Ricoh GXR – Review – 35

Ashley Kramer trials a unique camera system from Ricoh

In recent years camera manufacturers have been quietly creating an entirely new type of interchangeable-lens digital camera. Because there’s no mirror mechanism they’re not single lens reflexes, so some wags have called them EVIL cameras (electronic viewfinder interchangeable lens), others see them as hybrids. Call them what you like, they’re here to stay because of the small form factors and the excellent image quality that goes along with large dSLR-style sensors and multiple lenses.

Ricoh has chosen to take a dramatically different path with its hybrid camera; not only are the lenses interchangeable but, bizarrely, the sensors are too.

The GXR system consists of a body and separate camera units. Each camera unit contains a lens, a sensor, a low pass filter and an image processor, all optimised for that specific lens. The logic is that instead of using one sensor for every possible photographic situation, you can use a sensor custom matched to the lens and application, so a macro lens would have a different sensor than a lens aimed at low-light photography.

Read the rest of this entry »

Ricoh CX2 – Review – 34

Harley Ogier puts Ricoh’s new compact through its paces

Ricoh’s CX2 is a high-zoom digital compact camera with a professional look and feel. Well constructed, it features a solid metal body and a particularly comfortable grip. Unlike many compacts, ample thumb space is provided beside the controls; you can hold the camera tightly without accidentally mashing buttons.

A good case is included in the box and provides a fair amount of protection while keeping the camera pocket sized. With the CX2’s basic rectangular shape and lack of protrusions, sliding the CX2 into a pocket is a real option – it fits easily in a jacket. The case also features a belt loop and a metal D-ring for a lanyard.

Despite its compact size, the CX2 packs an awesome 28-300mm equivalent zoom lens. This is 100mm longer than the CX1, with only a 1.5mm increase in the camera’s thickness. The lens is a decent size, exposing enough glass to justify the 9.29 megapixel sensor.

Read the rest of this entry »

Ricoh CX1 – Review – 30

Harley Ogier takes Ricoh’s latest compact out to experience its special features

The CX1 from Ricoh is a quality digital compact camera that has a particularly professional feel about it. And its revolutionary Dynamic Range mode delivers a little bit of magic that boosts the quality of photos — but more of that later.

Its 7.1x (28-200mm equivalent) zoom lens is impressive for such a compact and lightweight camera and the lens is also a decent physical size, which is equally uncommon in this type of prodict.

The CX1 also provides good macro functionality, although extreme close-ups don’t seem quite as sharp or as detailed as they could be — I guess it all depends what you are used to.
Image sensor

The CX1 uses a nine megapixel CMOS image sensor, a point of difference with most digital compact cameras currently using CCDs. Traditionally, CCD sensors are used in high-end cameras for their greater image quality, but the technologies have converged on the quality field and that’s no longer exclusively the case.

This little camera does display notably more image noise than similar CCD-based cameras at high ISO settings, but still at levels below the average compact. CMOS sensors generally deliver their images faster, 
and this results in a particularly responsive preview screen that refuses to lag, even if the camera is swung about rapidly.

Dynamic range

The CX1 provides better dynamic range than many of its competitors, showing detail in both the dark and light areas of contrasted images. There’s also a special ‘DR’ (Dynamic Range) shooting mode that provides an even greater improvement over many other compacts.

The Dynamic Range mode appears to increase the exposure time slightly, and I found it harder to avoid camera shake when shooting freehand. The reason for this is that when in DR mode the camera takes two photos and then magically blends both shots together to produce the best overall picture. However, both shots are saved to the card. It means photos taken in this mode (which has four settings) have far more dynamic range than most other compacts in this class. The CX1 also features good sensor shift-based image stabilisation, though, which goes a long way towards reducing camera shake.

Usability

Uncommon to digital compact cameras, the CX1 features a manual focus mode. In this mode the camera’s menu navigation buttons are used to focus, working in much the same manner as the zoom control.

