(Caption: Ricoh GR IV, the latest chapter of the street photography god machine.)
Oh oh oh! The “Ginkgo Viewing Set” that I’ve been waiting for two and a half months has finally leisurely left the warehouse! These two and a half months were too long, so long that I felt I needed Ginkgo to supplement my brain power.
- Ricoh released GR IV on 2025-08-20,
- I rushed to B&H to pre-order one (and related accessories) as soon as possible on 2025-08-21,
- Waiting and hoping, waiting and waiting, I received two Backorder Status updates in between.
- In mid-October, I couldn’t help but ask customer service if there was an estimated delivery date, because I really wanted to take the GR IV on my upcoming business trips and street sweeping.
- Luckily, I received the Order Shipped notification on 2025-10-31,
- But encountering Double 11 and African Swine Fever, the entire customs was jammed,
- It wasn’t until 2025-11-09 that I received the import duty and tax notification. Fortunately, I received the box immediately after payment, and I can happily unbox it.
My last Ricoh was the R3 from 2005 (it even lacked a G!), and in a blink of an eye, it’s been twenty years. This time, I even bought the camera from B&H. Is it true love or destiny? Am I really destined with these two letters? Although the Ginkgo camera (plus batteries, flash, and other accessories) was stuck in customs for quite a few days, and for the first time I didn’t receive any EZ WAY notification (maybe because I manually filled out the paper appointment letter first?), I finally got it before Thanksgiving, giving me time to learn how to set it up (play with it?!) before my business trip.
Today, GR IV has finally arrived. Used some other bricks to exchange for these bricks in front of me. Tomorrow I’ll tell the kids this is also a type of Minecraft?
Okay, okay, no more chatting, let’s hurry up and unbox this year’s “Unbearable Lightness of Being Focused”. (At least compared to last year’s “Unbearable Lightness of Being Focused”, it is really light!)
tl;dr
- Due to early planning, the goal and direction were determined. As soon as Ricoh announced it, I immediately found a website with clear status indications to place an order.
- Love the startup speed and low-light processing capabilities of the GR IV.
- Friends always ask why I chose to update both iPhone 17 Pro and purchase Ricoh GR IV this year.
- I feel it’s a natural progression. The workflow is roughly figured out, and after the attribute parameters are determined, the remaining options are actually very clear.
- Mobile phones are for work and connecting workflows.
- Cameras are for travel and carrying around.
- When I hold the GR in my hand, I can snap quickly, handle low-light scenes, quickly adjust aperture and shutter, ignore focus and go with default values, have shutter button feedback, operate with one hand, and it’s light enough that I will definitely take it out. At this moment, I won’t think about taking out my phone at all.
Unboxing the Outer Box
This time, in addition to the Ricoh GR IV (GR4) body, I also ordered two extra batteries, Charger BJ-12, and Flash GF-2.
(Finally kicked this box. Corrugated cardboard box from B&H, covered with labels from a long journey.)
(Verifying identity, From: B&H PHOTO VIDEO, To: TAIPEI CITY, TAIWAN. This time delivered by DHL.)
(Is it this green lithium battery warning label that caused the package to stay in customs for a few more days?)
(Unboxing! B&H’s packaging is always reassuring, bubble wrap stuffed full, protecting the equipment underneath. Or is this standard for DHL boxes? But anyway, it arrived safely and intact.)
(Pushing aside the bubble wrap, the protagonist appears. Besides the Ricoh GR IV body, this time I also got the BJ-12 charger and GF-2 flash.)
(Attached B&H packing slip. This paper proves they flew over from New York. (Although the origin is…))
(Family portrait of this “Ginkgo Viewing Set”. Besides the protagonist GR IV, there are two DB-120 batteries, BJ-12 charger, and GF-2 flash.)
(Another angle. Ricoh’s packaging language is very unified, black background with white text, no extra decoration. Completely hits the spot for a consistency freak like me.)
Camera Body Ricoh GR IV
(Lifting the lid of the GR IV box, the first thing you see is not the camera, but a card saying “Welcome to the world of GR”. This sense of ritual is done well.)
(Welcome to the world of GR. A simple sentence, welcoming you to join this big family.)
(Welcome to the world of GR. A simple sentence, welcoming you to join this big family.)
(Welcome to the world of GR. A simple sentence, welcoming you to join this big family.)
(Welcome to the world of GR. A simple sentence, welcoming you to join this big family.)
(Turning it over, it’s the Japanese version “ようこそ、GRの世界へ。”.)
(After removing the top layer items, you can see the compartment design at the bottom. The camera is properly wrapped in a non-woven bag.)
(After taking out the manual and warranty card on the left, you can see the complete paper tray structure.)
(Taking out the camera body, let’s see what secrets are hidden under this layer.)
(How can we take photos without a pacifier! Let’s welcome Maggie Simpson! She seems very interested in this black box and has already taken the lead in occupying it.)
