Ricoh GR1 electrical fault

[mike_j]

My GR1 showed a strange fault when I last used it recently. It totally locked up when I changed the flash mode from 'off' to 'auto'. As the battery was quite old I put a fresh one in but the problem repeated three or four times whenever I changed the flash mode with the camera turned on, Each time I had to remove and reinsert the battery to restart the camera. Then suddenly it started working again and all is well.

Are there any known, possibly age related, problems with the Ricoh electrics?

It's a great little camera and I would hate to think that this is the beginning of the end.

 

[doitashimash1te]

Just a thought - perhaps you should clean the battery contacts?

 

[mike_j]

Yes, very valid point but I have done that very carefully and there doesn't seem to be any corrosion there.

I do a bit of radio control yacht sailing and a problem known as 'black wire corrosion" sometimes occurs. The negative lead (always the negative) starts turning black with a film of non conducting corrosion which spreads to plugs and switches causing failure . I haven't heard of it in cameras but I suppose it is possible - one cause is storing the equipment in a damp environment (England) with the battery connected.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestion.