Ricoh Ricoh GR III

@MoonMind I can relate. I think the thing I miss most about the X70 was it was just so simple and easy to shoot. I often wish Olympus would release a "simple" Pen F or E-M1.

I mean, just as an example WHY?!?!? Does anyone really need the option to define and save 4 size/quality JPegs combinations from 4 different qualities (SF, F, N, & B) and 3 different sizes (L, M, & S)? AND the option to define the "small" from 1 of 2 options and "medium" from 1 of 4 options?

Or you can adjust the Press-and-Hold Time until the function assigned to the button operates, from [0.5 sec] to [3.0 sec]. You can adjust P&H time on 18 different things/settings. I guess you just never know, you might want the P&H time for exposure comp and flash exposure comp to be different? :sleep:
 
I mean, just as an example WHY?!?!? Does anyone really need the option to define and save 4 size/quality JPegs combinations from 4 different qualities (SF, F, N, & B) and 3 different sizes (L, M, & S)? AND the option to define the "small" from 1 of 2 options and "medium" from 1 of 4 options?
I'd love it if cameras all had extensive in-camera RAW editing features for images in playback mode (basically what the GR III has, plus a good horizon correction tool) but dirt simple capture modes, say, only a choice between color or B&W display. I have pushed as much of my workflow as possible to in-camera RAW conversion unless I want to do something complex, and I like it a lot. But the options available for capture could use some paring down in every digital camera.
 
Wow, this makes me really, really angry ... On the GR's sensor is the biggest piece of dust I've ever seen on any sensor. Built-in sensor cleaning won't help. It's off to customer service; unusable in the current state ... which means, in the current situation, the camera is out for the time being.

Before you ask: I've tried cloning out the damage, but it's too troublesome, it's just too big. Like a big fat ugly cloud, at all apertures ..

M.
 
Wow, this makes me really, really angry ... On the GR's sensor is the biggest piece of dust I've ever seen on any sensor. Built-in sensor cleaning won't help. It's off to customer service; unusable in the current state ... which means, in the current situation, the camera is out for the time being.

Before you ask: I've tried cloning out the damage, but it's too troublesome, it's just too big. Like a big fat ugly cloud, at all apertures ..

M.
Before you send it off, did you try a vacuum nozzle on the seams around the lens barrel, and around the front element with the lens extended? It may sound odd, but when I got mine back from the service center, I immediately found a fat piece of debris, and when I took a hand vac to the above areas, it disappeared. It may be in or around the lens assembly rather than the sensor itself. I have a sneaking suspicion that most of the complaints of sensor dust with the GR III are thus, especially when people report that the sensor clean function doesn't budge the spots.
 
Before you send it off, did you try a vacuum nozzle on the seams around the lens barrel, and around the front element with the lens extended? It may sound odd, but when I got mine back from the service center, I immediately found a fat piece of debris, and when I took a hand vac to the above areas, it disappeared. It may be in or around the lens assembly rather than the sensor itself. I have a sneaking suspicion that most of the complaints of sensor dust with the GR III are thus, especially when people report that the sensor clean function doesn't budge the spots.
Thanks for that, I may try it, provided I can lay my hands on a suitable vacuum cleaner ...

M.
 
Before you send it off, did you try a vacuum nozzle on the seams around the lens barrel, and around the front element with the lens extended? It may sound odd, but when I got mine back from the service center, I immediately found a fat piece of debris, and when I took a hand vac to the above areas, it disappeared. It may be in or around the lens assembly rather than the sensor itself. I have a sneaking suspicion that most of the complaints of sensor dust with the GR III are thus, especially when people report that the sensor clean function doesn't budge the spots.

Great advice. Although I have not tried in myself (no dust issues yet), I’ve heard of others doing this with success.
 