Holding down another button zooms in on the centre of the screen so you can check the focus — it’s easy to achieve results as crisp as with the autofocus with minimal practice. This is especially useful when shooting up close, perhaps in situations when the autofocus won’t quite lock on or you want to take a soft-focus picture.

The CX1 packs nearly twice the resolution as its competitors into its 3-inch LCD, giving excellent playback quality. The built-in electronic level rotates the image 
in playback mode when the camera is turned on either side, allowing you to view portrait images using the whole screen.

Conclusion

Ricoh’s CX1 is a quality camera that offers serious advantages in dynamic range and LCD resolution over many of its competitors. If you’re after colour depth and usability, definitely place the CX1 in your list of cameras to consider. It may at first glance look like an R10, but this baby has a bit more under the bonnet.

RICOH CX1 – Specifications

Manufacturer: Ricoh
Model: CX1
Effective Pixels: 9.29 million
Lens: 4.95-35.4mm (28-200mm 35mm equivalent)
Viewfinder: None
Monitor: 3.0-inch LCD, 
920,000 dots
Shutter: 1/2000 to 8 seconds
Aperture: f3.3-f5.2
ISO: 80-1600
Shooting Modes: Auto, Easy, Dynamic Range, Continuous, Scene (Portrait/Face/Sports/Night Portrait/Landscape/Nightscape/High Sensitivity/Zoom Macro/Skew Correction/Text), My Setting/Movie
Exposure Metering: Multiple (256 segment), centre-weighted, spot
Focus Modes: Multi AF, spot AF, multi-target AF, manual focus, fixed focus (snap), infinity
Internal Memory: ~88MB
Media: SD (2GB max), SDHC (16GB max)
File Format: JPEG, AVI
Flash: Built-in
Interface: USB 2.0, composite video out
Batteries: Rechargeable Lithium-ion, approx 270 images
Dimensions: 101.5 x 58.3 x 27.9mm
Weight: 203g with battery 
and strap

Contact

www.lacklands.co.nz

PROS

• 28-200mm equivalent lens
• Impressive dynamic range
• Great-quality LCD monitor

CONS

Average image quality

Design                      19
Performance             18
Features                   18
Image Quality           16
Value for money       15

TOTAL     86/100

This article if from D-Photo issue 30.

Ricoh R10 – Review – 28

A big zoom range, fast auto-focus and good build quality all impress Harley Ogier

Ricoh’s R10 is a mid-range digital compact camera with an impressive zoom lens, respectable image quality and a solid feature set.

The one standout feature of the R10 is its impressive 7.1x optical zoom lens, equivalent to a 28-200mm lens on a 35mm film camera.

The telephoto capability is excellent and the R10 auto-focuses well on distant subjects: the result is surprisingly good, rivalling some of the dSLR models I’ve tested on the same vista.

On the opposite end of the scale the R10 has great macro capabilities. Freehand, you can take photographs that look more suited to an episode of CSI than a photo album. The R10’s image stabilisation works well here, eliminating the need for a tripod in most circumstances.

The flash does tend to swamp the image, over-exposing when shooting up close — a strong external light source would be useful. This is a common problem across many competing models.

Level headed

An electronic level is a nice addition to the R10, displaying a precise tilt indicator when shooting horizontally or vertically. The level can also provide audio feedback so that you can keep your eyes on the image. It’s a great help when you’re lacking any convenient elements to line up your shot, or if you’re just feeling lazy.

Light and colour

The R10’s performance is reasonable under artificial light, though like most digital compacts it does its best work in the sun. I found all colours to be beautifully rich and accurately represented in scenes with relatively constant lighting. In high-contrast conditions the results are less spectacular, with a lot of over-saturation in bright areas and lack of detail in dark areas.

A range of common shooting modes is provided, which seem to work well. You can also define two of your own custom modes, which is great if you get things ‘just perfect’ for a certain situation.

