Thirty years after the film-based Ricoh GR1 kicked off one of the most beloved compact camera lines in photography, Ricoh is marking the occasion with a special run of the GR IV. Announced on July 8, 2026, the tentatively named Ricoh GR IV 30th Anniversary Edition is strictly limited to 6,000 units worldwide — so if you’re the kind of shooter who treats a GR as an extension of your right hand, get ready to move quickly.
The cosmetic tweaks are subtle but deliberate. The shutter release button and rear buttons wear a paint color inspired by the original GR1, and the camera ships with a special “GN-3 (30th)” ring cap given a diamond-cut finish. Like other special editions of the GR IV, it also boots down to a dedicated power-off screen carrying the GR 30th anniversary design. It’s the sort of restrained detailing that GR loyalists tend to appreciate more than any flashy redesign ever could.
Ricoh isn’t stopping at the body. The bundle includes a metal hotshoe cover and a finger strap — both stamped with the anniversary design — plus a “special pin badge set” that the company says draws inspiration from successive GR models over the years. The metal hot shoe cover “GK-2 (30th)” and the finger strap “GS-4 (30th)” will also be sold separately, and the metal hot shoe cover is planned to reach the Ricoh GR III and GR IIIx at a later date.
Under the paint, this is still the GR IV that stole so much attention this year. It packs an APS-C size equivalent CMOS image sensor with approximately 25.74 effective megapixels, an 18.3 mm lens (roughly 28 mm in 35 mm equivalent terms), a maximum sensitivity of ISO 204800, and a 5-axis Shake Reduction system rated for up to 6 steps of correction. In other words, the anniversary trim doesn’t dilute the everyday snapshooter DNA — it celebrates it.
Ricoh frames the whole thing under its “Forever a Snapshooter” banner, a broader push honoring three decades of the series. “Since the launch of the film camera Ricoh GR1 in October 1996, the GR series has earned the support of a great many users, particularly professionals and advanced amateur photographers,” the company said, adding that its core commitments — high image quality, quick response, and portability — have carried through unchanged across every generation.
Fan events are planned worldwide starting in the fall, part of the same celebration. Final sales details and pricing haven’t been shared yet; Ricoh says they’ll arrive closer to availability, which is currently pegged for around this autumn. Until then, GR devotees have a very specific number to keep in mind: 6,000.
