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
