Ricoh GR Digital IV Preview: Digital Photography Review

Body & Design

The GRD IV is almost indistinguishable from its predecessors (the passive AF detector window just above the lens is the most obvious change), but that's no bad thing. The GR Digital cameras have always been favorites amongst certain breeds of photographer so it's understandable that Ricoh wouldn't want to deviate too much from that established formula.

The build has the kind of solidity that you won't find in many other cameras (compact or otherwise), and the control system too is among the best, irrespective of camera type. The only real change to it is the ability to configure sets of function pairs that can be assigned to the two Fn buttons. Other than gaining a GXR-style four-way controller, existing GRD users will find no surprises here.

In your hand

The textured surface that wraps around the right edge of the GRD IV's magnesium alloy body ensures a firm hold of the camera while the placement of the rear control points allows you to adjust exposure controls from a comfortable hand position.

Body elements

	The GRD IV re-introduces a 'Hybrid AF' focusing system. Operating as a simple rangefinder, a secondary sensor uses twin lenses (shown at right) to determine the approximate focus distance, at which point the camera's traditional contrast AF system kicks in and fine tunes the final focus position. Ricoh claims this leads to a 2x focus speed performance over the GRD III.
	Fn buttons on the GRD IV can be configured in pairs and you can easily switch between up to four user-generated presets defining the behavior of each Fn button set.
	The GR Digital is the first camera we've seen to include a white sub-pixel at every image position on the LCD. This means the screen can offer either a brighter image, or lower battery consumption for the same image brightness. Ricoh has combined this technology with an automatic screen brightness control. We look forward to seeing the extent to which this helps when using the camera in bright light.
	The mode dial sits next to a small lockout button that must be depressed in order to rotate the dial. While this does make switching between shooting modes a two-finger affair, in practice it is accomplished much less awkwardly than it looks.
	The GRD IV uses the same DB-65 battery as its predecessor. The battery has a CIPA rating of approximately 370 pictures. The memory card slot sits below the battery, and accepts SD and SDHC types.

Comments

Total comments: 125

Sept 2011? Preview? Where's the review?

0 upvotes

I'm buying one.

0 upvotes

Does it utilize DNG files? I'm an Apple Aperture user and although they don't support RAW processing on other Ricoh cameras, I am hoping the GRD IV makes the cut.

0 upvotes

@fotomaster: do you see any image quality improvements compared to GR III ? I have a Lumix LX5 ... do you think it is worth the "upgrade" ?
and finally: does someone know when the Ricoh GR IV will be available in Europe ?

Comment edited 10 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

I have been using the Ricoh GR IV and must admit that there are certainly some great improvements over the GR III.

0 upvotes

I wish i could get a Ricoh designed grd 4 with a Sigma Foveon sensor in it! That would be one amazing product and i would pay through the nose to get it!

0 upvotes

I wish i could get a Ricoh designed grd 4 with a Sigma Foveon sensor in it! That would be one amazing product and i would pay through the nose to get it!

0 upvotes

I don't understand the 599$ price tag while it's ￥79,800 at Yodobashi camera in Japan

0 upvotes

People in Japan are willing to pay more.

1 upvote

I do understand the passion for high quality primes, but for me please fit the excellent zoom lens from the GX200 and I will replace mine as I would love the CCD sensor and hybrid AF system. I know the GRX is the obvious choice for users like myself, but the cost of that system outweighs my usage.

There is no finer user interface and handling experience than the GR / GX series. Let's have a GX300 please!

2 upvotes

Ok, So how would this be any better than say a GF3 with the 14mm prime? Besides the lens being a half stop faster.

0 upvotes

built quality
interface
functions
hot shoe
panasonic

3 upvotes

Ricoh's CCD is an interesting choice. In an chinese interview, Media asked why Ricoh is not using a backlit CMOS sensor in the GRD IV. The answer is backlit CMOS sony produces cannot produce colors Ricoh desired - colors are just too "plain"

Which is true - look at the sample image from pentax Q, and latest sony compacts, they adopt a "natural" look, but that natural look is not their choice, but actually limited by the sensor.

CCD is still producing much better colors, look at the sample image from Ricoh or XZ-1 or LX5, which using CCD over CMOS. CMOS, however, has better high ISO ability than CCD, but that's not necessary given the fast lens any of those camera have. 90% of the time, people only use ISO 100 or 200.