Staying focused

Auto-focus on the R10 is effective and reasonably fast. Both the multi-segment and spot focus modes work well, with spot allowing you to specify a target on-screen. Face detection doesn’t work as well as on comparable models, failing to correctly identify faces in my usual test picture. Tracking ‘real’ faces is similarly limited.

Rare for a compact, the R10 provides a manual focus mode, where the zoom control is used in place of a focus ring. The 3-inch, 460,000-dot screen gives a fair indication of whether you’ve focused correctly: most of the shots I focused manually were as crisp as those taken on auto.

Conclusion

Overall, the R10 is a high-quality digital compact with good telephoto and great macro capabilities that offers features not found on other models in its class.  If you’re willing to pay up for a wide-range zoom lens and a small body, the R10 is an admirable choice.

SPECS – Ricoh R10

• Manufacturer: Ricoh

• Model: R10

• RRP: $649

• Effective Pixels: 10 million

• Lens: 4.95-35.4mm (35mm equivalent 28-200mm)

• Viewfinder: None

• Monitor: 3-inch TFT LCD, 460,000 dots

• Shutter: 1/2,000 to 8 seconds

• Aperture: f3.3-f5.2

• ISO: 80-1600

• Shooting Modes: Auto, Easy, Scene (Portrait/Face/Sports/Landscape/Nightscape/Night Portrait/High Sensitivity/Zoom Macro/Skew Correction/Text), My Settings, Movie

• Exposure Metering: Multiple (256 segments), centre-weighted, spot

• Focus Modes: Multi AF, spot AF, face detection, manual, snap, infinity

• Media: ~54MB internal memory, SD (2GB max), SDHC (16GB max)

• File Format: JPEG, AVI

• Flash: Built-in

• Interface: USB 2.0, composite video out

• Batteries: Rechargeable Lithium-ion, approx 350 images

• Dimensions: 102 x 58.3 x 26.1mm

• Weight: 191g with battery and strap

Contact

www.ricoh.co.nz

PROS

• 28-200mm equivalent lens
• Wide range of features

CONS

• No optical viewfinder

This review is from D-Photo issue #028.

Ricoh GX200 VF Review – 026

There are few compact cameras that deserve to be tucked in your dSLR kit but the new Ricoh GX200, with its removable electronic viewfinder, could just be the one.

Ricoh has taken all the elements that photojournalists love — a slick 24-72mm lens, compact size and full manual control — to make a camera that is a delight to hold and use. It isn’t cluttered with loads of functions, it has an Auto setting for those times you want to shoot without thinking, Program and Aperture Priority, and that wonderful Manual mode.

Manual is so easy to use on this camera, giving you an under/over exposure graph next to the shutter speed and aperture information. A nudge of the rocker switch on the back will bump the shutter speed up or down, while the wheel by the shutter release controls aperture.

Design excellence

The GX200 is beautifully designed. The body has a rigid feel with a wide finger grip and loads of thumb space at the back. The buttons are sparse and logical and there are two buttons that can be set to whatever function you wish to recall quickly. So if you like to play with exposure compensation, for example, you’d assign it to one of these buttons.

You can also choose a series of functions and assign them to the three ‘my modes’ on the top control dial. All the buttons, dials and wheels are positive to the touch and are logically labelled. There is a standard flash hot-shoe that also acts as the mount for the electronic viewfinder.

King of Cool

There is little doubt I love this camera and its ability to be used manually without too much effort, but there is more to it than just this one setting. Scrolling through the menu system will reveal image settings that include Hard, Soft, Auto Levels and B&W, as well as two custom settings that allow you to adjust contrast, sharpness and colour depth. If you remember juggling toners in the darkroom to get different effects for your black and white images, you’ll fall over yourself playing with the sepia, red, green, blue or purple tones you can add in-camera.

Expose me

If you are coming from a fully automatic background the thought of using this manually may be quite daunting. The Auto setting and scene modes may be convenient, but for more control the Aperture Priority and Program Shift options will help you learn more about image making.

Aperture Priority lets you control the depth of field while the Program Shift mode is a blend of automatic and manual. The camera selects the initial exposure and you can shift the shutter speed/aperture combination by turning the wheel.

