I shot with a colour compact digicam in a single hand and a black-and-white within the different. This is what I captured with the Ricoh GR IV HDF and GR IV Monochrome

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If there’s a photograph model that can by no means exit of fashion, it’s black and white images. But, once I had the possibility to strive a digicam with a devoted monochrome sensor for the primary time, I wasn’t positive what to anticipate – so I shot with its colour sibling on the identical time. I spent two weeks capturing with each the Ricoh GR IV HDF and the GR IV Monochrome.

The Ricoh GR IV collection seems so comparable that I might barely inform the 2 cameras aside – the shortage of colour on the GR emblem on the entrance and the Red Filter shortcut on the again is what provides the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome away, no less than with out powering the cameras on.

The Ricoh GR IV HDF compact camera

(Image credit score: Future)

Nearly each trendy digital digicam can shoot in black-and-white in-camera by switching the colour profile to a black-and-white possibility. But the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome can’t see colour in any respect. It’s lacking the colour filter array that permits digital cameras to see in colour.

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The lacking colour array on the GR IV Monochrome means the digicam can’t shoot colour – although there are a number of monochrome colour profiles to select from. Why take the time to construct tech that may’t shoot in colour within the first place, when colour cameras have a monochrome mode? Eliminating the colour filter array permits extra mild to return via and hit the sensor.


Ricoh GR IV HDF (Image credit score: Future)
Ricoh GR IV Monochrome (Image credit: Hillary K Grigonis / Future)

I wasn’t sure just how much of a difference that missing color filter would make, but I was blown away when I examined the images up close. The images from the GR IV Monochrome were much cleaner, with not only less noise but also smaller, smoother grain in the high ISO shots.

Viewed at 100 percent, the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome is the image on the left (Image credit: Future)

What I found even more surprising is that the difference was even noticeable at base ISO – the GR IV Monochrome can shoot as low as ISO 160, and the GR IV HDF at ISO 100. Still, the Monochrome camera had far less noise.

Ricoh GR IV HDF, ISO 12800 (Image credit: Future)
Ricoh GR IV Monochrome, ISO 12800 (Image credit: Future)

Looking at the RAW files, I could also brighten up the shadows on the GR IV Monochrome quite a bit more than the shadows on the GR IV HDF, even when using a black-and-white profile on the color camera.

The difference is one that’s best viewed by looking at the photos in full resolution. I’d be hard-pressed to tell which photo came from which camera in, say, an Instagram post.


Ricoh GR IV HDF (Image credit: Future)
Ricoh GR IV Monochrome (Image credit: Future)

The Ricoh GR IV Monochrome was my first experience with a dedicated monochrome camera – and I certainly didn’t hate it. If I wanted a documentary-style camera that churned out JPEGs that didn’t need retouching, the GR IV Monochrome would be on my short list.


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