The pocketable design has propelled the Ricoh GR series into viral popularity – but the line's long-lensed sibling is about to get discontinued as the company makes way for a new model. In one fell swoop, Ricoh announced both the discontinuation of the Ricoh GR IIIx and the development of the Ricoh GR IVx.
The x-numbered compact cameras bring a longer 40mm lens to Ricoh’s popular GR series. With the Ricoh GR IV launched last year, fans have been eagerly anticipating the pocketable camera’s long-lensed sibling – and on August 26, Ricoh announced that the GR IVx is in development, expected to arrive in the Winter of 2026 at the earliest.
Ricoh says that the GR IVx will come with a "newly developed GR lens."
While the Ricoh GR IVx may not be coming for several months yet, Ricoh has already shared a full list of specifications. That list hints that, like the GR III to the GR IIIx, the GR IVx will have the same 25.74 APS-C sensor, but swaps out the GR IV’s 28mm equivalent lens for a 40mm equivalent one, a 26.1mm f/2.8 lens.
Like the original, the GR IVx looks to keep what makes the compact camera series so popular: The large sensor inside a small camera. The upcoming Ricoh GR IVx has nearly the same dimensions as the existing camera; it’s just a few millimeters deeper and weighs slightly more for that longer lens.
I’ve used several Ricoh GR series compact cameras, and the X model is the one that I always lean towards. A 40mm equivalent lens is close to what the human eye sees. It’s a happy-medium focal length that can still shoot landscapes but doesn’t have the ultra-wide distortion when shooting portraits. Since I’m more of a portrait photographer than a landscape photographer, I’ve always gravitated more towards models like the GR IIIx.
In the GR IIIx review, the camera is described as "a camera that should be shouted about more," and I completely agree.
Ricoh says that because certain parts are no longer available, the Ricoh GR IIIx, as well as the GR IIIx HDF and GR IIIx Urban Edition, will end production in Japan in October 2026. Ricoh says that overseas availability may differ outside of Japan, but it looks like after this fall, the GR IIIx will become even harder to find.
The announcement of a new model just around the corner will likely encourage many to wait for the GR IVx – but I think there’s actually still a good reason for going for the GR IIIx even with a new model on the horizon.
Why? The Ricoh GR IV launched at a significantly higher list price than the GR III. In the US, the difference was about a 50 percent increase.
Ricoh hasn’t shared the price of the upcoming GR IVx yet, but the GR IIIx did launch at a slightly higher price than the GR III.
The list price of the Ricoh GR IIIx has already risen above its original launch price, thanks to high demand and the increasing costs for parts. But the GR IIIx is still cheaper than the GR IV in several regions. In the US, the GR IIIx is about $350 cheaper than the GR IV right now. In the UK, the price difference is about £200.
That’s enough of a savings to sway some not to wait for the new model, considering the old one won't be around when the new one launches. The GR IV got a new processor, more internal storage, better battery life, and a slight resolution bump from the Ricoh GR III – and the GR IVx looks to follow that same list of upgrades, just with a newly designed 40mm equivalent lens.
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Learn the differences between the different Ricoh GR series compact cameras, or read about the unique black-and-white-only Ricoh GR IV Monochrome.
