Ricoh repair guides (GR)

I'm a big fan of the Ricoh GR series (APSC), but unfortunately they have a major issue: They’re not reliable/long lasting cameras as confirmed by owners online (eg. https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2020/07/17/no-ricoh-lasts-forever).

Unfortunately during my last trip, my GR limited lens got stuck out (every 2 pics it blocks again).
The official Italian assistance service told me that there are no spare parts and that in any case it will be "very expensive" . so (without even tell me which is the problem) they suggested me to buy a new one.
New one that may as well die in less than 20000 shots.

I was somehow inspired by the an article about repairing, therefore I would like to try to collect materials/experiences and knowledge for serf repair and/or eventually to build a network of hobbist repairers.

- The best resource i found so far: https://michaelkowalczyk.eu/library/howtos/howto-avoid-fix-common-ricoh-gr-probl...


thanks for your contribution

It's a bit of an Achilles heel the extending lens on the GRs, the body is magnesium and rock solid, yet the lens mechanism is all plastic and marks really easily too.

I've had two versions, GRII then after a gap of few years bought a GRIII hoping that the lens would be more robust, but seems almost identical. Sold both through fear of the lens jamming, which is a shame since it is the perfect pocket camera.

Indeed, the same opinion is blocking me form buying a GRIII... What did you buy in the end (if I may ask)?

Being an amateur I would like also to invest in durable equipment, yet portable.

The original plan was to have the GRIII as my sole camera, so I sold up all my gear and bought a new Street Edition. I loved it initially, but even though I'd bought the neat looking Haoge filter adapter with a UV to protect the lens mechanism, the worry of the lens jamming and camera losing value was niggling me, plus I was also missing DSLR/viewfinder photography, I ended up selling the GR.

I now have a KP as my main camera, with a MX-1 for a compact/pocket alternative. The lens mechanism is definitely more robust on the MX-1, but I guess there's still the risk of it jamming, of course the sensor size is way inferior to the GRs, but the camera KP & MX-1 combo works for me, quality vs light/unintrusive option.

I did have a GR for a while, and the choice was the higher quality of its APS-C format against the smaller format but much more useful MX-1. As a general, carry around camera, the MX-1 beat the GR hands down on versatility so that's the one that stayed and still stays in my jacket pocket. In all the ten years or more that it has been in use it has never missed a beat and still works perfectly. Its lens is also fantastic quality, the review is here on Pentax User, and the loss in quality compared to the GR is much less that we might expect.

https://www.pentaxuser.com/review/smc-pentax-mx-1-6-24mm-f-1-8-2-5--lens-review-...