Ricoh is making a dedicated black and white camera

Ricoh is developing a new addition to its GR compact digital camera series that’s designed specifically for black and white photography. The GR IV Monochrome is expected to launch sometime in Spring 2026, and aside from a new monochrome CMOS sensor, it shares many of the same core features as the GR IV model that Ricoh released last month, such as the three-inch touchscreen LCD monitor, five-axis image stabilization, and approximately 53GB of built-in file storage.

Pricing for the GR IV Monochrome hasn’t been revealed yet, but given it’s based on the $1,500 GR IV, it probably won’t come cheap. This is Ricoh’s first dedicated black and white photography camera, and will feature Image Control options specialized to “deliver the expressiveness and depth unique to monochromatic images,” according to the company’s announcement.

The exact specifications are subject to change, but it’s currently expected to use an autofocusing 28mm-equivalent f/2.8 lens and a 25.7-megapixel chip. It will also have a higher ISO range than the GR IV — which is typical for monochrome sensors because the lack of color filter array makes them more sensitive to light — reaching 409,600 at its maximum setting.

The exterior design of the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome also looks visually similar to the GR IV. The most notable difference is the GR logo located on the bottom-right of the front of the camera, which is black on the Monochrome, compared to the current white version.