Ricoh's Caplio GX100: not a DSLR, not a point-and-shoot -- just hot

Ricoh just announced this, the Caplio GX100 followup to their GX8. The new shooter neatly bridges the DSLR and compact shooter set by offering a 10 megapixel, 1/1.75-inch CCD sensor coupled to a 24 to 72-mm wide (3x) zoom lens with optional 19-mm conversion lens to get even wider. The Smooth Imaging Engine II takes care of the image processing while CCD-shift-type vibration correction helps keep the blurring to a minimum. Around back you'll find a 2.5-inch LCD with 170-degree viewing angle. Otherwise, you can opt for a hot-shoe attachable electronic viewfinder which, besides being useful on a sunny day, provides 100% image coverage with synchronized focal length and no parallax error. It even supports those new(ish) SDHC cards and AAA batteries for those times you find the rechargeable flat. All this in a highly compact, 25-mm thin chassis with RAW support. When and for how much are the critical questions we're all asking.

Gallery: Ricoh's Caplio GX100: not a DSLR, not a point-and-shoot -- just hot

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

[Via LetsGoDigital]

[Phil @ Mar 28th 2007 8:44AM]

This looks an awful lot like a redux of Ricoh's GR1, which was a very expensive camera with a very noisy sensor and overall, forgettable results.

I see this more as a fashion accessory for the wealthy, because every photographer I know (even amateurs such as myself) would happily lug their DSLR into the kinds of situations for which the little Ricoh was designed.

[PixelBrat @ Mar 28th 2007 9:07AM]

I have to disagree with Phil to a certain extent... I know for a fact that the advanced amateur set of photographers (like myself) have been begging for a compact camera with all of these features, especially wide angle and raw support. Unfortunately I don't think this camera/manufacturer will be able to deliver given it's past performance in their other digital cameras. I would love to be wrong here. Now if Canon, Nikon and others would jump on board as well I would be first in line. Canon for one has been steadily removing raw support from the few non-DSLR models that had it over the years, presumably in an attempt to make folks switch to DSLR. I love my 5D but there are times when I want a small camera with the same or at least somewhat similar image quality as a DSLR. Even just to have raw support would be a huge plus. Sure, it's too much to ask but one can dream.

[jt @ Jun 8th 2007 1:22PM]

what is raw support

[chych @ Mar 28th 2007 9:24AM]

Sigh, it has a 4.75x crop factor... a very tiny sensor, and 10MP overly crammed into that. This only has the appearance of something between a DSLR and a P&S, but is really a P&S at its heart. If it was something like a Sony R-1 that has a sensor close to APS-C, I could see this as being cool.

[Mr. Crimson @ Mar 28th 2007 10:21AM]

DPReview.com has more on this, giving a £399.99 pricetag and availability of around the end of April.

[fghfghfgh @ Mar 28th 2007 2:44PM]

Hot?

Bridge cameras have been around for ages, and electronic viewfinders suck. I had a bridge camera and can't recommend it to anyone. Fortunately, I just bought a DSLR to finally get rid of it.

[Crayola @ Mar 28th 2007 3:16PM]

This is one butt-ugly camera, the classic styling look like a old and tired VHS recorder, there are much better selection from the Canon Powershot G7 to Leica M8 and D-Lux 3

[Craig @ Mar 28th 2007 3:35PM]

I think you just wanted to use "parallax" in a sentence.

Beyond that, yeah, what Phil said.

[Tim @ Mar 28th 2007 6:56PM]

im sorrry, but a camera can't be "almost" a dslr; obvisouly it either has a single reflex lens or it doesnt. i think this camera would be more accurately described as being between a point and shoot and a prosumer camera. but, the feature set looks pretty nice, as long as the ten megapixels arent interpolated, and hopefully its not too noisy.

[Ypoknons @ Mar 28th 2007 9:36PM]

It all comes down to the sensor, and I'm not hopeful. A real shame, since the body design looks good - the dials are especially conductive to photography.