Conclusion.

This camera has so much packed under the hood that it will leave the uninitiated gasping. But once you come to grips with the controls, you won’t want to leave it at home.

If the built-in flash isn’t enough then a hot-shoe-mounted model can be used. You also have the ability to use flash exposure compensation and adjust the flash output. The lens is sharp and, for a Ricoh, reasonably quiet to operate. The only down side to using a GX200 is that you must remember to remove the lens cap before operation — otherwise, this camera is brilliant.

SPECS:

• Manufacturer: Ricoh
• Model: GX200
• Price: $1099 (with viewfinder kit)
• Effective Pixels: 12.1 million
• Lens: 5.1-15.3mm (24-72mm in 35mm terms)
• Viewfinder: Removable electronic
• Monitor: 2.7-inch TFT LCD (460,000 pixels)
• Shutter: 180sec-1/2000sec
• Aperture: f2.5-f 4.4
• ISO: Auto, Auto Hi, 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
• Shooting Modes: Auto, Program Shift, Aperture Priority, Manual, Scene – Movie, Portrait, Sports, Landscape, Nightscape, Zoom Macro, Skew Correct, Text, My Settings
• Exposure Metering: Multi, centre-weighted, spot, AE lock
• Focus Modes: Multi AF, spot AF, manual, snap, infinity
• Media: SD, SDHC, 54MB internal memory
• File Format: RAW, JPEG, AVI
• Flash: Internal, auto, redeye, flash on, flash sync, manual, flash off
• Interface: USB2.0
• Batteries: Lithium-ion rechargeable or AA
• Dimensions: 111.6 x 58 x 25mm
• Weight: 238g

Contact

www.lacklands.co.nz

Pros:

• Slim, rigid design

• Flash control

• Intervolometer

• Choice of rechargeable Lithium-ion battery or AAs

Cons:

• Pesky lens cap

This review is from D-Photo issue #026.

Fraser Kitt

Ricoh Caplio R4 Review – 012

More Than Most

Like most second-tier manufacturers, Ricoh goes all out to grab you with little features that other camera makers either don’t offer, or only offer on their top-of-the-line models. For instance, this camera has an interval timer that lets you select a time for the shutter to fire at intervals from five seconds to three hours. It’s a great feature should you want to get into animation or if you like that effect of clouds rushing across the sky. Don’t worry that the battery might not go the distance, as it is very economical on power and provides at least 300 photos per charge.

The macro setting goes down to an unbelievable 1cm. The R4 also allows you to set the focus at a different point other than the centre, which means you can compose, adjust the focus point to your choosing, then take the photo.

Image Stabiliser

How does Ricoh handle image stabilising? It uses a system similar to that found on Konica-Minolta cameras, which moves the CCD to counter any movement made by the photographer. This system works best when shooting in low light without flash, when using the lens at the full 200mm telephoto setting, or photographing in the macro setting. To ensure you aren’t wasting valuable battery power, the R4 lets you turn the image stabiliser on and off.

The back of the camera holds most of the controls and the big 2.5-inch screen. The screen is a bit of a disappointment. At 153,000 pixels, it doesn’t resolve as much information as the other cameras, giving the impression your picture may not be as good as it actually is when reviewed. Although it does refresh quickly, giving a smooth image as you follow a subject, ultimately Ricoh could have sourced a better screen.

There are nine scene modes to choose from, including High Sens setting that increases the ISO to the maximum 800 and adjusts the screen for easier viewing, Sports Action for recording fast moving objects and Skew Cor Mode that auto-corrects oblique images. Because this camera has a 28mm lens you will encounter objects that slope away from the camera, so this function automatically corrects for this and does it well. The downside is that it down-sizes file size to just one megapixel.

