The Ricoh GR IV Monochrome

credits: Ricoh

Ricoh has now officially added the GR IV Monochrome to its lineup, and just like earlier Monochrome models, this one is built around a true black-and-white sensor. There is no colour filter array sitting on top of the 25.7-megapixel APS-C BSI CMOS sensor, which means every pixel is only measuring brightness, not colour. In practice, that usually gives you cleaner fine detail, less noise in the shadows, and smoother tonal transitions compared to converting a colour image to black and white later. Ricoh also built in a red contrast filter, which works like the classic darkroom filter photographers used with film to deepen skies and boost separation between tones.

Hardware-wise, the Monochrome version is the same camera as the regular GR IV. It uses Ricoh’s updated 28mm-equivalent f/2.8 lens, paired with improved autofocus and better low-light focusing compared to the GR III generation. There is also a 5-axis image stabilisation system rated at 6 stops, which helps a lot when you are shooting handheld in dim light at slower shutter speeds. On the back you get a 3-inch, 1.04-million-dot touchscreen, plus 53GB of built-in storage and a microSD slot for overflow. Video is pretty basic at 1080p up to 60 fps, which makes it clear this camera is meant mainly for photos.

Where things get more complicated is the price. The GR IV Monochrome costs $2,199.95, which is $700 more than the standard GR IV, a pretty big jump for a camera that loses colour. For people who really care about black-and-white output straight from the camera, that might make sense. For everyone else, it is a pretty steep premium for a very specific shooting style.