(Maggie: Let me see what’s hidden under here… )
(This is today’s protagonist: Ricoh GR IV. Although still wrapped in a protective bag, its presence can already be felt.)
(Looking at the battery compartment from another angle. This cardboard structure is designed quite cleverly, both fixing the battery and providing cushioning.)
(Maggie: What is this? It’s the included wrist strap.)
(Maggie: Let me see what’s hidden under here… )
(Turns out it’s the home of the data cable. USB-C data cable. Even the cable tie has been changed to paper, Ricoh is really thorough in eco-friendly packaging this time.)
(Maggie: This cable is stored very neatly, inspection passed!)
(These are all the items in the bottom layer of the GR IV camera box. (Of course, the original factory does not include Maggie.))
(I only took out the battery. The power source of GR IV. The rest stay in the box for now.)
Battery Ricoh DB-120
(Maggie: Phew~ unboxing is also tiring. Let’s rest in front of the BJ-12 charger first.)
(DB-120 battery unboxing. Based on the number of shots taken during past trips, I ordered two extra spares this time. The GR IV body can be charged via USB Type C, so I’m not that worried about battery life.)
(DB-120’s thick stack of multi-language manuals, cleverly used as packaging material to absorb shock and protect the battery.)
(DB-120 is sandwiched inside this stack of paper.)
Charger Ricoh BJ-12
(Next, let’s unbox the Ricoh BJ-12 charger.)
(Ricoh BJ-12 outer box.)
(BJ-12 charger body appears. Although many cameras now support direct charging in the body, having an independent charger is still more convenient (I’m old school).)
(Can charge two DB-120s at once.)
(Back specifications. Input 5V 3A, using USB-C interface, it’s great that interfaces can be unified these days.)
(Group photo of the charging set. The manual is surprisingly long when unfolded…)
External Flash Ricoh GF-2
(Next is this little guy: GF-2 external flash. Maggie is already in position ready to unbox.)
(Opening the box, as expected, another thick stack of manuals blocking the front.)
(Moving the manual aside, the GF-2 body is also properly wrapped. Maggie seems very interested in this small white pillow.)
(The outer box looks big, but the flash GF-2 body is super petite!)
(GF-2 in person! The back is very simple, only a USB-C charging port and power/test button.)
(The bottom is a standard hot shoe interface. Origin marked as MADE IN MYANMAR. Maggie is checking if the contacts are clean.)
(The flash tube on the front. Maggie: Who can come and let me flash them?)
Camera Body Ricoh GR IV
(Lens turning back to the camera body. Maggie can’t wait to take it out of the protective bag.)
(Size comparison. Top is GR IV body, bottom is GF-2 flash. Both wrapped like mummies.)
(Another angle. These two small white bundles contain today’s protagonists.)
(Protagonist appears! Ricoh GR IV’s matte black body texture is as charming as ever. Maggie has already climbed up to declare sovereignty.)
(Finally touched the GR IV! First impression is mini yet solid. When taking the camera out, I felt a slight heaviness from the metal, but it’s that reassuring and sturdy feeling.)
(Finally seeing the true face of GR IV. Placed on the protective bag, the black body forms a strong contrast with the white bag.)
(GR LENS f=18.3mm 1:2.8. The quality of this lens needs no further words, the soul of the street photography artifact.)
(Bottom label. Model R09010, Origin MADE IN CHINA. It’s really compact, hard to imagine what functions humans will stuff into it in the future. AI?)
(Opening the battery compartment cover. Inside are the slots for DB-120 battery and SD card.)
(Looking at the battery compartment from another angle. The metal tripod mount is placed on the optical axis.)
(Trying to insert the battery, it’s quite smooth and easy to operate.)
(After inserting the battery, it will be fixed and won’t slide out.)
(Next, checking the top of the camera. You can clearly see the power switch, shutter, mode dial, etc.)
(Hot shoe interface, can attach the GF-2 flash we just saw. It clicks in quite tight, won’t fall out easily.)
(The look after removing the hot shoe cover. You can see the arrangement of electronic contacts.)
(The look with GF-2 flash attached. Compact plus compact, still compact.)
(Finally, a frontal portrait. Ricoh GR IV, low-key, powerful, portable. Next time we meet, everyone can check if I brought my portable camera out.)
Final Thoughts
- Tonight, let’s ignore Silicon Valley, ignore Jensen Huang
- Put aside Kiro, Claude Code, Android Studio Gemini
- Pick up Ansel Adams’ “A Life of Light and Shadow”
- Reminisce about the time spent waiting for light and shadow to emerge in the darkroom of the university photography club
- Recall holding my dad’s F3 in high school to document classmates, campus, and sports meets
- That kind of deliberation cherishing the shutter count, to the reflex action of handling various lights and shadows
- Gathered together, this is the mission I expect for this GR in the future
- When light, shadow, and images can be transformed into energy
- Hmm, then let’s dismantle two more architecture diagrams tomorrow
Further Reading
- Build a Knowledge System together: Ernest PKM Personal Knowledge Management Workflow