Weekly News Roundup
The Ricoh GR IV Monochrome takes home a major award, Viltrox keeps delivering, and pricing news that affects Many photographers.
This week in photography: Ricoh GR IV Monochrome wins Camera Grand Prix, Viltrox 55mm EVO reviews land, Leica releases the Leitzphone, Canon discontinues the EF 70-200mm, Canon and Capture One both announce price increases, and Viltrox teases more new lenses.
Ricoh GR IV Monochrome Wins Camera Grand Prix 2026 Technical Award
This one is worth celebrating. The Ricoh GR IV Monochrome has been awarded the Camera Grand Prix 2026 Camera Journalists Club Technical Award, with judges specifically citing its design philosophy of returning to the essence of the act of taking a picture. The monochrome-only sensor that eliminates color filters and interpolation processing was highlighted as a genuine technical achievement, delivering resolution, rich gradation, and low distortion that the standard GR IV simply cannot match.
For those of us in the Collective this is not a surprise. The GR IV Monochrome is the most directly relevant camera announcement of the year for black and white photographers. A dedicated monochrome sensor in a compact pocketable body with the legendary GR lens and a built-in red filter is exactly the kind of tool this community exists to talk about. The Camera Grand Prix judges understood what makes this camera significant and the award reflects that. If you have been on the fence about the GR IV Monochrome the consensus is increasingly clear. This is the real thing.
Viltrox 55mm f/1.8 EVO Review Consensus Is In
Multiple major reviews of the Viltrox 55mm f/1.8 EVO have now been published and the verdict is consistent. This is a serious lens at an unserious price. At $370 it delivers APO apochromatic optics in a compact lightweight package that reviewers are comparing favorably to Sony's own 55mm offering from a decade ago. The 55mm focal length sits in a space that feels natural for street photography and environmental portraits, close enough to maintain presence with enough compression to create separation and depth.
For monochrome shooters the APO design matters for the same reason it matters in the Meike 85mm we covered last week. APO correction brings multiple wavelengths of light to the same focal point which means sharper rendering across the frame and better control of the tonal transitions that define good black and white work. The build is solid, the autofocus is quiet and reliable, and at 365 grams it is the kind of lens you bring everywhere without thinking about it. That last quality is underrated. The best lens for your photography is the one on your camera.
Leica Releases the Leitzphone
Leica has released the Leitzphone, which is a Xiaomi 17 Ultra with Leica branding and a red dot. Reviews this week have been diplomatic about what this actually is. The short version is that it is a well specced Android smartphone with Leica's imaging software and color science applied to the camera system and a price premium that reflects the red dot on the back.
The photography community's reaction has ranged from genuine curiosity to pointed skepticism. The Leitzphone does deliver a compelling mobile photography experience and Leica's color science and optical design input are real contributions to the image quality. Whether that justifies the premium over the base Xiaomi 17 Ultra is a question each photographer has to answer for themselves based on how much the Leica name and ecosystem mean to them. For street photographers who use their phone as a serious tool alongside their camera it is at least worth knowing about.
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM III Discontinued
Canon has officially discontinued the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM III. While it may still be available new in a box from some retailers production has ended. This is the end of one of the most widely used professional telephoto zooms ever made. The EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS has been a workhorse for photographers across every genre for over two decades and seeing it leave production marks another significant step in Canon's complete transition away from the DSLR ecosystem toward RF mount.
For photographers still shooting Canon DSLR bodies this is a reminder that the EF lens ecosystem is winding down. Canon's investment and innovation is entirely in RF now. If you are building or maintaining a Canon system the direction of travel is clear. The RF equivalents are excellent and the transition is worth making when the time is right.
Canon Announces Price Increases in Japan
Canon Japan has announced price increases starting May 21, 2026, hitting a large portion of the camera and lens lineup including EOS R cameras, TS-E and RF lenses, and two PowerShot cameras. This follows Fujifilm's warning last week about rising costs due to silver and memory prices and suggests that broader price increases across the industry are not isolated events but part of a wider trend.
For photographers outside Japan the immediate impact may be limited depending on how Canon structures its regional pricing. But Japan pricing typically signals what is coming globally within a few months. If you have been considering a Canon body or lens purchase the pricing environment over the next six to twelve months is worth factoring into your timing.
Capture One Announces 6% Price Increase Across All Products Starting June 2
This one affects a significant number of photographers in the Collective directly. Capture One has announced a 6% price increase across all products effective June 2. This covers both subscription plans and perpetual licenses. No specific reason has been given beyond the standard language about continuing to invest in the platform.
The timing alongside Canon and Fujifilm price increases this month paints a consistent picture. The cost of photography is going up across hardware and software simultaneously. For photographers on Capture One subscriptions the increase will roll into the next billing cycle automatically. If you are on an annual plan that has not renewed yet it may be worth checking the renewal date and acting before June 2 if you want to lock in the current pricing for another year.
Viltrox Confirms More New Lenses Coming This Month
Viltrox has confirmed additional new lens announcements are coming before the end of May with teaser images already circulating. After a remarkable run of releases including the 35mm f/1.8 EVO, 55mm f/1.8 EVO, and the AF 35mm f/1.4 Pro debut at Beijing P&E, the company shows no signs of slowing down. Viltrox has become one of the most interesting lens manufacturers in the market right now not just because of competitive pricing but because of genuine optical ambition. The EVO line in particular has demonstrated that the gap between third party and first party optical quality is closing faster than most people expected. We will cover the new announcements as they land.