2 upvotes

I am thankful Ricoh had not changed the GR formula, except with making image improvements.

I think most here would agree:
(1) I don't want a zoom lens. Just the best quality 28mm please.
(2) I don't care about GPS ... whatever movie mode.
Just the best image please.
(3) The snap mode is the best thing ever. In fact, I don't want no face recognition.

This camera is unique and best for pros.
This is meant for those who understand photography.
Newbies, noobs, go away.

Nowadays, Canon and Nikon are not exactly selling cameras.
Instead of making true photographic tools, they adding too much peripheral functions. HD recording .... GPS ... a whole lot of distractions.

I always ask:
How has this improve the quality of the photo taken?
A brighter lens? Higher quality processing?
Higher bit raw? Lower noise?

Now Canon is doing something else
They are pushing a faster digic engine ...
A distraction only what you want is not a faster processor
But better quality DNG raw file.

6 upvotes

Too many people commenting here seem to just be comparing zooms vs primes.

As anyone who has actually used the GRD III will tell you, you'll find that the S95 and other top compacts don't even come close to the handling and customization that the GRD series offers. Majority of street photographers looking for a compact digital will pretty much agree that the GRD IV is pretty much in a league of its own. And 28mm is a pretty sweet spot for street photography.

Although obviously, it's not for everyone, if you don't like primes, or if you feel the need to cover every single FL, if you think HD video is useful, then go and get yourself an S100 or an XZ1 or the myriad of other me-too compacts that Canon and Sony churn out every year.

Personally, the only thing I'd want on this little baby is a built in VF, even at the expense of size. Although that Tri-Elmar idea posted a few comments down sounds pretty good too. I wouldn't mind a 24/35 two-in-one lens.

4 upvotes

Weight and size similar to my Panasonic LX3 and the sensor is around the same size, and at last they've joined the 21st century with image stabilisation. With an optional external viewfinder it looks like it could be interesting. Assuming they don't do a Fuji and send a half finished product to market....

0 upvotes

Very nice. I had the GRD I & II and really miss them. Yes, the sensor was too small but everything else was so good, it got 90% of the way there. I got an LX5 which is pretty good at the long end but as expected (but hoped wouldn't be the case) at 24mm-28mm the corners are soft. But that's why the Ricoh doesn't have a zoom.

0 upvotes

AbrasiveReducer, you say that the GRD's sensor was too small but the LX5's sensor is only marginally larger – by 0.4mm in width.

When people say the GRD's sensor is too small, I ask – what exactly is it too small for?

0 upvotes

This sounds a fantastic new camera - I handled a GRD3 shortly after it came out and was really impressed by it's build quality and no-nonsense design.

The new screen should improve the usability in bright light, but on first reading I thought it was higher resolution than previously - quoting the higher dot count is somewhat misleading.

0 upvotes

Why does DPR always get the shutter speed wrong every time. On the grd3 they listed it as starting at1 sec. And here they have done the same. As a grd3 fan and owner it truly peeves me.

1 upvote

Phew, nothing really stands out as worthy of an upgrade. I'm glad it doesn't have a zoom (don't need) and a new sensor (honestly, I don't care).

I understand why some people don't like this camera. But I can't seem to understand why they get so upset about a camera they would never buy.

4 upvotes

What I don't understand is why Ricoh refuses to design a new GR digital with an adequate sensor in it. In the film days GR-1 was popular (you could say even had a cult following), despite being expensive, mainly b/c of image quality one could get with that lens.

With every new release of GR digital though I wonder, why Ricoh preserved all the good elements from the film version (controls, lens) and skip on arguably the most important part - the sensor?

3 upvotes

The answer is simple - there are no sensors on planet Earth today that can absorb the light the same way film did. Yes we did achieve great results with digital sensors and in many ways bypass the film, but its only applicable to SLR cameras, because of large distance between lens and sensor plane. You stick FF on GRD and 80% of the sensor will be a blur with dark corners at extreme angles.
Leica M9 has FF and flange is 28mm (but it has super $$$ custom made sensor, that still not all that perfect).

When I open up my film GR1 and look inside I see the Lens almost touching the film plane (maybe 5-10mm flange) so nothing today will be able to do this job, maybe some custom build FF with micro lenses sensor that will cost $5k-$8k, but I'm not paying that much, and Ricoh probably knows I won't, so they are not building one ;)

5 upvotes

It's true tha the best wide angle lenses always have the rear element close to the film. But, assuming size and cost were no object, there are obviously excellent (retrofocus) wide angles for SLRs that are able to clear the mirror. I think it's just the cost of larger sensor and the fact that most point and shoot buyers simply wouldn't apprieciate the difference. They want a tiny camera with a 12-2000mm lens that shoots video. For $369.

0 upvotes

Yes, there are excellent retrofocus lenses out there. And there are some excellent FF dSLRs we use them on. The point is to make FF camera with wide angle lens the size of GRD... It will happen, but sensor technology needs to catch up and who know how many years it will take. (5-20 years, I don't know)

0 upvotes

Sensors as good as film is here. The foveon on the Sigma DP1 is amazing. I have the DP1, the GRD, and GXR GR28mm. The best sensor has to be foveon. Try it, put the files thru Lightroom.

The DP series are for true photographers. And are made that way.
Shoot raw and nothing else.

0 upvotes

"30fps VGA video capture"...

Ricoh, please do something better or do nothing.

2 upvotes

Listen, if you want a video camera, go get a video camera.

8 upvotes

Yep. GET A VIDEO CAMERA if you want video. I fail to understand why people bleat on about video in a STILL camera.

1 upvote

Ricoh please remove the movie mode thanks.

All I have asked for is the best 28mm pocket cam.
And no more scene modes please.

0 upvotes

Yes, please stop trying to make a camera for everyone. The GRD4 is good but keep it a stills camera.

0 upvotes

Aww... still no zoom? Not even a little 2.1x 24-50mm? Boo.

0 upvotes

You should really read up on the GR history before you make silly comments like this.

10 upvotes

Right - because nothing should ever change or evolve.

0 upvotes

Why??? Like one thing we really lacking on the market today is ZOOM camera??? Do we really need another ZOOOOOM, seriously?

The niche of this camera is its 28mm lens, compact size, preset MF with almost 0 lag time. Its a perfect street shooter. I'd go as far as to say I'd take it over Leica for stealth street photography.

I'm used my first GRD so much that I literally wore the camera out, burned flash, ripped paint, torn grip rubber. I had to buy the second GRD even before GRD-2 came out. I'm now on my 4rd GRD and love it, and never once in 6 years I wished for a ZOOM lens on this body.

6 upvotes

Wouldn't it be possible to make something in the style of the Tri-Elmar for cameras like this one? Two or three different focal lengths that you can switch between, but no traditional zoom? Maybe it would be very complicated, but for people like me who like fixed lenses it would be a great way to make the camera more flexible. Just 28mm and 50mm would be a great combo. I don't know if it would be technologically feasible though.

0 upvotes

To keep camera so compact, you would have to make 50mm very slow, like f4. So I don't see a point, not only it will be slow, it also will have a DoF of appx f18 (35mm equiv). What is the point of such lens? I don't see it.
Get LX5 or even better get m4/3 and put excellent small cine lenses on it, or get NEX.

0 upvotes

NEX has very few lenses. The 16mm is garbage and the zooms are mediocre.

0 upvotes

@mpeterson: ricoh has done what you mentioned with the GXR.

0 upvotes

Let this camera have its niche. If you want to change it, buy something else and quit trying to add junk to the GRD.

0 upvotes

The specs say ISO 80. What happened to ISO 64 of the GRD III?

0 upvotes

I've been a fan of the GR series since the film ones & I've owned the GRD II & now III. This one I won't upgrade to but that's because I don't see a need. Having read through some of the detractors here I would just say "That's fine the camera is clearly not for you". I like this camera because of its ergonomics and fixed lens. To me, it's the perfect unobtrusive street shooter.

6 upvotes

To be fair to the detractors, in comparison to say the s100 it's difficult. I think the Ricoh will be better made, handle better and do the thing it does better. I can see the temptation of GPS / slow mo film / zoom / blah blah etc. BUT as with everything, the more you squeeze in the lower the quality. I'm not saying the s100 will be low quality but at doing what it does, for it's type, there is no competition for the GRD series.

1 upvote

Amen.

0 upvotes

It may only be an incremental improvement over the GRD-III, but I think Ricoh are to be applauded for their efforts. Make no mistake, this is a classy compact. The GR series from the film era won many fans, and it says a lot about Ricoh's philosophy that they are willing to cater so faithfully to those photographers.

