The brand-new Ricoh GR IV Monochrome is currently the cheapest true monochrome digital compact camera, outside of Leica. This means it’s a magnitude cheaper than others, and therefore it’s no wonder that it’s in high demand, but perhaps Ricoh weren’t expecting demand to be this high?
The true monochrome digital camera is almost like the holy grail. Everybody seems to want one “If only there was a monochrome version of …this camera.” but when the camera is released, and you realise the price, suddenly the wallet disappears. But perhaps not this time, as the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome is much closer to being affordable. It’s a risky move for any manufacturer, as the sensor in the camera can only be used for monochrome images, and demand may be high or on the other hand, extremely low.
Ricoh appears to have got the balance right, as according to the official Ricoh GR EU website, demand is outstripping supply and stock is limited, with deliveries affected until March. Manufacturers have to work out the right balance between supply and demand, and it’s something that even larger companies stuggle with. Fujifilm, for example, when they released the X100VI announced that they were doubling manufacturing capacity, but even that wasn’t enough to meet demand.
The Ricoh GR IV Monochrome is priced at $2199 if you’re in the US, €1799 in Europe, and £1599 in the UK, and due to be available from February. On the Ricoh store, the listing says that there is “Limited stock, deliveries are affected until March.” (as shown above).
You can pre-order the camera, but it remains to be seen how long you’ll have to wait before you get the camera. As usual with pre-orders, they suggest you order as soon as possible, as they should be fufilling orders on a first-come, first-served basis.
Ricoh GR IV at a glance:
- 25.7MP APS-C BSI-CMOS sensor
- 28mm equivalent f/2.8 lens
- 4fps continuous shooting
- 3in, 1.04m-dot fixed touchscreen LCD
- Full HD 60p video recording
Read our full Ricoh GR IV review for more information on the camera that the IV Monochrome is based on.
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