Something's wrong with your GR
All documented faults
Ordered by how much owners talk about each one, counted across owner forums and app reviews. How much a problem gets discussed is not how often it happens — people post when something breaks, not when it works. Use this to know what to look out for, not as a reliability score.
| Symptom | Affects | DIY risk | Discussion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark specks appear in photos, most visible on bright even areas at small apertures | 3 models | moderate | 1051 comments |
| Battery swells, drains while the camera is off, or dies early | 4 models | high | 846 comments |
| Photos will not transfer to a phone, or the app will not pair with the camera | 3 models | none | 320 comments |
| Firmware update will not run, or the camera misbehaves after updating | 3 models | moderate | 272 comments |
| Camera will not read the memory card, or reports it as full or unwritable | 3 models | none | 172 comments |
| Camera will not switch on, starts inconsistently, or freezes in use | 3 models | low | 48 comments |
| "Lens Error" on screen, or the lens sticks part-way in or out | 3 models | high | 38 comments |
| Camera forgets its settings, or resets to the language-select screen on power-up | 3 models | none | 23 comments |
Two things worth knowing before you start
A newer model will not fix sensor dust. Every GR generation lists the same ultrasonic "DR II" cleaning, and dust reports persist across all of them. It is a consequence of a lens that retracts into the body.
A swollen battery is the one fault with a safety dimension. If a cell is visibly swollen, stop using it and do not charge it — take it to battery recycling. Everything else here can wait until you've had a coffee.