eye-in-corner-of-the-frame good, but very usable and plenty good enough for street photography and environmental portraits.

The In Body Image Stabilization (IBIS) is also vastly improved, using a new five-axis system that allows you to gain up to six stops of hand-holding ability. This is a big deal given that its f/2.8 lens on a APS-C sensor does not make the GR IV a great low-light performer to being with. Any extra stabilization is welcome, and the new system really does work much better.

When I reviewed the GR III, I wrote about how much I liked snap focus mode, which allows you to set a predetermined focus distance regardless of the aperture. I set up my GR III to use autofocus when I half-pressed the shutter and snap when I quickly pressed, so that snap focus fired off the shot at my predetermined focus distance (usually 1.5 meters).

All that remains, but there is also now a dedicated letter, Sn, on the mode dial that sets the camera in Snap Focus mode, which allows you to dial in not only the distance you want focus at, but also the aperture you want to lock in. You can control the depth of field as well. I rather enjoyed this new mode and found myself shooting with it quite a bit.

Should You Get One?

The GR IV debuted at $1,497, which is significantly more than the GR III's $999 price at launch. Is it worth the extra money? If you have a GR III and are frustrated by the autofocus, I think you will like the upgrade. It's significant and, if you have the money, well worth it.

If you have any desire to use your pocket camera for video, this is not the one for you. See our guides to pocket cameras and the best travel cameras for some better, hybrid photo- and video-capable cameras. If you want an APS-C sensor that legitimately fits in your pocket, offers amazing one-handed control, and produces excellent images, the the Ricoh GR IV is for you.

Personally, I am holding out for the GR IVx, which will hopefully, like the GR IIIx, be the same camera with a 40mm-equivalent lens. At the time of writing, Ricoh would not comment on whether there will be a GR IVx.