Ricoh Discontinues the GR III as the GR IV Steps in to Take Its Place

As the company promised earlier this summer, Ricoh has discontinued the GR III as it prepares to replace it with the forthcoming GR IV.

As reported by Photo Rumors, Ricoh has placed the GR III on its “discontinued products” list in Japan, signaling the end of production of the compact camera. This comes as no surprise as Ricoh said it would stop manufacturing the GR III in May when it announced that the GR IV would arrive in Fall 2025.

“Ricoh Imaging… announced that the production and shipment of the Ricoh GR III will be discontinued in July ‘due to difficulty in procuring parts and components.’ However, the Ricoh GR IIIx will be continued “for the time being,” which is good since Ricoh Imaging has not announced the development of a GR IVx,” PetaPixel reported.

Even though the camera only appeared on the officially discontinued products list this month, it is highly likely that Ricoh had spun down or wholly ceased production of the GR III back in July. While the original GR III is no longer being actively manufactured, the GR IIIx, which features a 40mm equivalent lens instead of the 28mm equivalent in the base camera, will remain available for the time being, likely because Ricoh has not announced a GR IVx camera. Unfortuantely, while it is technically still available, it can often be difficult to find stock of the GR IIIx. Most of the larger camera retailers in the United States do not have current stock of the camera, at least in its base form. The GR IIIx HDF is, however, easier to find.

The Ricoh GR IV was officially announced last week and nearly every aspect of the small camera has been updated. It features a new sensor, redesigned control layout, an updated lens, an upgraded imaging engine (the GR Engine 7), an improved shake reduction menchanism, and what Ricoh bills as an improved, smoother user experience overall.

What has also changed is the price. The Ricoh GR III debuted at $900 when it launched in 2019 but the GR IV will retail for significantly more: $1,500. That said, it was difficult to find the GR III at that $900 price in recent years and given inflation and President Donald Trump’s new 15% tariff on Japanese imports, the higher price should not be unexpected.

Expect the GR IV to arrive on store shelves in mid-September.

Image credits: Ricoh