How to Replace the Lens Ring Cap on the Ricoh GR III

I’ve owned a few Ricoh GR III and GR II cameras. On all of them, I quickly lost the ring that goes around the lens barrel. They have a habit of coming off and disappearing.

In normal shooting, there’s usually no reason to remove it or change it. You do have to remove it if you’re using the GW-4 wide-angle conversion lens or the GA-1 adapter to add standard lens filters. But most of the time, it just sits there quietly and doesn’t do much of anything.

But it also has an annoying habit of coming loose and falling off just in normal use. I’ve had them fall off in my camera bag and heaven knows where else. Which suggests to me that it’s just a poor design. And it’s not just me—I know this is an issue that other GR III shooters have faced.

If you lose that ring, it’s not a dealbreaker. The camera will continue to work as normal, and it won’t make any difference to the operation of the camera. So if you just want to leave it as is, sans lens ring, you can.

But what it does is leave some metal contacts around the lens barrel exposed, and that’s never a great idea.

The good news is that it’s easy to replace the lens ring on the GR III.

Ricoh calls this the Ring Cap, which isn’t necessarily the way that would first come to mind for me to name it (maybe “lens ring”?). So if you’re looking for the replacement part, that’s what to search for (or the model number: GN-1).

They’re readily available as replacement parts and accessories for the GR III. There’s nothing fancy to them—they’re just rings of aluminum. So there’s no issue with electronics compatibility or any optical elements—they just have to fit.

Official Ricoh Replacement Part. There’s an overpriced Ricoh replacement part version. The model number is GN-1.

It comes in a dark gray that matches the gray accent hot-shoe cover.

Aftermarket Versions. There are also much cheaper aftermarket versions made by other manufacturers that I’ve found to work just as well.

And it’s also an opportunity to have some fun with the colors. The Ricoh GR III Street Edition has a distinctive orange/gold lens ring. So you could go that route, if you like. But you can also choose from a range of different colors to add a little personality to your camera. In the photos here, I’ve chosen a red one because, well, why not?

Things Worth Knowing

So here’s the thing: these lens rings use the same design as the original. Which means they don’t solve the problem of the ring coming off and getting lost. That’s still just as likely. One reason I go with the aftermarket versions is that they are so much cheaper to replace.

These rings don’t attach quite like a regular screw-on filter with a thread. And there is a proper orientation to install them. The ring should have a small white dot on it. Line that up with the small white marking on the lens barrel that’s just above the “GR.” Then twist it clockwise a little until it clicks into place. It’s not a secure lock and will still come off easily.

Before installing the new lens ring / ring cap, make sure that the barrel is clear of any grit and dust. With the first one I installed, I made the mistake of not clearing out all the dust, and some grit jammed in there. If that happens, a rubber band wrapped around it should give enough grip to remove it. Admittedly, it wasn’t all bad—it did make it harder for the ring to come off inadvertently, but it’s not convenient if you have to remove it to attach the wide-angle lens.

Installing the ring cap doesn’t add any extra functionality or features to your GR III. It does add some protection to the exposed contacts, and it can add a splash of accent color.

Ricoh GR III Accessories & Replacement Parts

Here are the model numbers of some of the core accessories and replacement parts for the Ricoh GR III.

Lens Ring Cap

• Ring Cap: GN-1

The lens ring cap is the small plastic ring that attaches around the lens port. To the extent it’s a functional part of the camera, it’s mostly there to protect against grit getting into the attachment thread around the lens port. But it’s also largely decorative. Chances are, it’s fallen off. While you do have to remove it to attach the lens adapter for using filters or the wide-angle conversion lens, it’s a poor design that tends to fall off and get lost far too often. I’ve lost a couple of them now.

The camera will work just fine without it. But that will leave some contacts exposed around the lens barrel, which isn’t ideal.

The official replacement part is overpriced, but if you want to get the genuine replacement part, it’s model GN-1. But you can also pick up much less expensive aftermarket versions. They’re also available in different colors, so you can bling up your camera with a personal touch—or make it look like the Street Edition.