I won't make any claims about cause/effect, but there seems to be a correlation between 'shooting with a GRD-III' and 'making photographs I like the look of on 500px'.

1 upvote

Sure is ugly.

0 upvotes

then buy the xz1 with all its chintzy buttons

3 upvotes

at lest the xz1 offers the same 28mm focal length that suits a typical tourist snapshoter the best but also adds much more useful and creative focal lengths such as 35mm, 50mm, 70mm, 90mm... which would suit better to a more serious photographer.

1 upvote

Ugly? I have the GR Digital III, and it is one of the best made, best looking cameras I can think of. Maybe it's the lack of plastic that, or the fat rubberized grip that has you confused?

12 upvotes

Serious photographers choose the GR Digital precisely because it is a serious camera.

7 upvotes

absentaneous, I have both the XZ-1 and the GR Digital III, and the GRD III is much more of a photographers camera, which has external buttons for everything. There is really no comparison. The XZ-1 is a fine camera, but is much more of a toy.

6 upvotes

yes, the XZ1 to me was 'ok'. I think the S95 is better overall and the s100 sounds better still, still a different type of camera to the ricoh.

0 upvotes

@marike6,

funny you left out the only thing I am actually complaining about - the 28mm lens. I don't really think that classifies as a serious focal length for anything more than snapshots.

1 upvote

There is no finer "serious" compact in my mind than the GRD series and I've tried almost all of them. One of the nicest cameras to grip & use EVER IMHO.

28mm - "Tourist Snapshooter" Right, LOL - Try telling that to the many Magnum photogs that use them. I prefer to bow to their wise & infinite judgement rather than internet chatter.

0 upvotes

I am not saying it isn't built well..but I am a visual person...a photographer...and it sure is U.G.L.Y. No getting around that!

0 upvotes

@cidereye,

was waiting for someone to bring out photojournalism as a totally ridiculous proof that a 28mm lens is a "serious" photographic tool. it's like claiming that burst mode allowing shooting at 10 frames per second is a serious photographic feature just because most pro sports photographers rely on it. LOL so, before you bow to whatever wisdom out there you first of all should understand photography and its many uses and applications to begin with and why something is being used. their reason to use wide angle is very simple - it gives them the chance to capture as much of the scene as possible (which is crucial for this kind of photography in order to be able to put the image in the right context) and nothing else. not because they like the "artistic expression" of wide angle distortions or something LOL. since u mentioned magnum. one of the founders of magnum was also cartier-bresson. guess which lens did he use? 28mm? ha! 50mm one almost exclusively. go wonder why!

0 upvotes

No, you are wrong. It "is" not ugly, but rather "you find" it ugly. Important difference. Ever heard of "matter of taste"?
To me this is the most beautiful compact camera on the market, full stop. Since I have my GRd 1 I'm also happy to konw that at the same time of being beautiful it also exceeds at functionality or material quality. I think the LX design is pretty, canon's minimalism in the S95 is pretty, but this one has more character, is timeless, slightly retro but not in the embarrassingly kitsch way fuji did it. Plus: anyone using this camera for a while knows what it means that a design can "grow on you".
But apart from that I simply think it's visually the most beautiful compact out there at the moment. And this is of course a personal, subjective statement.

0 upvotes

Fuji S602, I bought in 2002, had "hybrid AF" with external sensor helping live AF. It took Riicoh 8+ years to independently develop the same thing (and speed it up a bit). On these new cameras it looks the most advanced improvement is LCD. Are we supposed to be impressed?

0 upvotes

Comparing an 10lbs watermelon with a Fuji-apple is leading you no where, aside from showing how subjective this subject are.

3 upvotes

There is snap mode ... on GRD ...
Do you know how to take pictures?

0 upvotes

Can someone explain the AF with TWO sensors? Is there a split light prism in there? Or is the second in that little eye thing above the lens???

0 upvotes

The second one is the rectangular window above the lens.
I was curious, so I investigated the older GR cameras. Funny thing is that the 1st GR-D also had the window, but I think they never did use it for anything. GR-DII and GR-DIII didnt have the window.
The GR-1 35mm film camera has almost exactly the same body, including the window for the autofocus at exactly the same location. And I guess it actually did AF via this window.

0 upvotes

The GRD1 had the small window and DID use it for fast focussing! It was discontinued because it was a bought-in part that became unavailable.