[keith waddington @ Mar 29th 2007 3:01AM]

this is just a point and shoot.

waddo

http://www.waddo.net/

[Kaiko Kivi @ Apr 4th 2007 9:48AM]

It is not a DSLR, but it does not mean it's a P&S.
I have the GX8. Surely I would like it to have the quality of a DSLR, but I didn't expect to get it in the package this compact. The reason I like it is exactly that I always have it with me. I wouldn't be carrying a DSLR around just in case. Most of the time I have burden of the laptop anyway so any extra weight is too much. P&S cameras on the other hand do not offer the controls I want. Difficult lighting situations are usually the most appealing. The manual controls on the GX8 are very nice. Except the lacking indication of focus distance. Hoping GX100 would have it. RAW and IS are very welcome improvements. Don't care much for the VF either it's to small and useless. Any unnecessary features as an add-on is a very good idea. The main copetition of this camera is Sigma DP1 which most likely will offer a good image quality, but lacks any zoom. Wide angle is a must, but i would like to have some zoom. Not as much to sacrifice very much of the image quality, but to have some flexibility. Anyway this is not a DSLR and nor is it a P&S - like the heading says.

PS it can't be a P&S. It just handles full auto very poorly.

[Allan @ Apr 9th 2007 7:36PM]

The sensor is the same size as the CCD on the Canon G7, which is generally held in high regard. Might not the GX100 be equally good?

[Sarge @ May 6th 2007 6:59PM]

I just ordered one to replace my smashed Ricoh GRD. I hated the GRD at first, but once I learned how to take good photos with it, I loved it. As a 'weekend professional' I use a DSLR for planned work, but I like to always carry a pocket camera for impromptu use. Coming from a DSLR, it is a blessing to have the very intuitive straightforward manual controls immediately available (i.e. no buttons and submenus to navigate to adjust aperture or shutter speed settings - just two dials, exactly the same as a DSLR. Add to that the further control you gain via RAW shooting and a nice lens, and the rest is secondary.

Any small image sensor will produce noise (yes, some more than others), but the trade-offs are very worthwhile, as I'm able to get shots with the manual controls that would never happen without them (i.e. immediacy of access to the controls is critical, particularly with 'unplanned' pocket use).

I suspect this camera, like the GRD, is NOT for everyone. However, if you're a seasoned DSLR-shooter, you'll find yourself getting shots with this that would be impossible with any non-RAW, non-manual control camera.

All this dialogue about 'it's a P&S - no it's not - blah blah blah' is missing the point entirely. Thankfully, the market for P&S is otherwise well-covered. The 'bridge' market, with full manual and RAW capability, sadly, is not.

And shame on Canon for dropping RAW in their 'pocketable' cameras - they lost my business at exactly that point.

[jacobp @ Jun 17th 2007 2:55AM]

Sarge, questions:
1. Did you get the caplio GX-100 and what is your impression? I would love to hear from someone who actually used the camera, not just general rather pointless discussion
2.My understanding is that you have a DSLR, if you don't mind, which one?
3. I know it is proverbial oranges vs apples, but when one is looking at the 11x17" print, the main question IS IT GOOD and not WHICH CAMERA WAS USED. So, can GX-100 produce a good print at, say 11x17" or more (yes,yes, not at ISO 1600, but how often do people take pictures at ISO 1600?) I have an old Canon 10D and can get very good looking 11x17" prints at ISO 100. Thanks, Jacob

[jacobp @ Jun 17th 2007 3:16AM]

Sarge, questions:
1. Did you get the caplio GX-100 and what is your impression? I would love to hear from someone who actually used the camera, not just general rather pointless discussion
2.My understanding is that you have a DSLR, if you don't mind, which one?
3. I know it is proverbial oranges vs apples, but when one is looking at the 11x17" print, the main question IS IT GOOD and not WHICH CAMERA WAS USED. So, can GX-100 produce a good print at, say 11x17" or more (yes,yes, not at ISO 1600, but how often do people take pictures at ISO 1600?) I have an old Canon 10D and can get
very good looking 11x17" prints at ISO 100. Thanks, Jacob

[jacobp @ Jun 17th 2007 3:18AM]

Sorry for entering twice: got two one after another emails and confirm both..

[ed @ Nov 28th 2007 10:29AM]

p.s. i own both a ricoh gx100, a Nikon FA, and a Nikon F4. They're all pro cams, just suited for different purposes.