It’s been a few months since I got my hands on the Ricoh GRIV, and in this blog I will share my first impressions of this wonderful little camera. You can probably already guess my overall thoughts from the intro. This is a first impressions, not a review. A long term review will come after at least 6 months of use.

Context

I’ve been a Ricoh user since the GRIII, having owned both the 28mm version as well as the tighter GRIIIx. I’ve published blogs on that camera that you can read HERE. I’ve also made a camera guide for the GRIII, which you can see HERE. There will be a guide coming for the GRIV in due course. This is all to say that I love this brand and have been using it for a long time.

The GRIV takes the role of my “out of office” camera. Meaning this is the camera I use to document random life moments that are not related to the photography I am typically known for. A day of shopping with my girlfriend, a trip to the café with my mum, a golf weekend away with the boys, or anything along those lines. For me, this camera isn’t about taking the most breathtaking photos, it’s about taking the photos that will probably matter more when I am 90.

Body & Handling

Not a huge amount has changed, as the GRIV still feels just as small and pocketable as the previous model. If anything, this one is actually a little smaller. The grip is slightly redesigned and feels much better in the hand. We’ve been promised that this camera should be more dust resistant, however that will have to wait until the long term review. The body still feels high quality, and the GRIV still has that fun factor that I loved in the older model. This is very much a GR, but refined.

There are two aspects which I’m not a fan of, even though I can understand the thinking behind them. There is now an all new battery along with a MicroSD card instead of the normal SD card found in the older model. The move to the bigger battery is, of course, to extend battery life, and it seems that the switch to MicroSD is a result of there being less space inside.

I personally hate when this happens because it creates so much unnecessary waste and spending. I now have to sell all my old GRIII batteries and chargers at a significant loss, then buy the new ones that are even more expensive. I also need to buy a MicroSD card, since the SD cards I invested in are no longer compatible. To their credit, the GRIV has a generous amount of internal storage at 53GB, which gives you roughly 990 RAW photos. The internal storage might be enough for most people, so I suspect it’s their way of easing the switch to MicroSD cards.

Buttons & Dials

This is where we’ve had a noticeable change. Gone is the rear scroll wheel and thumb rocker, and in their place you will find a thumb dial and a toggle. While the way you make adjustments has changed, the end result is the same.

The thumb wheel works just like any other thumb wheel to adjust shutter speed or other parameters. It can also be pressed to bring up and navigate the ADJ menu. The plus minus toggle is the default way to adjust exposure, however that too can be changed if desired.

While many people prefer this layout as it’s similar to Ricoh cameras before the GRIII, I am neutral, as there are aspects of this that I like and parts that I don’t. I like the move to a thumb wheel, but I dislike the exposure toggle because it’s not intuitive and I keep pressing it by accident. I think this is very subjective, and I can’t say it’s a good or bad layout. It works fine.

There is a new mode on the top dial called “Sn”, which is a dedicated Snap Focus mode. Here you have a layout and a way of using the camera that’s specifically designed for those who love the Snap Focus feature. I must admit, I can’t really comment on this further because I haven’t used it much. I will save that for the full long term review.

Performance

The camera feels just as snappy as its predecessor. Some reports say this is faster at turning on, but honestly I can’t say, as any difference is small and I can’t compare them side by side.

The overall experience with the camera is positive, as everything is fast, efficient, lag free, and polished. The battery life feels about the same as before to me. Maybe the GRIV squeezes an extra hour or so out of the new battery, but this isn’t something that I have clearly noticed. Battery life is good, but I suggest always having a spare if you’re shooting all day. The IBIS has been improved, and the GRIV retains the wonderful Macro Mode as well as the ND filter.

Image Quality

I loved the image quality of the GRIII, and the GRIV is a refined version of that with a new lens, a faster processor, and a higher resolution BSI sensor. The photos have a wonderful look to them, they edit well, and the colours are great to work with. With the right editing, these photos can almost have a filmic quality about them.

Every aspect of the image has been improved. Slightly more resolution, better ISO performance, cleaner images, and more dynamic range. This is what is said on paper, but it’s impossible to measure these differences and show changes that really matter in real world use. What I can say is that the images out of this camera are wonderful. Below is a bunch of examples.

Autofocus

This has also seen an improvement, with the AF feeling snappier, stickier, and more accurate. I would still refrain from using continuous autofocus and stick with single. While continuous AF and tracking have been improved, they are still not as reliable in my opinion. This camera is also better suited to the slower single autofocus point, focus, and recompose approach. For what this camera is designed for, I have no real complaints about the AF.

Summary

The GRIV is very much an evolution rather than something groundbreaking. It has taken the GRIII and made it a little better in the areas that mattered.

As a long time GRIII user, the changes are nice, but they are definitely not something that I would consider upgrading for. If you are currently using the GRIII, it has no issues, and you’re happy, then stick with it and save your money. If your GRIII has issues, or you’re new to the Ricoh system, then picking up the GRIV will be worthwhile.

Am I happy with the upgrade? 100% yes.