These dust issues are enough to steer me away from the GR III for good. A fixed-lens camera shall not be able to collect dust on the sensor, simple as that. I can live with a sensor accumulating debris, as long as I'm able to remove it myself with reasonable cost and effort.
I have to agree. It happened to the LX100 and the GR (original) as well, albeit not this soon. Crucially, the (sufficiently) sealed G1X III seems to be immune ... The downfall of the cameras suffering from this issue is their retractable lens (and in the case of the GR III, its externally focusing lens as well) - it's like pumping stuff into the camera (obviously). The risk is systematic. As much as like the size and the results, such annoyances aren't worth my time and money.

I've learned my lesson: No camera can be so appealing that I'll risk such experiences again. I'll have the GR III cleaned and then most probably sell it on because using it on a regular basis clearly isn't an option for me. I'll not buy similar cameras in the future, at least not if they're not sealed. Carrying a small bag is much less of a burden than constantly having to fuss over any camera.

I tried to remember what I may have done wrong - and the only thing I can come up with is having put it into some pocket (never for very long, either). A pocketable camera you shouldn't put into your pocket? Go pull the other one ...

Whatever remedy there may be, it's not up to me to compensate for the conceptual shortcomings a product may have.

M.
 
I bought the JJC metal lens cap awhile back, it covers the entire lens assembly along with its inherent gaps when the camera is being carried. Adds only a little bit of bulk, still fits well into the pocket (not a slim jeans pocket, I guess, but that's probably not any healthier for your camera than it is for your.......).
 
I have to agree. It happened to the LX100 and the GR (original) as well, albeit not this soon. Crucially, the (sufficiently) sealed G1X III seems to be immune ... The downfall of the cameras suffering from this issue is their retractable lens (and in the case of the GR III, its externally focusing lens as well) - it's like pumping stuff into the camera (obviously). The risk is systematic. As much as like the size and the results, such annoyances aren't worth my time and money.

I've learned my lesson: No camera can be so appealing that I'll risk such experiences again. I'll have the GR III cleaned and then most probably sell it on because using it on a regular basis clearly isn't an option for me. I'll not buy similar cameras in the future, at least not if they're not sealed. Carrying a small bag is much less of a burden than constantly having to fuss over any camera.

I tried to remember what I may have done wrong - and the only thing I can come up with is having put it into some pocket (never for very long, either). A pocketable camera you shouldn't put into your pocket? Go pull the other one ...

Whatever remedy there may be, it's not up to me to compensate for the conceptual shortcomings a product may have.

M.

It's interesting that you mention the tiny Canon G1x Mkiii - which I also have and have used (and appreciated!) quite a bit --- since like you, my G1xiii has never suffered from any issues, dust or otherwise. Perhaps in the long run, some of the Canon engineers - or possibly those responsible for QC or Quality Control in the factories where cameras are actually made - have taken greater care with the sealing of the G1x. Some time ago I remember reading an interview with some Ricoh execs who made a point of saying that they specifically did NOT try to make the GR iii weather-sealed since it would have involved compromises (with regards to lens barrel construction, button layout, heat dissipation, etc). A typical response from an intelligent engineer --- but, now with the benefit of hindsight, one has to wonder again at those decisions.

My other question which may be unanswerable for the moment, has to do with what happens when one sends one's camera off to customer service for repairing - I can't help wondering about this. Do they actually take the camera apart and clean the sensor? or the lens assembly as well? Or do they just replace the entire sensor (or sensor unit) - or what? Obviously we (customers) don't really know, and 'they' (the hopefully brilliant geeks and techs who work in the customer repair facilities of the world) aren't always ready or willing to share their secrets with us.

But it makes me wonder....after one gets the camera back - with the problem hopefully fixed (and 'disappeared') what would be the likelihood of its reocurring?

I know you don't have those answers any more than I do, Matt....I'm just wondering out loud.

And, obviously, both the GRiii and its predecessor, the GRii, had a number of customer reports and complaints about the dust-on-the-sensor issue or issues. None of which have ever, to my knowledge, been satisfactorily answered.