0 upvotes

I always wondered why they dropped it. As GRD I owner, I have to say it didn't seem to make much difference. (you could block the window with your finger and the camera seemed to focus every bit as quickly using the backup contrast detection AF)

0 upvotes

The original GRD and GX100 had these phase-detect windows which allowed the camera to focus very quickly if you fully pressed the shutter and the Contrast Detect focus hadn't locked. Really good system which worked well without getting in the way. sphexx is right in that they removed it from the GRD-2 and the GX200 because of supply issues. Good to see it back.

0 upvotes

Just checked my calendar. Yes, it's 2011. No HD video in this new model? The cult can have it...I'll stick to a more modern camera like the LX5 ;-)

0 upvotes

10 MP CCD sensor can't offer FULL HD video. It's limited by sensor technology. Don't you know it?

1 upvote

it's a camera not a movie camera. Like saying my iphone camera's crap - it's a phone ffs!! Are there any video cams that will take a good shoat at f1.9 28mm with NO lag at all? and that fit in your pocket/?

4 upvotes

CMOS will reach full HD more easily than CCD, but there's nothing preventing a CCD that size from producing 720p.

0 upvotes

Also, that doesn't seem to have stopped Panasonic. The DMC-FZ47 does 1080p30 on a 12.5 MP 1/2.33" CCD.

0 upvotes

People buy a specific tool for a specific job. The Ricoh is great at what it has been made for, nothing more, nothing less.

Name one truly GREAT tool in history that is a master of ALL that it does? Nah, never happened and never will.

3 upvotes

Go buy a Sony, a Canon or Nikon.

Ricoh GR is for true photographers.

0 upvotes

Totally agreed......why people argue about a camera having this or that, I don't know. Dont buy it then........get one that does suit your needs. sony do great video, get a Sony.....want a stills only small street photo, point n shoot, then this may be your shooter.
All the brands do their market research and know what they are aiming at.......I for one don't care about video, but one day I will want a good one, so will adjust for that purpose.
I love my Kx because i value image quality, low light and HDR on a budget. Don't expect or won't try to convince anyone else of the same. Get a life, be happy and take photos........

0 upvotes

If small cameras can have pop-up flash units, why not pop-up OVFs?

3 upvotes

This great idea is worth money!

0 upvotes

or popup tripods, i mean its popup so it should fit in anyway :)

2 upvotes

especially plausible for a fixed focal length.

0 upvotes

i'd say popdown tripod ;)

0 upvotes

Based on past form this will be a pretty well-sorted body and a decent lens attached to a dog of an image processing unit. I hope I'm wrong; the idea is attractive, although as mentioned below why not a good, high-spec 28-75mm-ish fast zoom lens? 28mm is neither here nor there.

0 upvotes

Talk of "image processing units" is best left to the marketing bods. The camera has a lens that forms an image and a sensor to record that image. A few bits and pieces convert wavy things to discrete things, and the resulting ones and zeros are written to a memory card. No image processing is needed, or desired, except to produce a transient image for the rear display.

The Ricoh lens emphasises rectilinear imagery and extreme compactness in folded form, while cameras like the S95 and LX5 allow heavy geometric distortion in return for a range of focal lengths, with the understanding that the distortion be corrected digitally later. This always results in soft corners when you have only ten megapixels to play with.

2 upvotes

@philidors: you know a lot about that, dont you?^^

0 upvotes

The cult continues! The sample images on the Ricoh website have a very pleasing white balance and appear sharper to my eye. I wonder if anything has been done with the optical filter. This is a very tempting upgrade and I look forward to testing one out at my local dealer. The build quality in my experience has exceptional as with the GXR - bulit like a tank.

0 upvotes

Do you work for Ricoh?

"The sample images on the Ricoh website have a very pleasing white balance and appear sharper to my eye."

Well of course you can't change the white balance of the sharpness yourself can you?

3 upvotes

Good question.....

0 upvotes

When compared to the GRDIII. If you read more you'll understand why the GR series is 'the' stealthy street shooter.

0 upvotes

But not if you don't want a 28mm equiv lens. and sometimes we don't

0 upvotes

@bigdadave: not everyone is a snapshot tourist that needs a zoomlens^^
if i remember right, sony makes nice cams for guys like you, with 26-850mm zoom lenses

ricohs are meant for a different kind of customer

4 upvotes

"ricohs are meant for a different kind of customer"

Interestingly, from the commenters on here that does indeed seem to be the case. Different.

