Which Ricoh GR Should You Buy? GR IV vs HDF vs Monochrome vs GR IIIx (2026)

In Tokyo right now, you cannot simply walk into Ricoh's own store and buy a GR IV. You enter a lottery, prove in person that you live in Japan, and if you win, you come back weeks later to collect it. One per person. That is how much people here want this little camera. The Ricoh GR packs an APS-C sensor and a razor-sharp fixed lens into a body thin enough for a jacket pocket, and it has been the street photographer's pocket camera for 30 years. We are based in Japan, so along with Ricoh's official US specs, this guide adds what the GR market looks like from here (October 2026).

What buying a GR looks like in Japan right now

Ricoh's two official sales channels in Japan, the online Ricoh Imaging Store and the GR SPACE TOKYO store in Harajuku, sell the GR IV and GR IV HDF by lottery. In the current round at GR SPACE TOKYO, entries run from October 21 to November 22, 2026, results arrive on December 5, and winners must pick up the camera in person between December 6 and 20. To enter, you must live in Japan, come to the store with photo ID, and answer a call to the phone number you registered. Each person can buy only one of each model. In Japan, the HDF models are sold only through those two official channels.

Camera shops here do have stock, but at a premium. Ricoh's direct price for the GR IV was about ¥195,000 at launch in 2025, and Ricoh raised GR prices in Japan by an average of 6 to 11% on July 1, 2026, citing material, manufacturing and logistics costs. On October 23, 2026, the lowest new GR IV price on Kakaku.com, Japan's main price-comparison site, was ¥226,793, and the cheapest used one was ¥220,000. A used GR here costs almost as much as a new one, which tells you how well it holds its value. Japanese owner reviews tell the same story: several write that they lost the lottery again and again before finally getting one.

In the US, it is a different world. When we checked, Amazon.com itself sold the GR IV HDF and the GR IIIx and shipped them to US addresses with no lottery, and Ricoh's US store listed the standard GR IV with an "Add to cart" button.

Start with the view: 28mm or 40mm

The GR IV family uses a 28mm-equivalent lens: wide enough to fit a whole street corner or a room, which is why it is the classic GR snapshot view. The GR IIIx uses a 40mm-equivalent lens, closer to what your eyes naturally focus on, so people and details fill more of the frame. Neither zooms, so this choice decides how every photo looks. We compare the two in detail in GR IV vs GR IIIx.

Then the filter: ND, HDF or red

Every GR has one built-in filter, and the versions differ in which one. The standard models have a 2-stop ND filter that darkens the scene so you can shoot wide open in bright sun. The HDF (Highlight Diffusion Filter) models swap the ND for a filter that makes highlights glow and lowers contrast, a soft, film-like look you turn on or off with one button. The Monochrome swaps it for a red filter that darkens blue skies in black-and-white photos. See HDF vs standard for when HDF is worth it.

RICOH GR IV: the standard 28mm GR

The one most people should start with. The GR IV (2025) is the biggest update in years: a new 25.7MP sensor, a new 28mm F2.8 lens, 5-axis stabilization rated up to 6 stops, and about 53GB of built-in storage, so you can still shoot on the day you forget your card (it takes microSD). It turns on in about 0.6 seconds, so it is ready before the moment passes. Ricoh USA lists it at $1,599.95 (it launched at $1,499.95). When we checked in October 2026, Amazon.com did not sell the standard GR IV on its own, so buy it from Ricoh's US store or a camera retailer.

RICOH GR IV HDF: the soft, glowing look

A GR IV with a mood switch. It is the same camera with the Highlight Diffusion Filter in place of the ND filter. Street lamps bloom, window light turns hazy, and skin looks softer. Ricoh says it pairs especially well with the camera's "Cinema" color settings. Press the Fn button and you are back to crisp GR IV photos. In Japan, this is the model you can only get through Ricoh's own lottery; in the US, Amazon.com sells it directly.

Prices and stock on Amazon change often. Look for listings shipped and sold by Amazon.com; some GR listings are imports from other sellers.

