The Ricoh GR IV isn’t one camera – it’s a series of three with the GR IV, the GR IV HDF, and the GR IV Monochrome. As a fan of the retro photo look who has tested Ricoh’s HDF models in the past, I knew right away that the HDF would be the model that I would gravitate to. What I didn’t expect was that I would also fall in love with the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome.
When I rented the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome, I was a bit nervous. I’ve been a camera reviewer for more than a decade, but the GR IV Monochrome was my first experience with a true black-and-white-only sensor. So, I tried the GR IV HDF at the same time.
I expected to love the color camera more, particularly since it has my favorite filter, a warm diffusion, available at the press of a button. But when I returned home from shooting with the GR IV HDF and the GR IV Monochrome in the other, I found that I took more photos with the Monochrome.
There’s something creatively liberating about shooting without color. The photos from the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome were packed with drama and contrast. But perhaps the biggest draw for me is that I didn’t feel like I had to even open the photos in a photo editor. The images hit right fresh out of the camera. I always have a large to-be-edited pile, so this was a big draw for me.
I had to return the Ricoh GR HDF and Monochrome back to LensRentals weeks ago, but the Monochrome is the camera I can’t stop thinking about. My biggest hesitation is that the Monochrome costs more, and, of course, some scenes deserve to be shot in color.
The Ricoh GR IV series is a far more pocketable camera with an APS-C sensor compared to competing options. Along with long-time contenders like the Fujifilm X100VI, there are new choices like the Panasonic Lumix L10 or even the full-frame Sony RX1R III. But the Ricoh GR series is the advanced compact camera disguised in a point-and-shoot body – making it highly pocketable.
And I think that’s the big reason that I’m drawn to the Monochrome. If I bought a GR IV series camera, I would 100 percent be looking for a daily snapshot camera that I can take anywhere to capture the small everyday moments (without adding to my to-edit pile).
Black-and-white cameras are fairly niche and not for everyone. The original Ricoh GR IV is an excellent pocketable camera for daily snapshots, street photography, and travel. The GR IV HDF trades the built-in neutral density filter for a diffusion filter for a more film-like look. And the GR IV Monochrome goes colorless for more drama – and less noise at high ISOs.
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Dive deeper into the Ricoh GR series with this in-depth comparison of the GR IV, GR IV HDF, GR IV Monochrome, and GR IIIx. Or, take a look at the best compact cameras.
