What matters

Both are stabilized APS-C cameras with fixed prime lenses, built for an always-ready street, travel, or everyday photography routine. That common baseline is strong, but it does not make them interchangeable: one starts with a more selective view and a built-in finder, while the other is designed to disappear into a smaller daily kit.

Key differences

  • The X100VI combines a 40.2 MP sensor, a 35 mm-equivalent f/2 lens, claimed 6-stop stabilization, and a built-in hybrid optical and electronic viewfinder. The GR IV uses a 25.74 MP sensor and a wider 28 mm-equivalent f/2.8 lens, with five-axis stabilization claimed at up to 6 steps in the center but no built-in viewfinder. That changes how you frame and work before resolution becomes the question.
  • The carry difference is substantial. The X100VI measures 128 x 74.8 x 55.3 mm and weighs 521 g ready to shoot; the GR IV is 109.4 x 61.1 x 32.7 mm and 262 g with battery and card. The Ricoh is easier to keep with you, while the Fujifilm asks for a more deliberate camera-sized place in the bag.
  • Fujifilm's US launch MSRP reference was USD 1,599.95. Ricoh currently lists the GR IV at USD 1,599.95 and out of stock. Those are different price and availability conditions, not evidence of equal checkout cost.

Who it is for

  • Pick the X100VI if you repeatedly compose around a 35 mm-equivalent view, use an eye-level finder in bright light, or value the f/2 lens and added resolution enough to accept the larger body.
  • Pick the GR IV if a 28 mm-equivalent view matches your photographs and a genuinely smaller, lighter camera would be carried on days when the Fujifilm would stay home.

Watch-outs

  • Changing between these focal lengths can disrupt a familiar composition style. Review the focal lengths in photographs you already keep before treating either camera as a substitute for the other.
  • Allow for the real kit cost: an optional finder for the Ricoh, plus batteries, cards, filters, and any scarcity premium for either model.
  • Buy neither if your regular subjects require interchangeable lenses, zoom reach, or a different focal length. A premium fixed-lens camera cannot solve a mismatch between the lens and the work.