> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.unknowndivide.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Ricoh GR IV vs Fujifilm X100VI: Which Compact Camera to Buy - URL: https://www.unknowndivide.com/ricoh-gr-iv-vs-fujifilm-x100vi/ - Published: 2026-11-12T06:58:50.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-12T06:58:50.000Z - Description: One fits in a pocket, the other has a viewfinder and Fujifilm's film colors. How the Ricoh GR IV and Fujifilm X100VI really compare, and which compact camera to buy. - Author: unknowndivide staff - Tags: Gear, Tech If you want one small camera that makes you take more pictures than your phone does, the shortlist has two names on it. The Ricoh GR IV is the latest in a line of pocket cameras that goes back to a 1996 film compact, beloved by street photographers for its wide lens and its ability to disappear into a jacket. The Fujifilm X100VI is the sixth generation of the retro rangefinder-style camera that turned Fujifilm's film colors into a cult. They cost about the same, they both use APS-C sensors (Advanced Photo System type-C, about the size of a classic half-frame of film), and they could hardly be more different to live with. Here is how they compare and which one we would buy. ## The quick answer - **Buy the Ricoh GR IV** if you want a camera you will genuinely carry every day, in a pocket, and you like a wide 28mm view of the street. - **Buy the Fujifilm X100VI** if you want a viewfinder, the classic 35mm view, Fujifilm's film colors and serious video, and you do not mind carrying twice the weight. - **Buy the GR IV HDF** if the GR is your pick but you want softer, film-like highlights straight out of the camera. ## Two cameras, two philosophies Ricoh's GR line began with the GR1 film camera in October 1996, and Ricoh marked its 30th anniversary this year with a limited [GR IV 30th Anniversary Edition Kit](https://www.unknowndivide.com/ricoh-gr-iv-30th-anniversary-edition-kit/). The idea has never changed: the best lens Ricoh can fit into the thinnest body it can make, with controls that let you shoot without looking. The GR IV, launched in September 2025, is the most refined version yet. Ricoh redesigned the lens, the sensor and the processor together, cut the start-up time to about 0.6 seconds, the fastest in GR history, and shaved the body down while deepening the grip. Fujifilm's X100 took the opposite route. The original X100 of 2011 was built around nostalgia: a fixed 35mm-equivalent lens, real dials for shutter speed and aperture, an aluminum top plate and a viewfinder that switches between an optical window and an electronic screen. Six generations later the X100VI keeps all of that and adds a 40.2 megapixel sensor and, for the first time in the series, in-body stabilization. It has been hard to find in stock almost since the day it launched. If you want the full background on Fujifilm's camera on its own, our [Fujifilm X100VI guide](https://www.unknowndivide.com/fujifilm-x100vi-compact-camera/) covers it. ## Ricoh GR IV: the camera that lives in your pocket ![Black and white street photograph looking down an escalator toward a woman walking along a sidewalk, taken with the Ricoh GR IV](https://storage.ghost.io/c/25/41/254117cc-2631-4fb7-9f78-fa31eac12f1a/content/images/2026/11/ricoh-gr-iv-sample-street-escalator.jpg) A sample image from the GR IV. Image: [Ricoh Imaging](https://us.ricoh-imaging.com/products/gr-iv?ref=unknowndivide.com) The numbers explain the GR's appeal. Ricoh quotes about 262 grams with battery and card, and a body roughly 109 by 61 by 33 millimeters. That is a camera you can put in a front pocket and forget. Inside is a new back-illuminated 25.74 megapixel APS-C sensor behind an 18.3mm f/2.8 lens, equivalent to 28mm in full-frame terms, built from seven elements in five groups. Five-axis sensor-shift stabilization is rated at up to six stops in the center of the frame. There