[chaxdaman]

My Ricoh GR suddenly had this problem. Upon turning the camera on, it only displays black on the lcd, because the shutter is closed. The problem is resolved by pressing the shutter, so i will always have a blank photo stored every time i open my camera. It is annoying and concerning, since i only had this camera for just 2 years. I was thinking this would last on me for several more.

Has anyone experienced the same, and has anyone found a solution? Updating the firmware to the latest version did not help.

Thanks

You Tube

You Tube

[ruoyun.huang]

sigh... quality control does seem an issue for GR ...

[Romasato]

chaxdaman, I had the same problem and it was fixed by Ricoh GR repair centre. Please check out this post: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/161-ricoh-gr/289543-gr-closed-lens-startu...ml#post3177209

Cheers!

[chaxdaman]

chaxdaman, I had the same problem and it was fixed by Ricoh GR repair centre. Please check out this post: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/161-ricoh-gr/289543-gr-closed-lens-startu...ml#post3177209

Cheers!

Romasato, thanks for the link. Mine too, happened while my battery was getting low. Where are you located? I am not sure if we have a Ricoh Service Centre here in the Philippines, but will check.

[drypenn]

Romasato, thanks for the link. Mine too, happened while my battery was getting low. Where are you located? I am not sure if we have a Ricoh Service Centre here in the Philippines, but will check.

Camerahaus does the exclusive servicing for Pentax as well as Ricoh. They accept units for repair in Robinsons Galleria.

[chaxdaman]

Camerahaus does the exclusive servicing for Pentax as well as Ricoh. They accept units for repair in Robinsons Galleria.

Yup, that's what I was thinking. Thanks!

[Waltz Yu]

Hello chaxdaman, it seems to be a very common problem with this camera. I took my camera in to their agent in Hong Kong for repair of the same problem. Guess how much they wanted to charge me for this issue? They wanted US$360.00 for the repair. Totally insane! I wrote this reply because I am frustrated and want to share this story with everyone.

[chaxdaman]

Hello chaxdaman, it seems to be a very common problem with this camera. I took my camera in to their agent in Hong Kong for repair of the same problem. Guess how much they wanted to charge me for this issue? They wanted US$360.00 for the repair. Totally insane! I wrote this reply because I am frustrated and want to share this story with everyone.

Thanks for sharing this, Waltz. A GR user here in the Philippines also sent his camera to the local Pentax Service Center. They said to him the same thing - that repairing this will cost almost half the price of the camera, and recommended just buying a new one. Unbelievable and definitely unacceptable! Perhaps our cameras are doomed, unfortunately. I don't see myself buying another GR, sad to say, until this is addressed.

[GMak]

I also come from HK and encounter the same problem with my GR.
Should I have only one choice - sending to dealer for fixing with such high price?

[Waltz Yu]

Hello GMak,

Probably it is the right time to look for a substitute. I won't pay HK$2,800 to get it fixed. No doubt it is a very nice camera. Unfortunately it just doesn't have the right quality and services to back it up.

[chaxdaman]

The dreaded day has arrived. My GR is no longer responding. When I turn it on, the lens extends, but the shutter remains closed no matter what i do. Every shot is just a blank, black picture. I don't think I have even surpassed 10,000 clicks with this camera. So disappointing and disheartening.

[Eyewanders]

Similar issue with my old GRDIII years ago - lens would extend and make a clicking noise but never would take a photo. Eventually it would display an error and shut down.
Issue was sand. I know for certain it got a bit in it a couple days before it began acting up and it was my carelessness - not saying this is the same issue but the lens mechanism in mine binded and had to be replaced, which I did about a year later in Sydney while traveling, for around $350AUD... expensive but half the cost of a new on at the time.

Most retractable lens cameras like these are very susceptible to crud getting into the inner workings. The price of compactness. I've never used my current model GR on a windy beach and I store it in a sunglass pouch (when not in a proper case) to minimize the chances that sand or debris can find its way in. I'd be curious to know what a technician's prognosis for your specific problem was but sounds like we're not going to find out. Sorry to hear about your misfortune nonetheless - I can relate completely.

edit* It is also worth noting that "quality control" is hardly at issue here. There is certainly a fault or malfunction but "why" is the question. And seeing as there are small handful of people here in this thread and one other, all but one of whom are "new members" who came just because of problems.... well if it were truly a quality control issue we'd see many more posts from the many regular users here on PF. (This still doesn't mean I don't sympathize... because I have a lack of 350 dollars that says I do )

[BeerCan]

This just happened to me with my GR.. sigh . . .

[chaxdaman]

A friend of mine happened to travel to Tokyo so I asked him to bring my GR to the Ricoh Service Center. Everything broken was replaced with new parts. Repair time took A SINGLE DAY. Repair cost around 180 USD.

Now my GR feels and works like new. Shutter count back to zero. Hopefully it lasts longer this time around.

[cport]

chaxdaman: lucky guy!


I do not understand why this repair costs around 400EUR here in Europe.