RICOH GR IV Monochrome: black and white only

For people who already think in black and white. Its sensor has no color filter at all, so it records only black-and-white images. In place of the ND it has a built-in red filter you switch on with one press, which darkens blue skies against white clouds and brightens red subjects. It launched at $2,199.95. In Japan it was also a lottery item; GR SPACE TOKYO says it moves to regular sale from November 1, 2026. We found no listing sold by Amazon.com, so check Ricoh's announcement and Ricoh's store.

RICOH GR IIIx: the 40mm GR, while it lasts

The tighter view, at the lowest price. The GR IIIx is the older generation (24.2MP, 3-axis stabilization, about 2GB of built-in storage plus an SD slot) with a 40mm-equivalent lens. It costs $1,249.95 at Ricoh USA and has more customer ratings than any other GR on Amazon.com. Ricoh says Japanese production of all GR IIIx models ends with this month's (October 2026) shipments, and a 40mm GR IVx is in development. If you want a 40mm GR now, this is the last chance to get one new; if you can wait, read GR IIIx now or wait for GR IVx.

GR IIIx HDF and Urban Edition

The GR IIIx HDF ($1,349.95) is the GR IIIx with the Highlight Diffusion Filter instead of the ND, recognizable by its silver shutter button. The Urban Edition is a GR IIIx in metallic gray with a blue ring around the lens; Ricoh says its other specs are the same as the GR IIIx. Both end production with the rest of the GR IIIx line, and both are sold by Amazon.com.

The GR turns 30: the anniversary edition and the GR IVx

The GR story began with the GR1 film compact in October 1996. For the 30th anniversary, Ricoh plans a GR IV 30th Anniversary Edition for autumn 2026, limited to 6,000 units worldwide. According to Ricoh Japan, it gets a ring cap inspired by the GR1's lens surround, dark silver buttons that echo the GR1's plated buttons, a special shutdown screen, and a kit with an engraved metal hot shoe cover, a leather finger strap and a pin badge of past GRs. Ricoh has not announced the price.

The GR III (28mm) ended production in July 2025 because of parts supply, and the GR IV replaced it. The GR IVx is Ricoh's next 40mm model: Ricoh announced on August 27, 2026 that it is in development, with the GR IV's 25.7MP sensor and 5-axis stabilization, a new 40mm lens, 4K video and a release planned for winter 2026 or later. No price yet.

Visiting Tokyo? Try a GR at GR SPACE TOKYO

Ricoh's GR store and gallery, GR SPACE TOKYO, is in Harajuku (6-16-19 Jingumae, Shibuya), open 11:30 to 19:00 and closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and national holidays. You can see GR photo exhibitions and handle the cameras. It also runs a One Day Rental of the GR IV, GR IV HDF, GR IV Monochrome, GR IIIx and GR IIIx HDF for members of its app: ¥1,000 a day for regular members, booked at least 5 days ahead, with ID and a phone check on the day, and you bring your own memory card. Only Japan residents can enter the lottery, so for most visitors it is a place to try before buying at home.

What Japanese owners say after living with one

• Watch for dust. The lens retracts into the body, and owners warn that carrying it loose in a pocket can draw dust onto the sensor. Ricoh does not claim dust or water resistance. A soft case or pouch is cheap insurance.
• Carry a spare battery. Even with the larger DB-120, owners recommend a spare or a power bank (the GR IV charges over USB-C).
• Upgrade the strap. The included hand strap is basic, and many owners buy a better wrist or neck strap on day one.
• Mind the microSD. The GR IV switched to microSD; owners who copy photos with a card reader find the small card fiddly, while those who use Ricoh's app do not mind.

These points come from owner reviews on Kakaku.com. Matching lenses, cases and batteries are in our GR accessories guide.

Which one suits you?

• Your first GR, or you shoot streets, travel and rooms: GR IV.
• You like a soft, glowing look and night lights: GR IV HDF, the one Japanese buyers have to win in a lottery.
• You shoot only black and white: GR IV Monochrome.
• You prefer a tighter, more natural view and want one now: GR IIIx (or the HDF or Urban Edition) before production ends.
• You want 40mm with the newest sensor and 4K video: wait for the GR IVx.

Choosing between a GR and a camera with a zoom or a viewfinder? See Ricoh GR vs Fujifilm X100VI, Sony RX100 VII and Canon G7 X III.