USB Cable

The GR III has a USB Type-C connector port. When you get a cable, you can get them with another USB Type-C connector on the other end or a more traditional USB Type-A connector. Which you choose depends entirely on what you’re plugging into. For example, some newer laptops only have USB-C, while most other computers have USB-A.

Not all USB-C cables support data transfer, though. That’s often something you’ll run into with USB-C cables designed for fast charging. So it’s worth checking the product description and specs first. 

Battery & Charger

• Battery: DB-110

The Ricoh GR III takes battery model DB-110. It’s a rechargeable lithium-ion battery rated at 3.6V 1350mAh 4.9Wh.

There are some other cameras that also use the same battery—notably, some Olympus cameras (the Olympus model number for the same battery is LI-90B). So they’re quite widely available. You can get the official Ricoh version. There are also aftermarket versions that can be much better value but work just as well.

• Charger: BJ-11

You can charge the battery in the camera (using a USB-C cable). There are also external battery chargers available. They’re especially useful if you’re using spare batteries, so you can charge and shoot simultaneously.

• AC Adapter: K-AC166

This is used to power the camera for longer shoots, such as time-lapse, or if you happen to be using the camera for live streaming as a webcam. It connects via the camera’s USB-C port.

Wide-Angle Conversion Lens

• Wide-Angle Lens: GW-4
• Lens Adapter: GA-1

Ricoh has produced a wide-angle conversion lens that takes the standard 28mm view down to a 21mm (in 35mm equivalent). While it does add some extra bulk to an otherwise small camera, it works well and adds a more dramatic, wider view. I have an in-depth review of it separately.

Something to be aware of, though, is that you will also need to pick up the GA-1 lens adapter separately. For reasons I really don’t understand, the wide-angle conversion lens doesn’t come with the adapter, and both are required to make it work. So make sure you pick up one of those at the same time.

Remote Shutter Releases

• Wired Shutter Release: CA-3

This is the official Ricoh remote shutter. It connects to the camera via a USB cable, and it’s a simple shutter release (i.e., there’s no timer or intervalometer).

You can also find aftermarket shutter releases for the GR III.

External Viewfinders

• Standard External Viewfinder: GV-1
• Mini External Viewfinder: GB-2

The Ricoh GR III doesn’t have a built-in viewfinder. But they make two versions of an external viewfinder that slides into the camera’s hot shoe. It covers both the standard 28mm view as well as the 21mm view if you’re using the wide-angle conversion lens. There’s also a mini viewfinder; that model seems to be hard to find.

Screen Protector

The back screen of the GR III is quite exposed, and if you lie the camera on its back, the screen comes in contact with the surface. Even if you’re putting the camera in your pocket, there’s a risk of keys or coins scratching the screen.

There’s no official screen protector, but there are good aftermarket versions. The one I use is this one. It’s essentially a consumable that protects the screen. If you scratch the protector, you can quickly and easily replace it with another from the pack.

Carrying & Protection

• Soft Case: GC-11 (replaces the GC-9)

You can, of course, use the GR III with just about any camera case or bag. But Ricoh does make a dedicated soft case that fits snugly around the camera and offers some protection even if you’re toting the camera around in your pocket. I’ve been using one for a couple of years, and it’s held up very well, and it keeps my camera safer from bumps and scratches.

• Neck Strap: GS-3

Again, there’s no particular reason you have to use the official GR neck strap, but there is one. The main part is leather, and it even has a discreet, embossed “GR”.

If you do use a different strap, be aware that the strap loops on the camera are very small and won’t take thicker (i.e., stronger) attachment loops. So you might need to use some D-rings as well.

• Hand Strap: GS-2

There’s even an official “GR” leather hand strap! But, again, aside from the branding, there’s no special reason to use the official strap. If you do use a different one, you might need D-rings if the thread doesn’t go through the camera’s small attachment loops.

External Flash

Unlike some of its predecessors, the GR III doesn’t have a built-in flash. It supports the Pentax P-TTL flash protocol.

Pentax External Flashes:

• AF540GZ II
• AF360FGZ II
• AF201FG

Ricoh GR III Manual

You can find it here. 

Something to be aware of is that if you do a web search for the manual, you’ll often end up at the manual for the Ricoh Digital III manual, which is a different, and older, camera. 

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