Dark specks appear in photos, most visible on bright even areas at small apertures

Affects Ricoh GR III, Ricoh GR IIIx, Ricoh GR IV · 77 owner posts, 1051 comments

What causes it

• The retracting lens draws air, and with it dust, into the body. This is inherent to the design.
• Affects every GR generation despite all of them listing ultrasonic "DR II" sensor cleaning.

What to try, in order

Moderate risk — one of these steps can make things worse if rushed.

1. Try the camera's own sensor-cleaning routine first.
2. A rocket blower with the lens retracted is the lowest-risk self-help step.
3. Wet swab cleaning works but risks the sensor coating; owners report it as a last resort.
4. Ricoh service cleaning is the safe option and the only one that keeps warranty intact.

What it costs

Owners report EUR 525-600 quotes for main-board work; a clean alone is far cheaper. These are figures owners have posted, not a Ricoh price list — get your own quote before deciding, and weigh it against the used value of the body.

How confident are we?

Assembled from owner reports. Ricoh has published no cause for this one.

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