GR ll - Sensor dust after three weeks!

chipbutty · 05-24-2017, 10:14 AM

Firstly I absolutely love this camera which kind of makes it all the more disappointing to see this after only three weeks of ownership. I bought it new here in the UK. The first thing I did when I bought it is put it in a case, such is the dust reputation of the GR! This spot appeared today.

f2.8

stopped down a bit

f14

Last edited by chipbutty; 05-24-2017 at 11:16 AM.

**geomez** · 05-24-2017, 11:57 AM

I have a GR and had it cleaned multiple times during the warranty period. Mine has been dusty for three years.
The dust issue is this camera's achilles heal. They better fix it for version 3. I'm dumbfounded that they didn't address the issue before they came out with the second iteration.

DeadJohn · 05-24-2017, 12:02 PM

That sucks. Since it's only 3 weeks old you can probably return it and get a new one.

My several year old GR recently started showing several dust spots. I tried shaking the camera to dislodge them with no luck. Next step is to hold the camera against a vacuum as I extend and retract the lens a few times; I don't expect success but it's easy to try. I'll probably end up taking it apart to clean.

chipbutty · 05-24-2017, 12:25 PM

Yes at least it's still under warranty. Unfortunately John Lewis where I bought it from have sold all their stock. I guess the options are a refund or ask Ricoh to clean it under warranty.

What's frustrating is John Lewis were selling the GR ll for £50 less than anyone else so if I got a refund I'd have to stump up the extra cost for another one from a different retailer. Maybe they'll have more stock soon then I can just get a straight swap. If they don't get new stock then who knows, maybe it's a sign the GR lll could be just around the corner. Ricoh seriously need to look at this issue. It can't be that hard to provide a little more protection. That seal looks pretty pathetic from the photos I've seen.

Originally posted by DeadJohn

That sucks. Since it's only 3 weeks old you can probably return it and get a new one.

My several year old GR recently started showing several dust spots. I tried shaking the camera to dislodge them with no luck. Next step is to hold the camera against a vacuum as I extend and retract the lens a few times; I don't expect success but it's easy to try. I'll probably end up taking it apart to clean.

---------- Post added 05-24-17 at 12:29 PM ----------

It does seem that age is no barrier to this dust issue! I've never had dust issues with any of my cameras, either compacts or CSCs. The dust spot even shows up on the LCD which is an annoying reminder of the problem

Originally posted by geomez

I have a GR and had it cleaned multiple times during the warranty period. Mine has been dusty for three years.
The dust issue is this camera's achilles heal. They better fix it for version 3. I'm dumbfounded that they didn't address the issue before they came out with the second iteration.

**niceshot** · 05-24-2017, 12:51 PM

Originally posted by chipbutty

Firstly I absolutely love this camera which kind of makes it all the more disappointing to see this after only three weeks of ownership. I bought it new here in the UK. The first thing I did when I bought it is put it in a case, such is the dust reputation of the GR! This spot appeared today.

f2.8

stopped down a bit

f14

Yikes that is flat out un- acceptable

chipbutty · 05-25-2017, 05:29 AM

I called John Lewis and they were superb. They're out of stock but expect more in June. They told me I can wait for more stock and get an exchange, have a refund or have Ricoh fix it. I'll wait for more stock and then exchange it. They're even going to call me every two days to inform me of stock availability. Something of a relief.

rodaballo · 06-20-2017, 04:39 PM

Apparently I had read that GR II was less prone than the original GR to let dust particles getting into the sensor. Unfortunately this has not been in your case. It is a real pain when you get a big one, even so visible at f2.8.

I hope that next GR III, if this will come out anyday, will address this issue. It's hard for me to understand how Ricoh, which manufactures Pentax weather sealed cameras, does not produce a dust-sealed compact camera.

When GR III comes out then I expect to afford a risky GR II !

jdrebacker · 10-07-2017, 02:51 PM

Hi

After reading many reviews on the Ricoh GR, and the possibility of fluff & dust getting on the sensor? I am still going to purchase this camera. Now I do realize that the small form factor is all part of it's charm which makes it so stealthy on the streets that people pay little attention to it as a serious camera for street photography. but if the lens is protected with the Ricoh GH-3 adapter with or without putting on the additional hood, but making sure you keep a UV filter on at all times, this would surly solve the dust and or fluff getting on the sensor, of course making the camera a little less stealthy though I guess, which is one of the reasons you would purchase this camera in the first place.

chipbutty · 10-17-2017, 10:57 AM

That will probably help but apparently it's still not immune to dust on the sensor even with the adapter attached.

