A compact black digital camera with a prominent GR lens is centered on a background of overlapping green paper strips.

I know the title says “Grading Ricoh Pentax,” but spoiler alert, Pentax didn’t release anything new this year, and even discontinued a camera in Japan. 2025 was all about Ricoh and the long-awaited GR IV premium compact camera.

The Ricoh GR IV Was Worth the Wait

Ricoh Pentax’s one and only product of 2025 was the GR IV. Technically, the company also announced the GR IV Monochrome and the GR IV HDF, but neither one of these specialized GR IV variants officially arrived this year. Ricoh Pentax is already getting a head start on its 2026 grade.

A close-up view of a black compact digital camera with a textured grip, extended lens, and the letters "GR" on the bottom right, placed on a wooden surface.

The Ricoh GR IV arrived to extreme hype and with mighty big shoes to fill. The Ricoh GR III launched in early 2019 and it and its various offshoots have proved exceptionally popular, often being sold out even years after the initial release. The GR IV, which at first glance seems an awful lot like the GR III, has picked up right where its predecessor left off. It’s very popular.

And for good reason. The Ricoh GR IV is an exceptional camera and a very worthy successor.

The Ricoh GR IV has a new 25.7-megapixel APS-C image sensor paired with an improved wide-angle 28mm equivalent f/2.8 prime lens. The camera has a slightly refined design, improved in-body image stabilization, faster startup time, and works alongside a new GR World app to make it easier for photographers to share their photos from the field. While none of these individual changes is Earth-shattering, they add up to a very good camera that is downright fun to use.

A woman and a child walk across a street in an urban area, with tall buildings, parked cars, and reflections in the glass windows in the background. The image is in black and white.Photo by Chris Niccolls

“[The GR IV] is a smart and sleek companion for any street shooter, and the GR IV is the most pleasant and capable GR experience so far,” Chris Niccolls concluded.

Grading Ricoh Pentax in 2025

The Ricoh GR IV is an incredible camera. Do I wish that Pentax had done something this year? Of course. I actually am not a DSLR doomer. I think that Pentax could still maintain a healthy, albeit very niche, segment of the photography market with new DSLR products. Not every photographer is itching to buy mirrorless. Although if Pentax doesn’t release something in 2026, then I may very well lose what small faith I have left in the company’s DSLR lineup. The last Pentax DSLR was 2023’s fun K-3 Mark III Monochrome, and before that, the barely-new KF in 2022. For reference, the color K-3 Mark III launched in early 2021. Pentax’s most recent full-frame DSLR was the K-1 Mark II in February 2018. Yes, 2018.

In any event, Pentax’s utter silence aside, Ricoh had a perfectly good showing in 2025. Sure, it only released one camera, but it’s a fantastic camera that people have wanted for years. I’ve got to applaud Ricoh Pentax’s efficiency.

Grade: B+