A big rumor dropped this morning. Apparently, Ricoh is getting ready to release the next generation of GR cameras—a GR IV—in early 2025, and a Monochrome version of it later in the year. Wow!
This comes from Fujirumors, and not Pentax Rumors, so I’m not sure how much salt needs to be taken with it. On the one hand, Fujirumors has a reputation of accuracy; on the other hand, you’d expect it to break on Pentax Rumors first. One the one hand, the GR III series is five-years-old now (approaching six), so it’s pretty old for a still-in-production digital camera and very logical that an update is imminent; on the other hand, Ricoh has done a good job of keeping it fresh with firmware updates, and demand for this camera is still sky high. I don’t think Ricoh “needs” to release a GR IV, but it would sell like hotcakes if they did.
Why am I talking about this on Fuji X Weekly? For starters, I have Recipes for Ricoh GR cameras, so this is an excellent excuse for a shameless plug. If this camera does indeed come, I will buy it. If a B&W-only version comes later, I’ll buy that, too. GR cameras are great because they are so small. They’re more pocketable than Fujifilm, which makes them excellent for travel or everyday carry. I don’t think they’re as fun (or quite as good) as Fujifilm cameras, but for casual photography, they can still be quite fun (and good). Which brings me to this: Fujifilm should fast-track the long-overdue X70 successor, presumably called X80.
The X70 was Fujifilm’s closest competitor to the Ricoh GR. It has traditional tactile manual controls—one aspect of what makes Fujifilm special—and Fujifilm’s excellent Film Simulations. An X80 would be immensely popular, and its exclusion from the X-series lineup is a missed opportunity. I hope that it is in Fujifilm’s plans, and if it’s not, I would encourage them to add it to the plans as quickly as possible. Many of us are eager for an X70 successor. And also for a B&W-only camera (maybe called “Acros Edition”), perhaps in an X100 or X-Pro body.