is a built-in two-stop neutral density (ND) filter, which cuts light so you can shoot wide open in sun, and about 53 gigabytes of internal memory, with a microSD (Secure Digital) card slot as backup. The feature GR owners talk about most is Snap Focus. You preset a distance, anywhere from 0.3 meters to infinity, and a full press of the shutter fires instantly at that distance with no autofocus delay. The GR IV adds a dedicated Sn mode on the dial that pairs a snap distance with a chosen depth of field, which makes the old street trick of zone focusing almost automatic. There are now 14 Image Control finishes, including two new cinema-inspired looks, and a crop button that gives you 35mm and 50mm views when 28mm is too wide. The compromises are just as clear. There is no built-in viewfinder; you compose on the rear screen or buy Ricoh's clip-on optical finder. Video tops out at Full HD, 1920 by 1080 pixels. And battery life is rated at about 250 shots, so a spare DB-120 battery is not optional, it is part of the camera. ![Front view of the black Ricoh GR IV HDF compact camera with its retracted 28mm lens and GR logo](https://storage.ghost.io/c/25/41/254117cc-2631-4fb7-9f78-fa31eac12f1a/content/images/2026/11/ricoh-gr-iv-hdf-highlight-diffusion-filter.jpg) The GR IV HDF looks almost identical to the standard model. Image: [Ricoh Imaging](https://us.ricoh-imaging.com/products/gr-iv-hdf?ref=unknowndivide.com) Ricoh also sells the GR IV HDF, which adds a built-in Highlight Diffusion Filter. Press the Fn (function) button and the filter blooms bright areas and softens the edges of the frame, a look Ricoh compares to film photography and vintage movies. Its shutter button is finished in a grayish silver so you can tell them apart. It costs $100 more, and for people who already reach for a diffusion filter or a soft-focus preset, it is worth it. ## Fujifilm X100VI: the camera you wear ![Silver Fujifilm X100VI camera hanging on a black neck strap against a dark jacket](https://storage.ghost.io/c/25/41/254117cc-2631-4fb7-9f78-fa31eac12f1a/content/images/2026/11/fujifilm-x100vi-silver-on-neck-strap.jpg) The X100VI in silver. Image: [Fujifilm](https://www.fujifilm-x.com/en-us/products/cameras/x100vi/?ref=unknowndivide.com) The X100VI is a bigger, heavier and more capable camera. Fujifilm lists it at about 521 grams with battery and card, twice the GR, and 128 by 75 by 55 millimeters. It hangs on a strap rather than living in a pocket. In return you get a 40.2 megapixel X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor, which Fujifilm says delivers 1.5 times the resolution of the X100V at almost twice the speed, behind a 23mm f/2 lens equivalent to 35mm. That extra resolution matters more than it sounds: Fujifilm builds in 1.4x and 2x digital teleconverters, so the 35mm camera can also act as a usable 50mm and 70mm. The headline is the hybrid viewfinder. Flick a lever and you switch between an optical finder, which shows the scene through glass with bright frame lines and lets you see what is about to walk into the picture, and an electronic one with 3.69 million dots that shows exactly what the sensor sees. Very few cameras this small do both. Then there are Fujifilm's 20 Film Simulation modes, including the newer REALA ACE, which Fujifilm says draw on 90 years of its color science. For many owners these are the reason to buy the camera, and our guide to [Fujifilm film simulations](https://www.unknowndivide.com/fujifilm-film-simulations-explained/) explains what each one does. ![Photographer holding a silver Fujifilm X100VI up to her eye with both hands](https://storage.ghost.io/c/25/41/254117cc-2631-4fb7-9f78-fa31eac12f1a/content/images/2026/11/fujifilm-x100vi-held-at-eye-level.jpg) Shooting through the X100VI's hybrid viewfinder. Image: [Fujifilm](https://www.fujifilm-x.com/en-us/products/cameras/x100vi/?ref=unknowndivide.com) The rest of the specifications are just as generous. In-body