On The Screen

The Display button lets you quickly adjust the information displayed on the screen, and repeatedly press the button to get a histogram or grid pattern. For maximum screen brightness you simply hold the Display button until the screen is either brighter or darker. This is useful when shooting in bright light as it makes it easier to see the screen. When darkness falls, just hold the button down to lighten the screen. Oddly, for a camera with no optical viewfinder, this button also lets you turn the screen off. This is called Synchro Monitor Mode, which allows you to save battery power.

Another area that is a little annoying is the amount of audible noise the zoom makes. No doubt this camera has a great lens, but its mechanical zooming mechanism is too loud. But on the other hand, there is no other six-megapixel, 28-200mm zoom available at this price.

Movie Making

When shooting movies, the image stabiliser is cancelled and you can only use the digital zoom. The biggest file size that can be shot is 320×240, but it is at a smooth 30fps. There is also a shortcut to the audio control, which allows you to use the camera as a voice recorder.

There is a good reason why you should only use the digital zoom. The handbook warns you that the camera will pick up the noise of any buttons that are pressed while filming, so that definitely cancels out the optical zoom!

Conclusion

Ultimately, the combination of innovative stabiliser, competitive price, zoom range and clever features make the R4 a very attractive option.

Ricoh GR digital camera review – 151

Ricoh has in recent years enjoyed a special place in the hearts of professional photographers who have embraced their compact GR range of 35mm film cameras as pocket rockets for their off duty photography. The last iterations of these were the GR1V and GR21 models offering fixed 28mm and 21mm lenses respectively. These were not inexpensive by any means, selling at between $1000 and $3000 depending on focal length chosen, but offered optical performance and build quality seldom found in compact cameras. Like many of my colleagues working in and around professional photography, I am an owner and aficionado of the last in the line, the 28mm GR1V model.

So I’ve eagerly anticipated the arrival of the GR Digital as it promised more of the same – but digital. True to the original GR in size, finish and appearance and staying with the fixed focal length 28mm equivalent wide angle lens, would this produce the same startlingly good performance with digital capture?

Straight out of the box the camera looks and feels like the film GR but the most noticeable omission is the lack of a conventional viewfinder, to me a glaring omission and a miscalculation on Ricoh’s part if the target audience is the same. Although the camera’s large and clear colour LCD will delight many potential buyers it may not be popular with professional and enthusiast photographers. Perhaps anticipating this response Ricoh is offering a separate optical viewfinder which slides into the hot shoe on the camera’s top plate. This was unavailable at the time of testing but may well answer my first objection, although a test of buyer enthusiasm priced at $249.

The hot shoe also provides the ability to substitute an alternative source of illumination for users seeking something more powerful than the tiny built in pop up electronic flash.

With an 8 mega pixel sensor there is resolution aplenty in the images produced and the camera handles tricky lighting conditions well, offering excellent exposures in automatic mode. In aperture priority I liked the rocker action exposure compensation which makes fine tuning exposures on the fly easy. I made prints up to A4 easily and the best of the test images would no doubt make the jump to a slightly larger size if required.

The other accessory on offer is a bayonet fit wide angle accessory lens which equates to a 21mm focal length on a 35mm film camera. This fits over the standard lens and is essentially an ultra wide angle converter optic, an absolute bargain at $159! Handily, the optional optical finder has markings for both the standard 28mm lens and the 21mm converter.

As the GR ships without a memory card (with 26MB of onboard storage instead) I tested the camera with a Silicon Power 1GB SD card and this proved to be fast and reliable. High speed cards are an absolute must-have for digital cameras, particularly those capturing larger file sizes, as they contribute significantly to shorter read and write times. A quality leather case is included, a nice touch and one that adds to the special feeling the camera generates.

At $1199 this will no doubt find many homes with pro photographers and enthusiasts keen to add the digital version to their Ricoh GR collection.

The addition of the optical viewfinder brings the price up to nearly $1448, a little expensive compared to the original 28mm lens film GR – but the camera, viewfinder and 21mm adapter looks like a steal at $1607 compared to the original GR21’s circa $3000 price tag!

You pay your money and you take your choice! Well worth checking out.