Outside of the extremely expensive Leica M11 Monochrom, and Leica Q2 Monochrom, if you wanted a compact digital camera that shoots only black and white, then you’re out of luck, until Spring 2026 that is, when Ricoh will be releasing the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome. Based on the Ricoh GR IV, the camera has a Monochrome 25.7MP APS-C CMOS sensor, which means purist black and white photographers don’t need to worry about colour noise in images, and the lack of a colour filter means that every pixel should capture pixel-level detail in all its crispness.
Monochrome sensors have an inherint ability to capture detail at every pixel, as it captures light, without having to work out what colour it should be (to put it simply). Here, courtesy of Leica, we can see how the Bayer filter can reduce the level of detail captured, when compared to a monochrome sensor:
The Ricoh GR IV Monochrome uses the same 28mm equivalent f/2.8 lens as the standard Ricoh GR IV, but will have an ISO range from ISO160 all the way up to ISO 409,600. Other features on the camera remain the same with 4fps continuous shooting, a 3in, 1.04m-dot fixed touchscreen LCD, Full HD 60p video recording, and in-body-image-stabilisation (IBIS) thanks to a 5-axis sensor-shift shake reduction (SR) unit.
The price of the camera is yet to be determined (TBD), and the planned release is for Spring 2026. So start saving your money now. I expect this will be the cheapest pure monochrome digital camera ever released, and therefore, demand will be extremely high. This follows on from the announcement of the Ricoh GR IV HDF.
From Ricoh: TOKYO, October 20, 2025 — RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD. is pleased to announce the development of the RICOH GR IV Monochrome. It is the first model in the high-end GR compact digital camera series designed specifically for black and white photography.
The RICOH GR IV Monochrome, which is currently in development, is based on the latest model, the RICOH GR IV, which was released in September 2025. It is equipped with a new, dedicated monochrome image sensor and Image Control options specialized for black and white photography to deliver the expressiveness and depth unique to monochromatic images.
It has been nearly 30 years since the RICOH GR1 film camera, the first in the GR series, was released in 1996, and exactly 20 years on October 21 since the GR DIGITAL was launched in 2005.
Over the history of this series, our commitment to the essential camera values of high image quality, quick response and portability has always remained the same. Hinging on these basic concepts, the GR series has continued to evolve to meet the needs of the times. We hope you are excited about the RICOH GR IV Monochrome and this new foray into black and white territory.
Unfortunately, there’s still no sign of a GR IVx with 40mm lens, either colour or monochrome, and here at Amateur Photographer, we really want one. If you can’t wait for the new GR IV Monochrome, then the colour version is currently available for just over $1000:
