Ricoh has released a firmware update which adds an electronic shutter to the Ricoh GR IV compact digital camera. This feature was already available in the GR IV HDF model of the camera.
Ricoh GR IV
The Ricoh GR IV is a compact digital camera with an APS-C sized 25.74 megapixel BSI (Back-Side Illuminated) CMOS sensor. As a compact camera, the GR IV has a fixed lens that can’t be swapped. It features an 18.3 mm lens which gives a similar field of view to a 28 mm lens on a full frame camera. The lens on the GR IV has an aperture range from F2.8 to F16.
In addition, the camera has 5-axis Shake Reduction system that delivers around 6 stops of image stabilization. As well as still photographs, the Ricoh GR IV can shoot HD video up to 60 frames per second.
Firmware update
The new firmware for the Ricoh GR IV is version 1.11. Its headline new feature is that Ricoh has given the GR IV the electronic shutter function already introduced in the GR IV HDF model. The fastest speed for the camera’s mechanical shutter is 1/4000th of a second. Now with the electronic shutter, the GR IV offers shutter speeds up to 1/16000th of a second. This means that you can shoot with the aperture wide open even in bright conditions. However, Ricoh warns that you might get rolling shutter artefacts with fast moving subjects.
Electronic shutter speeds
The electronic shutter takes precedence over the mechanical shutter at different speeds depending on the aperture you are using.
- For apertures between F2.8 and F4, the electronic shutter is used at speeds from 1/3200th to 1/16000th of a second
- For apertures between F4.5 and F 5.0, speeds from 1/4000th to 1/16000th of a second use the electronic shutter
- For apertures between F5.6 and F16, the electronic shutter is used at speeds from 1/5000th to 1/16000th of a second
At lower speeds than set out above, the camera uses its mechanical shutter.
What we think
When Ricoh introduced the GR IV HDF, it replaced the GR IV’s built-in ND filter with a Highlight Diffusion Filter (HDF). As a result, the company added the electronic shutter to compensate for the loss of exposure control offered by the ND filter. Now the GR IV has gained the electronic shutter feature that the HDF already had. The new faster shutter speeds that the update delivers mean that you can shoot at wider apertures on very bright days. You will also be able to freeze fast motion, with the caveat of possible rolling shutter artefacts. If you use a Ricoh GR IV, you should update your camera as soon as possible.
Pricing and availability
Firmware update 1.11 for the Ricoh GR IV and GR IV HDF is available to download for free from the Ricoh website. It doesn’t add any new features for the GR IV HDF but delivers “improved stability for general performance” for both camera models.