Originally posted by jdrebacker

Hi

After reading many reviews on the Ricoh GR, and the possibility of fluff & dust getting on the sensor? I am still going to purchase this camera. Now I do realize that the small form factor is all part of it's charm which makes it so stealthy on the streets that people pay little attention to it as a serious camera for street photography. but if the lens is protected with the Ricoh GH-3 adapter with or without putting on the additional hood, but making sure you keep a UV filter on at all times, this would surly solve the dust and or fluff getting on the sensor, of course making the camera a little less stealthy though I guess, which is one of the reasons you would purchase this camera in the first place.

rodaballo · 12-25-2017, 05:24 PM

Originally posted by rodaballo

When GR III comes out then I expect to afford a risky GR II !

Haha, I got a GRII just some weeks after I wrote this message!

My 6 month GRII is proud to announce that it has got its first dust particle in the sensor. It's not large, but it's visible already at f8 and it is on the sensor's margin. Nothing serious at all. Best you can do is to ignore it and (pretend) you do not see it. It works for me. In fact I spotted the dust particle many pics later. Anyway, if it keeps on sucking more dust in I know how to open and clean this thing. I am completely in love with this camera and I love it with its defects.

Matias_baez · 01-15-2018, 12:19 PM

Originally posted by rodaballo

Haha, I got a GRII just some weeks after I wrote this message!

My 6 month GRII is proud to announce that it has got its first dust particle in the sensor. It's not large, but it's visible already at f8 and it is on the sensor's margin. Nothing serious at all. Best you can do is to ignore it and (pretend) you do not see it. It works for me. In fact I spotted the dust particle many pics later. Anyway, if it keeps on sucking more dust in I know how to open and clean this thing. I am completely in love with this camera and I love it with its defects.

Hey there!
I was going through all the messages and Im sorry about the dust on te sensor after only 6 months. But hey, at least took longer than it took for the guy who started this thred.

I just bought the GR II but now I wonder what should I do to prevent it from getting dust on the sensor!

Are you guys using any kind of protection for your Gr's?
Like the GH-3 adapter with a filter?
Is it worth it?

rodaballo · 01-15-2018, 04:12 PM

The filter add-on and the filter itself will certainly prevent dust getting inside, in my opinion. However I very much appreciate the compactness of this camera and I do not want to sacrifice this characteristic so that I have a dustless sensor. I used to carry the camera inside a simple plastic zip bag, but after getting dust inside I must confess I just carry the camera in the coat's pocket or in my bag with no protection.

As said before, if the problem gets worse and worse it does not seem very troublesome to open and clean it.

This picture is from today, straight of the camera.

Matias_baez · 01-26-2018, 08:32 PM

Originally posted by rodaballo

The filter add-on and the filter itself will certainly prevent dust getting inside, in my opinion. However I very much appreciate the compactness of this camera and I do not want to sacrifice this characteristic so that I have a dustless sensor. I used to carry the camera inside a simple plastic zip bag, but after getting dust inside I must confess I just carry the camera in the coat's pocket or in my bag with no protection.

As said before, if the problem gets worse and worse it does not seem very troublesome to open and clean it.

This picture is from today, straight of the camera.

Hey, man.
Thank you so much for giving your opinion about the filter. I just got the GR a couple of days ago and I still have it under "the testing process' haha, but yeah since it arrived I had it in a ziplock bag just like you said.

I went to Best Buy and bought Lowepro case but it was kind of hard for me to find the right one in terms of size. The compact type of cases are small for the GR, but the mirrorless type of cases are too big!
So, like you said, Im just gonna keep it without any filter for now because I rather the camera to be pocketable.

And I guess I will have to open it for cleaning eventually hahaha

lesmore49 · 01-27-2018, 08:56 AM

I wanted one and came close to buying one. But the persistent dust problem was the issue...the only issue...that convinced me not to get one. Small camera, moderately wide angle lens and ASP-C sensor...a great concept, but Ricoh must do something about this persistent dust issue.

Rico · 01-27-2018, 09:39 AM

I have had my GRII since 2016 without seeing any dust problems. I don't think it is an issue people should not buy the GRII over. There are no guarantees. Julia Margaret Cameron's negatives and prints were riddled with dust.

The adapter hood is worth getting imho. Instead of the supplied hood I use the hood from the DA21 with an o-ring to hold it in place. It doesn't supply the same level of protection as the supplied hood but it makes the GRII much smaller.

