RICOH launches the RICOH GR IV Monochrome

Ricoh Imaging Americas Corp. announced the launch of the RICOH GR IV Monochrome, a camera specialized for monochrome photography. The camera, based on the RICOH GR IV premium compact digital camera, is equipped with a dedicated image sensor to achieve the ultimate in monochrome expression. The RICOH GR IV Monochrome will be available mid-February at www.us.ricoh-imaging.com as well as at Ricoh Imaging-authorized retail outlets nationwide for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $2,199.95.

The RICOH GR IV Monochrome evolves the essential values of the GR series while newly incorporating a monochrome-dedicated image sensor. The new camera fully draws out the capabilities of the high-performance GR lens by eliminating the color filter used to acquire color information, as well as the interpolation process required to generate color images, thereby delivering refined rendering and rich tonal gradation. The camera’s built-in red filter enables more distinctive monochrome photography, and its newly developed Image Control options – dedicated to monochrome imaging – provide deep and diverse monochrome expressions.

The GR series marks its 30th anniversary this year, tracing back to the film camera RICOH GR1, launched in 1996. Over this long history, the GR series has consistently remained committed to the essential values of a camera – high image quality, quick response and portability – earning support from professionals and advanced amateurs, while continuing to evolve with the times. Following the recent announcement of the RICOH GR IV HDF, which will be available later this month, the addition of the RICOH GR IV Monochrome to the lineup reflects Ricoh’s hope that even more customers will enjoy the depth of photography through a broader range of expressions.

The RICOH GR IV Monochrome will be available mid-February at www.us.ricoh-imaging.com as well as at Ricoh Imaging-authorized retail outlets nationwide for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $2,199.95.

The camera is equipped with an anti-aliasing (AA) filterless monochrome-dedicated CMOS image sensor of APS-C-equivalent size, capable of producing high-definition images with approximately 25.74 effective megapixels. Unlike monochrome images produced using a general color image sensor, where each pixel receives light through one of red (R), green (G), or blue (B) color filters, the information is interpolated to generate a color image, and the result is then converted to monochrome, the company said. Each pixel of the monochrome-dedicated sensor captures the subject’s brightness information. Because it directly takes in the light information entering through the lens without interpolation processing, it enables sharp monochrome rendering with rich tonal gradation and also makes it possible to create works that emphasize grain effects by taking advantage of high-sensitivity performance.

A built-in red filter that can be turned ON/OFF with a single operation is built into the lens unit. By allowing only red wavelengths of light to pass through, it enables dramatic rendering—for example, by darkening the tones of a blue sky to enhance contrast with white clouds, or by rendering red subjects brighter to make them stand out more clearly.

The camera features monochrome-dedicated Image Control options to enable a wide range of monochrome expressions. “Solid” uses a hard tonal curve to express a crisp, clean look and renders edges with refined clarity. “Grainy,” characterized by a strong grain effect, delivers a finish reminiscent of silver-halide prints and printed materials by avoiding complete highlight blowout and preventing shadows from being crushed to solid black, while producing grain that is clearly visible even on smart devices.