Design and Performance

Ricoh GR Digital IV review – Design

This expandability of the system is in fitting with the
utilitarian design of the GR IV’s body. The metal finish is feels hardy
in the hand and as though it could take a reasonable beating. The body
is rectangular in shape, with the LCD screen taking up its fair share of
the rear though not overwhelming it. The model’s top plate houses the
pop up flash, aforementioned hot shoe and conventional mode dial, as
well as a primary command dial for altering the primary functionality
whilst shooting. The rear of the camera, meanwhile, houses the bulk of
the controls. Alongside the conventional dpad and other control buttons
sit two adjustment buttons in the shape of a vertical rocker and
horizontal rocker, the pair of which allow quick access to the camera’s
controls. Several other intelligent touches, such as the button placed
by the mode dial which you need to suppress to rotate the mode dial, all
add up to give the impression of a camera body design down to even the
finest point.

Ricoh GR Digital IV review – Performance

The combination of these
adjustment buttons, along with the two ‘fn’ buttons located on the rear
of the camera – all of which are customisable to every need of your
shooting – allowing for the photographer to feel fully integrated
shooting experience. The model’s LCD screen is also worthy of
highlighting once again. The high resolution sets the camera well ahead
of its peers and is comfortably one of the best we’ve seen on a compact
camera. Not only does the LCD screen perform excellently in difficult
lighting conditions, but the high resolution makes it a pleasure to use
in standard conditions as well, in both preview and in composition.

The
improvements in the model’s auto focus system are also noticeable in
use. The GRD IV is especially prompt to latch on to a subject, even when
said subject is moving. Other elements of the camera’s performance are
also reliable, if not particularly impressive. As mentioned earlier, the
combination of the camera’s utilitarian design and variety of manual
controls mean that every element of the shooting process that you could
wish to alter is at the tip of your fingers, making image capture both
simple and pleasing.