05-24-2017, 10:14 AM	#1
chipbutty New Member Join Date: May 2017 Posts: 14	GR ll - Sensor dust after three weeks! Firstly I absolutely love this camera which kind of makes it all the more disappointing to see this after only three weeks of ownership. I bought it new here in the UK. The first thing I did when I bought it is put it in a case, such is the dust reputation of the GR! This spot appeared today. f2.8 stopped down a bit f14 Last edited by chipbutty; 05-24-2017 at 11:16 AM.

10-07-2017, 02:51 PM	#8
jdrebacker New Member Join Date: Oct 2017 Posts: 1	The Ricoh GR Hi After reading many reviews on the Ricoh GR, and the possibility of fluff & dust getting on the sensor? I am still going to purchase this camera. Now I do realize that the small form factor is all part of it's charm which makes it so stealthy on the streets that people pay little attention to it as a serious camera for street photography. but if the lens is protected with the Ricoh GH-3 adapter with or without putting on the additional hood, but making sure you keep a UV filter on at all times, this would surly solve the dust and or fluff getting on the sensor, of course making the camera a little less stealthy though I guess, which is one of the reasons you would purchase this camera in the first place.

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05-24-2017, 11:57 AM	#2
geomez Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Roanoke, Virginia, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,760	I have a GR and had it cleaned multiple times during the warranty period. Mine has been dusty for three years. The dust issue is this camera's achilles heal. They better fix it for version 3. I'm dumbfounded that they didn't address the issue before they came out with the second iteration.

05-24-2017, 12:02 PM	#3
DeadJohn Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: New York Posts: 4,834	That sucks. Since it's only 3 weeks old you can probably return it and get a new one. My several year old GR recently started showing several dust spots. I tried shaking the camera to dislodge them with no luck. Next step is to hold the camera against a vacuum as I extend and retract the lens a few times; I don't expect success but it's easy to try. I'll probably end up taking it apart to clean.

05-24-2017, 12:25 PM	#4
chipbutty New Member Join Date: May 2017 Posts: 14 Original Poster	Yes at least it's still under warranty. Unfortunately John Lewis where I bought it from have sold all their stock. I guess the options are a refund or ask Ricoh to clean it under warranty. What's frustrating is John Lewis were selling the GR ll for £50 less than anyone else so if I got a refund I'd have to stump up the extra cost for another one from a different retailer. Maybe they'll have more stock soon then I can just get a straight swap. If they don't get new stock then who knows, maybe it's a sign the GR lll could be just around the corner. Ricoh seriously need to look at this issue. It can't be that hard to provide a little more protection. That seal looks pretty pathetic from the photos I've seen. Originally posted by DeadJohn That sucks. Since it's only 3 weeks old you can probably return it and get a new one. My several year old GR recently started showing several dust spots. I tried shaking the camera to dislodge them with no luck. Next step is to hold the camera against a vacuum as I extend and retract the lens a few times; I don't expect success but it's easy to try. I'll probably end up taking it apart to clean. ---------- Post added 05-24-17 at 12:29 PM ---------- It does seem that age is no barrier to this dust issue! I've never had dust issues with any of my cameras, either compacts or CSCs. The dust spot even shows up on the LCD which is an annoying reminder of the problem Originally posted by geomez I have a GR and had it cleaned multiple times during the warranty period. Mine has been dusty for three years. The dust issue is this camera's achilles heal. They better fix it for version 3. I'm dumbfounded that they didn't address the issue before they came out with the second iteration.

05-24-2017, 12:51 PM	#5
niceshot Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,565	Originally posted by chipbutty Firstly I absolutely love this camera which kind of makes it all the more disappointing to see this after only three weeks of ownership. I bought it new here in the UK. The first thing I did when I bought it is put it in a case, such is the dust reputation of the GR! This spot appeared today. f2.8 stopped down a bit f14 Yikes that is flat out un- acceptable

05-25-2017, 05:29 AM	#6
chipbutty New Member Join Date: May 2017 Posts: 14 Original Poster	I called John Lewis and they were superb. They're out of stock but expect more in June. They told me I can wait for more stock and get an exchange, have a refund or have Ricoh fix it. I'll wait for more stock and then exchange it. They're even going to call me every two days to inform me of stock availability. Something of a relief.

06-20-2017, 04:39 PM	#7
rodaballo Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 158	Apparently I had read that GR II was less prone than the original GR to let dust particles getting into the sensor. Unfortunately this has not been in your case. It is a real pain when you get a big one, even so visible at f2.8. I hope that next GR III, if this will come out anyday, will address this issue. It's hard for me to understand how Ricoh, which manufactures Pentax weather sealed cameras, does not produce a dust-sealed compact camera. When GR III comes out then I expect to afford a risky GR II !

