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Ricoh GR Digital III hits the review bench, collects plaudits

by Vladislav Savov posted Aug 21st 2009 at 9:27AM

The dudes and dudettes at Photography Blog are nothing if not thorough, and their latest review is no exception. The GR Digital III and its peculiar 28mm wide-angle fixed focal length lens (i.e. no optical zoom) have been subjected to an inspection and the verdict is an exuberant thumbs up. The aluminum alloy body impressed them right from the off, and the reviewers also liked the customizable menus, improved shutter speed, Dynamic Range double shot, and Adobe DNG RAW output. Those were all mere cherries, however, to the cake of "excellent" image quality and "stand-out" Macro performance. The sole blemishes found were the price (£529 / $699) and noise issues beyond ISO 800, but then the latter is a well known weakness of compact cameras. Check out the read link for sample images and the (very) full review.

Ricoh CX2 has 10.7x optical zoom, CX1 pedigree

by Vladislav Savov posted Aug 20th 2009 at 4:18AM

Ah, the cruelty of rapid refresh cycles. It was only six months ago that the well reviewed CX1 hit the scene, but already Ricoh is trotting out its replacement in the form of the CX2. You needn't fret though, as the new shooter retains its predecessor's winning features while adding a few goodies of its own. The zoom has gone from 7.1x to 10.7x, taking it comfortably into the superzoom category, continuous shooting gets upgraded from 4 to 5 fps, and face detection and AF have been enhanced. The latter features should make the new cam easier to use for novices, but when you add up the whole package -- including the already competent 9 megapixel CMOS sensor and HDR imaging capabilities inherited from the CX1 -- you have to wonder if this camera isn't too good for the point and shoot moniker. Suggested UK price is £299.99 ($495), and it should be available in early September.

[Via Akihabara News]

Gallery: Ricoh CX2 has 10.7x optical zoom, CX1 pedigree

Ricoh GR Digital III continues 28mm-equivalent, high-priced lineage

by Vladislav Savov posted Jul 27th 2009 at 6:36AM

Having given its GR Digital II camera more than a year on the market, Ricoh has seen fit to now upgrade that model by latching on another digit and what it claims to be the "greatest ever GR image quality." It wouldn't be much of a step forward if that wasn't the case, but let's see what else the Japanese company hopes to tempt us with. The wide-angle 28 mm/F1.9 GR Lens is all new, while the high-sensitivity 10-megapixel CCD and the GR Engine III image processor are likely evolutionary steps from the previous generation. Collectively, they promise improvements in all the areas you'd expect: faster focus, less noise and better low light images. There's also a 3-inch 920,000-dot VGA display, video recording at 640 x 480 / 30 fps, SDHC expandability and a complete lack of optical zoom. The veracity of Ricoh's claims can be tested from mid-August in the UK in exchange for £530 ($870), while the full press release and specs are already available at the read link below.

Continue reading Ricoh GR Digital III continues 28mm-equivalent, high-priced lineage

Ricoh announces new GPS unit, new firmware for 500SE camera

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Jul 15th 2009 at 2:11PM

It's been a while since we've seen any major updates for Ricoh's 500SE camera, but if you're in the mood, here's a heads up: the company has just announced its new SE-2 GPS module. Designed by EKA Technologies, Inc., this bad boy sports a new helix antenna, which should provide better reception and accuracy, and smaller fix times. Available in two flavors, the SE-2g (GPS only) has an MSRP of $169, while the SE-2c offers GPS and a 3-axis compass for direction information for an MSRP of $399. And if that weren't enough, the company has just announced new firmware for the camera that enhances its ability to store field data and embed it into images for GIS mapping applications. The new firmware also allows up to three attributes as well as GPS position, azimuth, and UTC (satellite time) to be imprinted directly onto images as they are captured. Pretty awesome, right? Full PR available after the break.

Continue reading Ricoh announces new GPS unit, new firmware for 500SE camera

Ricoh develops brighter, lighter, color e-paper

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Mar 30th 2009 at 3:19PM

It's been a few minutes since we've heard any news regarding color e-paper, and now Ricoh has announced that they've taken a tip from their copier business to create a technology that displays hues fifty percent brighter than those currently available, retaining the graphics even when power is turned off. Unlike other technologies, which use layers of red, green, and blue light separated by sheets of glass, this new iteration uses layered electrochromic compounds that turn cyan, magenta, and yellow variously when electricity is applied -- and if that weren't enough, the company's gone and altered the molecular structure of the compounds to retain their color even when electricity is removed. Rather than using glass, the layers are separated by some sort of clear insulation, resulting in a lighter device and a brighter appearance. The company is looking to bring this to market within the next five years. [Warning: read link requires subscription.]

