The Ricoh GR IV is small, pocketable, and geared toward being the type of digicam you all the time have with you. Road images calls for pace, sharpness, and reliability, and this launch guarantees to step up from the older GR III with a brand new sensor, higher autofocus, and improved picture stabilization. The query is how a lot these modifications truly matter whenever you’re out taking pictures.
Coming to you from Robin Wong, this sensible video places the Ricoh GR IV below strain on actual streets and reveals the place the upgrades repay. Older GR fashions usually fell brief when it got here to quick, reflexive taking pictures. Wong reveals that the GR IV’s autofocus is much extra reliable, with a near-perfect hit fee even in fast avenue conditions. The redesigned 18.3mm f/2.8 lens holds sharpness throughout the body, making it a dependable choice extensive open with out worrying about distortion or chromatic aberration. The digicam additionally good points a brand new sensor sourced from Sony, giving it robust dynamic vary and adaptability in troublesome lighting.
Wong additionally spends time on stabilization, an space the place the GR III lagged. In testing, the GR IV’s sensor-shift system made it potential to handhold right down to 4 seconds and nonetheless get sharp outcomes. That could be a main step up for a compact digicam of this measurement. Dealing with is one other optimistic. Regardless of being small and light-weight, the GR IV feels comfy to carry because of a deep grip and rubberized texture. Responsiveness is fast, each in menus and in shot-to-shot use, making it effectively suited to spontaneous avenue moments.
Key Specs
25.74 MP APS-C CMOS sensor (6192 x 4128)
Redesigned 18.3mm f/2.8 lens (28mm equal)
Sensor-shift 5-axis stabilization, efficient as much as 6 stops
Native ISO 100–204,800
1920 x 1080 video at as much as 59.94 fps
53 GB inside reminiscence + microSD help
3″ mounted touchscreen LCD
Constructed-in Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3
Weight: 8.0 oz (physique solely), 9.2 oz with battery and card
Not every part is ideal. Wong factors out that battery life is proscribed to round 300–400 pictures, which means you’ll possible want spares for longer outings. The thumb grip space is cramped with too many controls, resulting in unintentional presses. He additionally calls out the selection of plus/minus buttons for publicity compensation as a substitute of a dial, which slows down changes. One other limitation is the full blackout throughout burst taking pictures, which makes it arduous to trace transferring topics. And whereas the LCD is usable in shiny daylight, its decision and brightness path behind different trendy cameras on this value vary.
Nonetheless, options like 53 GB of built-in storage stand out, letting you shoot with out counting on a reminiscence card. Mixed with dependable autofocus and stabilization, the GR IV looks like a real device for avenue shooters who desire a small however succesful bundle. Wong shares loads of picture examples that again up these impressions, displaying the sharpness, tonality, and responsiveness in real-world use. Take a look at the video above for the complete rundown from Wong.