Part of my curiousity also comes from the fact that, though I didn't use the 1st-generation APS-C GR (which I used to own) all that long, it did wind up giving me a handful of photographs whose image qualities were extraordinary. And I've read with interest all of the comments and thoughts (and pluses and minuses) about both the GRii and the GRiii - and have occasionally thought it might be fun to buy the newer generation, just to see how it compared with the previous gen. And part of me (the old part which likes the idea of buying a camera for a more 'reasonable' or less initially 'inflated' price) wonders about possibly acquiring a used GRiii which actually has been repaired (by some of those aforementioned geeky technical customer service specialists somewhere) --- and what its chances of survival might be?

But I can totally understand the opposite point of view as well: there's an old saying, 'the burnt child dreads the fire' - and I can understand and relate to it, with respect to my own life, and cameras :)
 
wonders about possibly acquiring a used GRiii which actually has been repaired (by some of those aforementioned geeky technical customer service specialists somewhere) --- and what its chances of survival might be?
Ricoh sells refurbished ones for quite a good price, $599 if I recall aright. Kind of wish I'd gone that route, but that's what I get for being an early adopter.
 
Ricoh sells refurbished ones for quite a good price, $599 if I recall aright. Kind of wish I'd gone that route, but that's what I get for being an early adopter.

Ricoh-Pentax USA had a sale on 'Refurbs' back at the end of January (as did a number of Ricoh distributors in Europe, I believe, at the same time) - but they are long gone, they were 'sold out' rather quickly, from what I understand. Although the nice thing was, I think they were sold with 'new camera' warranties.
 
I've noticed several people on the internet complaining about an issue that I've had as well - the rear control dial surrounding the 4-way controller starts to jump all over the place, instead of smoothly scrolling through menus or images. I even sent the camera back to Precision Camera partly for this issue, and it didn't help in the long term. I noticed it seems to work better if I give it a few rigorous spins when I first set out to use it. Still, it's been slightly annoying, especially as I do a lot of in-cam processing of images where this dial is usually the most convenient way of adjusting individual parameters.

Today I decided to try something gleaned from discussion of the sometimes problematic rear dial on Panasonic's GX series cameras. People reported theirs worked better after a small amount of contact cleaning. I've seen both alcohol and WD-40 used. So I decided to try this on the Ricoh's rear dial. The nozzle of a WD-40 can sprays a lot more than I'd want, so I did a quick squirt away from the camera, and then used the single drop left in the little straw to drop down on the seam between the dial and body. Then I turned the dial for a couple of minutes, angling the camera a few different ways to encourage spread inside. Then left the camera lens side up so that any excess would not move further into the camera body.

It seems to have done the job, I'm using the camera and the rear dial seems to scroll perfectly. Hopefully this will continue - if it turns out to be not a good idea for any reason I'll let you guys know. I believe the contacts inside were just dirty or had residue of some sort interfering with smooth operation.
 

In case anyone was holding out for a special edition (pretty much all of the previous GR special editions have looked super cool and zany), there is one now for the GRIII! I actually think this one looks really cool, but I'm not trading in my perfectly good stealth black one. Apparently there is also a firmware update coming out which will let you save a custom full press snap distance. Nice small feature. I think Ricoh is doing a great job supporting this camera and fan base.
 
GR III spotted in an ad for a fancy pocket knife! :cool:

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They make some nice knives, sleek and small. Good pairing with the GR!
 
Are there any G-V1 users here?
I noticed that Adorama has the Fuji VF-X21 for $59.95.

I had a Sigma VF-11(G-V2ish?) that I used when I had the GRi and Coolpix A.
Wasn't the best but did the once in a while job pretty well.

I'm hoping that it's at least as nice looking through as the smaller VF-11.

Loving the GRiii so far.
 
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That's a really good price. I've all but given up on accessory finders for the GR, I just never take to them... But my film Bessa T literally requires them, so I'm always kind of on the lookout.
 
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