image stabilization (IBIS) is rated at up to six stops, the built-in ND filter is four stops rather than two, battery life is about 450 frames in economy mode, and video reaches 6.2K at 30 frames per second with 10-bit color. The rear LCD (liquid crystal display) tilts. The catch is getting one. Demand has outrun supply since launch, and in mid-November new X100VIs from resellers were running well above $2,000, so buy from Fujifilm or an authorized dealer and expect to wait rather than pay a scalper's premium. ## Ricoh GR IV vs Fujifilm X100VI compared | | Ricoh GR IV | Fujifilm X100VI | | ------------------ | --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | | Sensor | 25.74MP APS-C, back-illuminated | 40.2MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS 5 HR | | Lens | 18.3mm f/2.8 (28mm equivalent) | 23mm f/2 (35mm equivalent) | | Crops | 35mm and 50mm | 50mm and 70mm digital teleconverters | | Viewfinder | None built in, optional clip-on optical | Hybrid optical and electronic | | Stabilization | 5-axis, up to 6 stops | 5-axis, up to 6 stops | | ND filter | 2 stops | 4 stops | | Video | Full HD | 6.2K/30p, 4K/60p | | Battery life | About 250 shots | About 450 frames (economy mode) | | Weight | About 262 g | About 521 g | | Size | 109 x 61 x 33 mm | 128 x 75 x 55 mm | | Signature feature | Snap Focus and Sn mode | Film Simulations | | Price at the maker | $1,599.95 (HDF $1,699.95) | Sold direct by Fujifilm, often back-ordered | ## Which compact camera should you buy - **The street photographer:** the GR IV. Snap Focus, a wide lens and a body nobody notices are exactly what the job needs. - **The traveler who wants one camera:** the X100VI. The viewfinder works in bright sun, the battery lasts twice as long and the teleconverters cover portraits. - **The person who just wants better pictures than a phone, every day:** the GR IV, because the camera you leave at home takes no pictures at all. - **The color lover who wants finished pictures out of camera:** the X100VI and its Film Simulations. - **The hybrid shooter who needs video:** the X100VI, without question. - **The film nostalgic:** the GR IV HDF for its softened highlights, or a real film compact from our list of [film cameras you can still buy new](https://www.unknowndivide.com/film-cameras-you-can-still-buy-new/). ## Our call **Our call: buy the Ricoh GR IV.** The X100VI is the better camera on paper and the lovelier object, but the GR IV is the one you will actually have with you, and it is available now at its list price. Buy the X100VI if a viewfinder or video matters to you, or if 28mm feels too wide; just buy it from Fujifilm or an authorized dealer instead of paying a reseller markup. Whichever you choose, add a spare battery on day one. **Shop the compact camera picks** **Ricoh GR IV:** our pick, the 262 gram street camera with Snap Focus, $1,599.95\. [See it at Ricoh](https://us.ricoh-imaging.com/products/gr-iv?ref=unknowndivide.com) **Ricoh GR IV HDF:** the same camera with a built-in Highlight Diffusion Filter, $1,699.95\. [See it at Ricoh](https://us.ricoh-imaging.com/products/gr-iv-hdf?ref=unknowndivide.com) **Ricoh DB-120 battery:** the spare every GR IV owner needs, $59.95\. [See it at Ricoh](https://us.ricoh-imaging.com/products/rechargeable-battery-db-120?ref=unknowndivide.com) **Fujifilm X100VI:** hybrid viewfinder, Film Simulations and 6.2K video, sold direct. [See it at Fujifilm](https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com/x100vi-x100vi/?ref=unknowndivide.com) Still deciding on a format? Our guide to the [best compact cameras](https://www.unknowndivide.com/best-compact-cameras/) covers more options, and if you are tempted to go bigger, see [Leica Q3 vs M11 vs SL3](https://www.unknowndivide.com/leica-q3-vs-m11-vs-sl3/). More like this: browse every related post in our [Leica and Film Photography Hub](https://www.unknowndivide.com/leica-and-film-photography/).