Ricoh has announced the development of the Ricoh GR IV HDF, a new variant of its popular GR IV compact camera equipped with the company’s proprietary Highlight Diffusion Filter (HDF).
The feature, first introduced in the GR III HDF and GR IIIx HDF, enables photographers to soften highlights and create a subtle, cinematic glow at the touch of a button. Now, it’s coming to Ricoh’s latest generation.
The GR IV HDF is built around the same foundation as the GR IV, maintaining the familiar 28mm equivalent f/2.8 lens and 25.74MP APS-C sensor. What makes this version distinct is its built-in diffusion option.
When activated, the HDF diffuses highlight areas, such as reflections, streetlights, or bright skies, giving images a gentler roll-off in contrast and a tactile, film-like texture. It’s a look that many photographers have traditionally achieved using physical diffusion filters like the Tiffen Black Pro-Mist; however, Ricoh’s innovation bakes it directly into the camera, toggleable with a single press.
Street photographers in particular embraced the earlier GR III HDF models for the way they handled urban light, transforming harsh city glare into cinematic tones while preserving the GR’s hallmark sharpness and immediacy. The result is a visual character that feels both nostalgic and modern, sitting somewhere between crisp digital precision and the softness of analog film.
The announcement also marks another milestone in the GR’s ongoing evolution. Nearly 30 years after the original GR1 film camera, and exactly 20 years since the first digital GR, Ricoh continues to refine its core philosophy: high image quality, quick response, and portability.
The HDF-equipped models show that evolution doesn’t have to mean complexity; sometimes, it’s about giving photographers more ways to interpret light itself.
The Ricoh GR IV HDF is currently under development and is expected to launch in "winter 2025 or later", with pricing yet to be confirmed.
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Ricoh has also just announced the development of a Ricoh GR IV Monochrome!
Check out our guides to the best compact cameras and the best cameras for street photography.
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