Ricoh wishes Happy Birthday to its most famous model

Jul 09, 2026 - 10:11

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Ricoh wishes Happy Birthday to its most famous model

6000 special edition GR IVs with subtle changes and accessories mark 30 years of the GR series.

Front-on view of Ricoh's planned 30th Anniversary edition GR IV

Ricoh has announced it will make a special edition of the GR IV, to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the GR series.

The original GR1 film camera was launched in October 1996, and Ricoh says it will produce a limited edition of 600 special edition GR IVs, celebrating the milestone.

The special edition cameras will have a shutter button “finished in a paint color inspired by the original GR1.” It will also have an exclusive “diamond cut” ring cover around the lens and will show a 30th Anniversary design on the screen at shut-down. It will also come fitted with an anniversary-themed metal hot-shoe cover and finger strap accessories, and a set of pin badges marking the occasion. The accessories, along with a hot-shoe cover for GR III / IIIx owners, will be available separately.

Price and availability information will be given in the Autumn, the company says.

Press release:

Announcement Regarding the Planned Release of a Special Edition Model Commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the RICOH GR Series

TOKYO, July 9, 2026 — Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd. is pleased to announce that, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the launch of the film compact camera “RICOH GR1,” the origin of the high-end compact digital camera GR series, it is currently preparing for the release of a limited-quantity special edition model.

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 essential values of GR–its commitment to high image quality, quick response, and portability, and its determination to keep pursuing the ultimate snapshooter–have continued to be passed down unchanged in current models as well.

As one of the special items commemorating the 30th anniversary of the series, we are planning a special edition model based on the “RICOH GR IV” (launched in September 2025) and are currently preparing for its release in limited quantities. We would like to share the details that have been decided at this time, and hope you will look forward to the formal announcement.

Overview

Product name: RICOH GR IV 30th Anniversary Edition (tentative name)
Release timing: Autumn 2026 (planned)
Price: To be determined
Quantity available: 6,000 units worldwide

Shutter release button and rear buttons finished in a paint color inspired by the original “GR1”
Special ring cap “GN-3 (30th)” with a diamond-cut finish, attached at the time of shipment
Dedicated power-off screen featuring a GR 30th anniversary design, displayed when the camera is turned off

*Other camera specifications are the same as those of the standard model.

Special included items

Metal hot shoe cover “GK-2 (30th)” featuring a GR 30th anniversary design
Finger strap “GS-4 (30th)” featuring a GR 30th anniversary design
“Special pin badge set” inspired by successive GR series models

Of the included items listed above, the metal hot shoe cover “GK-2 (30th)” and the finger strap “GS-4 (30th)” are also planned to be sold separately.

In addition to the above, the release of the metal hot shoe cover “GK-1 (30th)” for the “RICOH GR III/IIIx” series is also planned.

* Please wait for further details until the formal announcement, which is scheduled for around this autumn.

About the Author: Richard graduated as a scientist but had a lot more fun writing and shooting for his university magazine. A number of years spent variously as a reporter, writer and editor on science and engineering titles combined his knowledge of science with his interest in images and words. But it was spotting the connections between emission spectra, white balance and all the nonsense he’d taught himself playing around in Photoshop that helped kindle an interest in digital photography. Searching for a camera led to him discovering DPReview and Richard was recruited by Phil Askey in 2007. He’s been combining his love of photography, communication and attention to detail (pedantry?) ever since. He has unusually strong opinions about lenses for the APS-C format.

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