I shot with a color compact camera in one hand and a black-and-white in the other. This is what I captured with the Ricoh GR IV HDF and GR IV Monochrome

If there’s a photo style that will never go out of style, it’s black and white photography. But, when I had the chance to try a camera with a dedicated monochrome sensor for the first time, I wasn’t sure what to expect – so I shot with its color sibling at the same time. I spent two weeks shooting with both the Ricoh GR IV HDF and the GR IV Monochrome.

The Ricoh GR IV series looks so similar that I could barely tell the two cameras apart – the lack of color on the GR logo on the front and the Red Filter shortcut on the back is what gives the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome away, at least without powering the cameras on.

Nearly every modern digital camera can shoot in black-and-white in-camera by switching the color profile to a black-and-white option. But the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome can’t see color at all. It’s missing the color filter array that allows digital cameras to see in color.

The missing color array on the GR IV Monochrome means the camera can’t shoot color – though there are multiple monochrome color profiles to choose from. Why take the time to build tech that can’t shoot in color in the first place, when color cameras have a monochrome mode? Eliminating the color filter array allows more light to come through and hit the sensor.

I wasn’t sure just how much of a difference that missing color filter would make, but I was blown away when I examined the images up close. The images from the GR IV Monochrome were much cleaner, with not only less noise but also smaller, smoother grain in the high ISO shots.

What I found even more surprising is that the difference was even noticeable at base ISO – the GR IV Monochrome can shoot as low as ISO 160, and the GR IV HDF at ISO 100. Still, the Monochrome camera had far less noise.

Looking at the RAW files, I could also brighten up the shadows on the GR IV Monochrome quite a bit more than the shadows on the GR IV HDF, even when using a black-and-white profile on the color camera.

The difference is one that’s best viewed by looking at the photos in full resolution. I’d be hard-pressed to tell which photo came from which camera in, say, an Instagram post.

The Ricoh GR IV Monochrome was my first experience with a dedicated monochrome camera – and I certainly didn’t hate it. If I wanted a documentary-style camera that churned out JPEGs that didn’t need retouching, the GR IV Monochrome would be on my short list.

I loved shooting with the GR IV HDF too – and I’m particularly fond of the positive film color profile. Some scenes are just better in color.

I never thought I would have trouble choosing between a more expensive monochrome camera and a more affordable variant that can shoot in both color and black-and-white. But, after trying both cameras, I suddenly understand the hype behind monochrome-only cameras.

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For a deeper comparison between the two cameras, read the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome review. Or, dive into the Ricoh GR IV HDF review, or, if you prefer a built-in ND filter over a diffusion filter, the Ricoh GR IV review.