0 upvotes

I've never used a better built camera than the grd3. The XZ1 I didn't like. Fiddly lens cap, smeary images, ugly UI. S95 is excellent but too small and too pedestrian, there is no fun in using it IMO. 28mm only / 21 with adapter really challenges me, more than the ease of a zoom. All just my opinion, but I'm looking forward to the update.

0 upvotes

I wonder if it too will start to fall apart after a couple of years, just like my GRD III and just in time for the release of the GRD V?

Sorry, no sale Ricoh. Too little, too late, once bitten twice shy.

1 upvote

I wonder what you have done to get yours to fall apart, I still have and use my GRD I which is now 6 years old and has been used a lot. All I have is some paint wearing off the buttons and the LCD screen does not look new anymore but is still usable. The GRD III looks like new and again has been used a lot in all kind of conditions.

0 upvotes

I've had a very lightly used original GRD for many years and although I like the camera very much for its real strength, which is user controls, there's certainly no reason to overpraise its reliability. It has had its share of issues, consistent with what others report, and not user abuse. I accept it as a hidden cost of the technology, and this is where customer service, a little discussed topic on this forum, comes into play. These things become obsolete, sometimes simply because they no longer function reliably, and hopefully you've gotten some decent use out of them in the meantime. Cheers, Brian.

0 upvotes

I don't like the fixed "touristic" 28mm lens and if it really only has a 640 x 480 video then it would be better if they left it out altogether. I would agree with bigdaddave that when you consider the alternatives like LX-5, XZ-1 or even S95 it kind of appears pointless unless you really shoot at 28mm all the time.

3 upvotes

Precisely, it's like the daft X100, to say 'only serious shooters will buy it because it's only got one focal length' is just pathetic.

This is 2011 not the dark ages, we want more than one focal length

0 upvotes

personally I don't find a single focal length to be that much of a problem per se. but to pick a 28mm lens in such a case is really something I can't understand. at least based on my photographic needs and preferences. it would make much more sense to pick something in the range of 35-50mm. to make a camera which surely looks serious and ambitious and then put such a lens on it which would make all your pictures look as if they were taken by an average tourist's/snapshooter's philosophy (they would just go as wide as they can to put as much as they can inside the frame and not to mention the distortions of such a wide angle lens) is really something I don't understand. unless one is fond of taking pictures like this http://www.shrani.si/f/31/w6/13eZV9nZ/cow.jpg then I don't really see a reason to own such a camera.

2 upvotes

if you need a camera with a zoom then don't get the ricoh. I enjoy and work better the fewer options I have. I don't like the x100 for a few reasons. I like the GRDs for many reasons.

3 upvotes

Your eyes have one focal length and you're stuck with them for life. So cameras with a single focal length propose nothing unnatural or "weird". In fact, being "limited" in focal length, means less time to waste to frame picture and take a photograph. And when a photographer is used to one focal length, he or she already sees the subject framed, they know already how image will look like, they know what to expect. That means they are already miles ahead in snapping the picture successfully.

1 upvote

i think 28 is a nice focal lenght. for a slr its not what i would buy or own. but in a compact singlefocallenght camera its ok.

i personally think 40-50 would be better too but i think for this style of camer medium wide anlge is a good compromize.

at least for me a 50 with this small sensors dof would be worse that a 28

0 upvotes

This might be a silly comment from a non-professional photographer, but I have a GRd 1 for sth like 6 years now, that means, yes, I am only ever shooting 28mm (sometimes 21mm with adapter) and having only this one FL for years it by now feels like the natural viewing of my own eyes.
In cities (narrow spaces), indoors, landscape, architecture (no distortion) I find it just perfect. It even does o.k. portraits if you keep the face central. And it does great macro (focussing at 1cm).

I wouldn't know what to do with 35 or 50mm in a narrow lane if I want to capture a lot of objects in a crowded scene, in a bar, on top of the cliffs looking at the coast line, looking up the bellfry... As many said before, Ricoh is not doing the common denominator here, but the specific solution.

0 upvotes

When will it be available.
@bigdaddave If you explained your thoughts they would be more valid.
I consider it a very useful product. Good lens, small, now faster with IS, should be little need for a flash. Excellent UI. For a pocket stills camera there is little left wanting for, if, like me you're not fussed by movie or zoom.

9 upvotes

No zoom.

