Ricoh GR IV Announced: The Future of Photography Is Here

Yo, what’s poppin people?
It’s Dante. Getting my morning started here in Philadelphia. Got the Ricoh GR III snapshotting my way through the mist. Beautiful, foggy day.

Looking up at the new Comcast tower. Ricoh GR shirt on.
Today is May 22, 2025. Apparently they just dropped the Ricoh GR IV announcement.

Ricoh GR IV is in Development 🔥

This is good news. Real good.
Ricoh is the new Leica.

“There’s nothing to fix, right? Don’t fix what isn’t broken.”

The Ricoh is already perfect. They just need to keep producing it.

Why Ricoh is King for Street Photography

It’s compact.
It fits in your pocket.
It’s digital.
It’s for real photographers.

Saw this at the Italian Festival last weekend—some young girls handed me an old Canon point-and-shoot to snap a pic.
That’s the vibe now. Compact digital is the future.

“Sell the Leica. Buy the Ricoh.”

No Upgrades Needed

Ricoh knows the deal.
They’re not out here chasing megapixels or gimmicks.

Keep it simple.
Small JPEG files.
High contrast black and white.
Bake your settings in.

That’s the move.

“Shoot the smallest JPEG file humanly possible. Crank the contrast. Get beauty straight from the camera.”

No more post-processing. Just:

Shoot your day.
Come home.
Plug in a USB-C to SD reader.
Import to iPad Pro.
Favorite your selects.
Upload to your website.

Boom. Done.

Why This Is the Ultimate Workflow

You eliminate friction.

“There’s no excuse not to shoot.”

You’re on your commute?
Lunch break?
On your way to work?

You’re making pictures. Just like that.

I’m out here taking self-portraits.
Photos of windows.
Playing with textures.

One of my favorite things: Macro Mode.

You can get up close to the dew drops on leaves—
pure texture, pure form.

Abstracting Reality: Drawing with Light

When you use the high contrast setting on the Ricoh:

“You’re no longer waiting for the world to give you something. You’re making something out of nothing.”

It’s light on surface. That’s all photography is.

You’re drawing with light.
And you’re doing it instantly.

Highlight-Weighted Metering = Power

Use the Highlight-Weighted Metering Mode.

Expose for the highlights.
Crush the shadows.

Example: dew drops on a leaf—light glistening.
Background? Blacked out. That’s the look.

You can underexpose, overexpose, play with it.
That’s the beauty of ambiguous spaces in high contrast black and white photography.

“You isolate, crush shadows, expose for highlights—and you have more fun in your life as a photographer.”

Ditch the Neck Strap

Please. Just use a wrist strap.

I got the official Ricoh leather one.
Strap it to your camera. Keep it in your pocket. Keep it on your wrist.

Using two Ricohs—one on neck, one on wrist—was fun, but…

“One camera, one lens is all you need.”

Preferred Settings & Quick Tips

Cloudy day? Program Mode.
Street shooting? Aperture Priority + Snap Focus at 2 meters.
FN Button: Switch between Single Point AF and Snap Focus.
Keep it simple.

And remember:

“You don’t need to adjust any camera settings when you strip it down to the essentials.”

All you need is:

Black box
Shutter button
FN Button
Exposure lever

That’s it.

Welcome to the Future

Out here getting misted in Logan Square, Philly.

“Ricoh GR IV official announcement, reporting live from Logan Square.”

This is the future of photography.
Go Ricoh or go home.

Forget the Leica.
Forget the sensor dust.
Forget the megapixels.

“Shoot the small JPEG. Let the dust gunk up. That’s how you know you’re living.”

Final Word

Photograph like an amateur.
See like a child.

Be on the ground.
Look around.
Capture what’s in front of you.

Photography should feel fun again.

Alright. I gotta get the bus. Peace out.