Ricoh GR IV Monochrome: Buy or skip? A $700 lesson in restraint!!!

Ricoh has released a monochrome variant of the GR IV—but should you actually buy it?
In this video, I share my honest thoughts on the new Ricoh GR IV Monochrome, where the Bayer filter has been removed to deliver pure black-and-white images. Yes, on paper this improves sharpness and light-gathering slightly—but in real-world shooting, those gains are subtle and hard to justify.
The bigger question is pricing.
Ricoh is asking $700 more than the standard GR IV—almost a 50% premium—for what is essentially a niche, philosophical upgrade rather than a practical one. I also talk about Ricoh’s claims around the 1/16000 electronic shutter, shooting wide open in bright light, and why in reality this still means rolling-shutter considerations.
I also revisit the quirks of the GR IV platform itself:
A magnesium alloy body that still feels delicate
Ongoing reports of button and dial failures
Long-term durability concerns—now at a much higher price point
Coming from a long background in black-and-white photography—from film days to shooting and reviewing the Leica M9 Monochrom—this is a camera I wanted to love. At the price of the regular GR IV, I would have bought it instantly. But at this premium, I’d rather put my money elsewhere.
In fact, for only a few hundred dollars more, you can step into a used Leica M9 Monochrom and get:
A true monochrome CCD sensor
The Leica shooting experience
Files that, even today, outperform most modern monochrome sensors in character and tonality
📌 This video is not about specs—it’s about value, experience, and real photography.