This is not the dark ages

0 upvotes

there's no zoom, that attracts me.

5 upvotes

"no zoom" does not equal "dark ages".

4 upvotes

@bigdadave: ah i get it now, you try to be sarcastic because of those "iam to lazy to walk" tourists. forget about them, they will never get it. just like the "i need more megapixels guys" and the pixelpeepers.
i own nine primes and i would never ever in my whole life buy a zoomlens. not in a compact not for an slr and not for filming.

3 upvotes

No zoom means more light, both metaphorically and physically.

1 upvote

I actually like it that these are the guys who will be running Pentax from now on :)

5 upvotes

YEAH!

1 upvote

What a pointless product

0 upvotes

What are you hoping to achieve by commenting here?

0 upvotes

if only Ricoh took heed of the recent uproars created by built-in VFs of x100 and Nex7 :( !!

4 upvotes

How much bigger would the camera need to be to accommodate a decent viewfinder? I'd like a viewfinder as well, but not enough for it to compromise the portability of the camera.

3 upvotes

I aggree.
Since its lens has a fixed focal length, an OVF would have been perfect on this camera. And it would add to the 'being special' appeal of this camera.

0 upvotes

rgbW lcd panel for (a big) vieWfinder! ;)
(more white, more light, more visibility)

0 upvotes

But for the OVF to be any good, it would have to be quite large and would increase the size of the camera unacceptably. Much better that they've chosen to offer a separate OVF so that you can take it or leave it.

5 upvotes

I had a GR1 & really loved it until the little LED control screen went. Then I acquired a GX100 and really loved that as the control system was excellent & the results were very good. That is until the controls started to play up! Perhaps I was unlucky!

So now I have an LX5 & really love it! Well built & versatile with an excellent control system. I hope it lasts longer than the Ricohs!

I hope the GR4 has an improved sensor as that was the one weak link in the GX100.

0 upvotes

I would gladly sacrifice either the pop-up flash or the flash hotshoe for an integral OVF.
And, for some reason whenever an OVF is an optional accessory, all the camera manufacturers incl. Ricoh ask a ridiculess price for it. The GV2 costs 200 USD.
And, I would like to see at least focus confirmation in the OVF. Does the GV2 give you that ?

But as one can see how the GRD body is essentially unchanged over the generations, it will never happen.

0 upvotes

Phil1 the jpeg engine in the GX100, Ricoh R4 aside, was the best ever in a Ricoh digital camera. That may have now changed with the GRDIV. Still have my GX100 somewhere.

0 upvotes

Agreed. The excellent Ricoh GR1 film camera managed to get an optical viewfinder in a tiny package as well as a film drive and load mechanism. A viewfinder in this one would have quickly put Ricoh at the top of the pack; now it's just a quaint product that we're all glad is still made, but would never shell out the money for ourselves.

0 upvotes

@steve
you still have the x100? i have one in perfect condition only the rear screen is broken. wonder if you would sell yours if you cant use it anymore^^

0 upvotes

there is no steve, i meant phil ^^
and i meant gx100, my x100 screen is fine :)

0 upvotes

lolopasstrail, in case you don't know, the GRD series sells very well, has a cult following and the GV2 viewfinder, while a bit pricey, is an absolute joy to use. And for what it's worth, plenty of people have shelled out the $500 for this camera, including me.

1 upvote

JesperMP:

I have a GRD3 with a GV-2 viewfinder. There is a focus confirmation light near the hot-shoe which you can easily see when using the optional optical viewfinder. This is a clever feature that I believe was later copied by the excellent Leica X1

0 upvotes

Is no one troubled (or puzzled) by the fact that the GRD IV uses the same sensor as the GRD III? It may be a good sensor, but technological improvements over the past several years have been huge. Surely, this key component of the camera might have been upgraded. I am not a Ricoh user, but I have been waiting for the new GRD, and I must say that I am a bit disappointed on this point.

Rob

1 upvote

Whilst an inbuilt hybrid viewfinder would be a welcome addition, if it made it no bigger than the film GR1s, the size of GDR is great - I use my GDRII with the GV-2, it just slides onto the hotshoe, is still small and is of high quality, although it does not provide an accurate 100% coverage, it is better than the GR1 s one.

0 upvotes

http://www.grd4.com I added a load of image samples and exif here, using the Ricoh GRD4

0 upvotes

Total comments: 125