10-17-2017, 10:57 AM	#9
chipbutty New Member Join Date: May 2017 Posts: 14 Original Poster	That will probably help but apparently it's still not immune to dust on the sensor even with the adapter attached. Originally posted by jdrebacker Hi After reading many reviews on the Ricoh GR, and the possibility of fluff & dust getting on the sensor? I am still going to purchase this camera. Now I do realize that the small form factor is all part of it's charm which makes it so stealthy on the streets that people pay little attention to it as a serious camera for street photography. but if the lens is protected with the Ricoh GH-3 adapter with or without putting on the additional hood, but making sure you keep a UV filter on at all times, this would surly solve the dust and or fluff getting on the sensor, of course making the camera a little less stealthy though I guess, which is one of the reasons you would purchase this camera in the first place.

12-25-2017, 05:24 PM	#10
rodaballo Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 158	Originally posted by rodaballo When GR III comes out then I expect to afford a risky GR II ! Haha, I got a GRII just some weeks after I wrote this message! My 6 month GRII is proud to announce that it has got its first dust particle in the sensor. It's not large, but it's visible already at f8 and it is on the sensor's margin. Nothing serious at all. Best you can do is to ignore it and (pretend) you do not see it. It works for me. In fact I spotted the dust particle many pics later. Anyway, if it keeps on sucking more dust in I know how to open and clean this thing. I am completely in love with this camera and I love it with its defects.

01-15-2018, 12:19 PM	#11
Matias_baez Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Chicago IL Posts: 26	Originally posted by rodaballo Haha, I got a GRII just some weeks after I wrote this message! My 6 month GRII is proud to announce that it has got its first dust particle in the sensor. It's not large, but it's visible already at f8 and it is on the sensor's margin. Nothing serious at all. Best you can do is to ignore it and (pretend) you do not see it. It works for me. In fact I spotted the dust particle many pics later. Anyway, if it keeps on sucking more dust in I know how to open and clean this thing. I am completely in love with this camera and I love it with its defects. Hey there! I was going through all the messages and Im sorry about the dust on te sensor after only 6 months. But hey, at least took longer than it took for the guy who started this thred. I just bought the GR II but now I wonder what should I do to prevent it from getting dust on the sensor! Are you guys using any kind of protection for your Gr's? Like the GH-3 adapter with a filter? Is it worth it?

01-15-2018, 04:12 PM	#12
rodaballo Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 158	The filter add-on and the filter itself will certainly prevent dust getting inside, in my opinion. However I very much appreciate the compactness of this camera and I do not want to sacrifice this characteristic so that I have a dustless sensor. I used to carry the camera inside a simple plastic zip bag, but after getting dust inside I must confess I just carry the camera in the coat's pocket or in my bag with no protection. As said before, if the problem gets worse and worse it does not seem very troublesome to open and clean it. This picture is from today, straight of the camera.

01-26-2018, 08:32 PM	#13
Matias_baez Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Chicago IL Posts: 26	Originally posted by rodaballo The filter add-on and the filter itself will certainly prevent dust getting inside, in my opinion. However I very much appreciate the compactness of this camera and I do not want to sacrifice this characteristic so that I have a dustless sensor. I used to carry the camera inside a simple plastic zip bag, but after getting dust inside I must confess I just carry the camera in the coat's pocket or in my bag with no protection. As said before, if the problem gets worse and worse it does not seem very troublesome to open and clean it. This picture is from today, straight of the camera. Hey, man. Thank you so much for giving your opinion about the filter. I just got the GR a couple of days ago and I still have it under "the testing process' haha, but yeah since it arrived I had it in a ziplock bag just like you said. I went to Best Buy and bought Lowepro case but it was kind of hard for me to find the right one in terms of size. The compact type of cases are small for the GR, but the mirrorless type of cases are too big! So, like you said, Im just gonna keep it without any filter for now because I rather the camera to be pocketable. And I guess I will have to open it for cleaning eventually hahaha

01-27-2018, 08:56 AM	#14
lesmore49 Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Western Canada Posts: 12,347	I wanted one and came close to buying one. But the persistent dust problem was the issue...the only issue...that convinced me not to get one. Small camera, moderately wide angle lens and ASP-C sensor...a great concept, but Ricoh must do something about this persistent dust issue.

01-27-2018, 09:39 AM	#15
Rico Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1,205	I have had my GRII since 2016 without seeing any dust problems. I don't think it is an issue people should not buy the GRII over. There are no guarantees. Julia Margaret Cameron's negatives and prints were riddled with dust. The adapter hood is worth getting imho. Instead of the supplied hood I use the hood from the DA21 with an o-ring to hold it in place. It doesn't supply the same level of protection as the supplied hood but it makes the GRII much smaller.