Looking for a Fujifilm X100VI alternative? Its biggest rival could get a successor soon

Rumors suggest a Ricoh GR IV is on its way

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Ricoh could launch the latest model in its popular line ofpremium compact cameras, a would-be named Ricoh GR IV, as soon as the first quarter of 2025. That’s according to a source forFuji Rumors, who also suggests another surprise model could follow later in the year, a monochrome version the same camera.

At the start of the year, I placed a potential Ricoh GR IV in a shortlist ofmost exciting cameras for 2024and with good reason. It’s an alternative take on the wildly popularFujifilm X100VI,being a truly pocketable compact camera with large APS-C sensor, sharp fixed lens and superb image quality.

I got my hopes up a couple of months after that article whenRicoh announced a new GR digital compact, only for it to be a niche variation of the GR III / GR IIIx with highlight diffusion filter (check out ourRicoh GR III HDF reviewfor more on that one).

A Ricoh GR IV still hasn’t materialized, but that could be set to change within the next few months if the latest rumors prove true. I personally own aRicoh GR IIIxand love it, but it’s far from perfect and I have previously written aboutthe5 things I want to see in a potential GR IV.

Let’s take a look at what we can reasonably expect from a future Ricoh GR IV and if it could indeed be a compellingX100VI alternative.

A potential headache for Fujifilm?

Having the GR IIIx as an everyday camera, I’ve built up a wishlist of improvements in a successor. Here’s what I’d like to see Ricoh do with a fourth generation model of its GR series of digital compact cameras:

I unpack those points in thefive things I want to seearticle. If Ricoh were able to implement those upgrades, the Ricoh GR IV would be a superb little snapper. It still wouldn’t match the versatility and all-round performance of theFujifilmX100VI, which has a hybrid viewfinder that I adore, but in a way it doesn’t have to for it to be worth your attention.

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Each camera is a different proposition. I opted for the GR IIIx more than two years ago instead of theFujifilm X100V(which was the latest X100 model back then)becauseit’s so small and can slip into a trouser pocket, knowing that there would be performance and handling-based compromises. Ultimately, a tiny camera with large image sensor is Ricoh’s winning recipe.

And with demand continuing tooverwhelm supply for the X100VImonths after its launch, following theX100V going viral,Ricoh could swoop in with a credible alternative. Will it be a big upgrade from the GR III? History suggests otherwise, and that it’ll just be a few tweaks. I hope to be proven wrong.

Should Fujifilm be worried? I don’t think so – besides the X100VI still likely being a more powerful camera than an upcoming GR IV, it’s still reaping the rewards of its popularity on TikTok. On the other hand, a monochrome version of the GR IV would be an entirely different proposition from Fujifilm.

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Tim is the Cameras editor at TechRadar. He has enjoyed more than 15 years in the photo video industry with most of those in the world of tech journalism. During his time as Deputy Technical Editor with Amateur Photographer, as a freelancer and consequently editor at Tech Radar, Tim has developed a deeply technical knowledge and practical experience with cameras, educating others through news, reviews and features. He’s also worked in video production for Studio 44 with clients including Canon, and volunteers his spare time to consult a non-profit, diverse stories team based in Nairobi. Tim is curious, a keen creative, avid footballer and runner, and moderate flat white drinker who has lived in Kenya and believes we have much to enjoy and learn from each other.

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