Portraits with the GR Digital IV also turned out great, producing excellent skin tones and no redness in the eyes. Although the camera doesn't have face detection, recognition or even a portrait mode, it handles these situations well.  Manual focus or manually setting the focus points, along with subject tracking allow you keep up with and capture your favorite subjects.

 

Movie mode on the GR Digital IV has been kept as a secondary feature, as it is probably one of the only cameras currently on the market without a HD video capture mode. Its components are all capable, but Ricoh has decided to keep the maximum resolution at 640x840. While the videos capture and play incredibly smooth, they will always look small or stretched and pixelated when viewed full screen on a wide LCD monitor or a HDTV; depending on the aspect the videos are viewed in or course. Also the internal mic is very sensitive and will pick up any sounds that are around the camera, including background noises that you might not even notice at the time of shooting. 

 

Powering the GR Digital IV is a powerful 3.6V, 1250mAh rechargeable Li-Ion battery. During our tests, we were able to capture over 200 images and several short videos on a single charge without the worry of the battery dying. With cameras consuming more power lately, this is a breath of fresh air. While most camera's are lucky to capture 200 images on a charge, this camera will just keep on shooting. Also included with the camera is a portable, compact quick charging unit that allows you to keep your battery and a spare charged and on hand at all times. Ricoh has also given the camera the ability to operate with two AA-style batteries, in case your Li-ion battery pack should run out at a bad time. Only a few images (30) can be captured on two standard alkaline cells, but they can be purchased anywhere and are cheap insurance if you are in a bind. "