Ricoh’s GR series turns 30 this year, and the company is marking it the way it marks most things GR-related: quietly, and with a lovely attention to detail. The GR IV 30th Anniversary Edition Kit is a limited run of 6,000 worldwide, and if you’ve been meaning to buy a GR IV anyway, this is the one to want. Pre-orders are live. Details are on the official Ricoh product page.
What it is, and what it isn’t
Let me be clear up front: under the skin, this is a standard GR IV. Same 25.74MP APS-C sensor, same 18.3mm f/2.8 lens (28mm equivalent), same GR ENGINE 7 processor, same five-axis stabilisation rated to six stops, and the same roughly 0.6-second start-up that makes the GR such a good street camera. If you’re buying for performance, the regular GR IV gives you all of it for less.
What you’re paying the premium for is the anniversary treatment, and it’s genuinely charming rather than a sticker-and-a-box job. The shutter release and rear buttons take a dark-silver finish inspired by the original 1996 GR1, and there’s a special GN-3 (30th) ring cap with a diamond-cut surface around the lens, designed so the cuts catch the light when the lens is retracted without throwing reflections onto your subject when you’re shooting. There’s a dedicated 30th Anniversary power-off screen, and the kit adds a genuine leather finger strap, an engraved metal hot shoe cover and a set of 16 pin badges.
Why the GR still matters
The reason this anniversary is worth marking at all is that the GR has barely changed its philosophy in three decades, and it’s been right not to. A pocketable body, a fixed wide-angle lens, a big sensor and near-instant handling. That’s the whole idea, and it’s why the GR has such a devoted following among street and documentary photographers who want a serious camera that genuinely disappears into a jacket pocket.
It remains a stills-first camera, and honestly so — video tops out at Full HD 1080/60p, with no 4K, so anyone wanting a hybrid should look elsewhere. But that focus is the point. The GR does one thing, and does it better than almost anything at the size.
The catch
Two things to weigh. The price is a step up: US MSRP is $1,799.95, against the standard GR IV’s lower figure, so you’re paying a real premium for the cosmetics and the accessories. And with only 6,000 units worldwide, this is aimed at collectors and GR devotees as much as photographers — if you simply want the camera, the standard version does the job. But as a 30th-birthday piece for a camera line that’s earned its loyalty, it’s beautifully judged, and the GR1-inspired details are the kind of thing GR owners will appreciate precisely because they’re understated.
Ricoh GR IV 30th Anniversary Edition: Specifications
Sensor: 25.74MP APS-C BSI CMOS
Lens: 18.3mm f/2.8 (28mm equivalent), with 35mm and 50mm digital crop; optional GW-4 wide conversion for 21mm
Processor: GR ENGINE 7
Stabilisation: 5-axis, up to 6 stops
Autofocus: hybrid phase and contrast detection, face and eye detection, Full Press Snap, snap-distance priority
ISO: up to 204,800
Screen: 3.0-inch, 1.037M-dot touchscreen
Storage: approximately 53GB internal plus microSD
Video: Full HD 1080/60p
Start-up: approximately 0.6 seconds
Battery: DB-120, approximately 250 shots
Weight: 262g with battery and card
Anniversary features: GR1-inspired dark-silver shutter release and rear buttons; diamond-cut GN-3 (30th) ring cap; 30th Anniversary power-off screen; genuine leather GS-4 (30th) finger strap; engraved GK-2 (30th) metal hot shoe cover; set of 16 pin badges
Ricoh GR IV 30th Anniversary Edition: Price and availability
Limited to 6,000 units worldwide, priced at $1,799.95 US, with pre-orders live now and shipping from 21 October 2026. UK pricing varies by retailer — check current listings before purchase.