Ricoh's CX1 camera gets reviewed

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Mar 24th 2009 at 11:41AM

The kids at Photography Blog have finally got their hands on that Ricoh CX1 that won our respect not too long ago, and they've been cool enough to post a review online. The camera, the reviewer said, begins where the ol' R10 left off, throwing features like multi-pattern auto white balance, multi-target auto focus, and 4fps continuous shooting speed into the mix, making this "the best Ricoh point-and-shoot yet." That said, it can't all be groovy -- the review goes on to cite the camera's "bog-standard" 640 x 480 / 30fps video and rudimentary face detection as "nothing to write home about." Image quality -- often a deal-breaker for this company -- has greatly improved, with a new 9 megapixel CMOS sensor sporting "a now usable ISO range of 80-800." Of course, the big news is the camera's high dynamic range. DR mode is, for the most part, "radical and very effective." But there's much more to it -- hit that read link for all the gory details.

Ricoh's CX1 point and shoot combines two shots for greater dynamic range, glory

by Tim Stevens posted Feb 19th 2009 at 9:12AM

Ricoh's CX1 point and shoot combines two for greater dynamic range, glory

While high dynamic range is only recently getting some attention in the gaming and display worlds, for decades it's been a tool of serious photographers wanting eye-popping exposures. Now Ricoh's gone and offered it to the masses with its latest consumer digi cam, the CX1, creating a "dynamic range double shot" mode that takes two images nearly simultaneously with different exposures, then combines them automatically to present the best bits of both. It features a 9 megapixel CMOS sensor fronted by a 7.1x (28-200mm) lens and backed by a 3-inch LCD. VGA videos are a bit disappointing these days, but 120 frames per second can be captured at that resolution, which is good news for slow-mo junkies. UK release is mid-March for £299, about $430, and we expect/hope it'll be lighting up dim photos Stateside around the same time.

Gallery: Ricoh CX1

[Via PhotographyBLOG]

Ricoh erecting 47 x 126-foot solar and wind-powered billboard in Times Square

by Joshua Fruhlinger posted Jul 3rd 2008 at 1:28PM

Ever walk through Times Square and wonder how much electricity all those flashy billboards are soaking up? No? Well, Ricoh has, and now they're doing something about it. Ricoh Company Ltd. of Tokyo is erecting a 47 x 126-foot billboard at Seventh Avenue and 42nd Street that will be completely powered by the sun and wind. Fueled by 45 solar panels and four wind turbines, the billboard won't even need a backup electric generator. On days that the sun and wind aren't enough to power it, it will simply go dark. In the end, the billboard is said to reduce carbon dioxide usage by 18 tons a year. The billboard will go live in December, or just in time for the sun to go dark.

Ricoh's eye-catching GX200 camera gets reviewed

by Darren Murph posted Jun 25th 2008 at 11:29AM

Easily one of the most peculiar looking digicams we've seen, the GX200 picks right up where the GX100 left off and aims to fill the pockets of those not quite ready for a DSLR. Design wise, reviewers couldn't help but fall in love. Despite the curious build, critics found it to be "a joy" to hold and operate and not quite a burden in their left cargo pocket. When it came time to view results, however, the tone quickly shifted; put simply, the 12-megapixel sensor / processing combination was deemed "poor," once again substantiating the belief that more megapixels isn't always better. To be fair, the EVF and monitor were among the best they had seen, and some of the other minor details were really impressive, but the lackluster image quality easily overshadowed those flashes of brilliance in the grand scheme of things.

[Thanks, RTT]

Ricoh's 28mm GR Digital II camera gets reviewed

by Donald Melanson posted Apr 30th 2008 at 12:58PM

It's taken a little while for Ricoh's 10-megapixel GR Digital II to make the rounds since it was announced late last year, but it's finally wound up in the capable hands of the folks from Photography Blog, who've now turned out a full review of the camera. Among other things, this one is particularly notable for its use of a 28mm fixed focal length lens, which Photography Blog found helped deliver some solid images with "very little distortion." They were also pleased with the addition of a RAW shooting mode (even though it slows things down quite a bit), and the camera's intuitive control system, which can be "almost completely configured to suit your way of working." On the downside, they found the camera suffered from the common drawback of excessive noise at ISO 400 or above, and there is the small matter of the $699 price tag, which puts it on the level of some pretty impressive non-28mm cameras, and within striking range of the 28mm Sigma DP1. Still, the GR Digital II appears to hold its own, and seems like it'd be an even better buy if you can find a good deal on it.

Rugged Ricoh G600 point-and-shoot resists dust, water

by Darren Murph posted Apr 22nd 2008 at 9:26AM

In case it's not glaringly apparent just by eying the image above, Ricoh's 600 (the proper successor to the Caplio 500G) is built to withstand most any element you'll encounter during a weekend jaunt through the wilderness. The 10-megapixel compact features a 2.7-inch LCD, 28-140mm wide-zoom lens, 5x optical zoom, USB connectivity, ISO 3200 capability and a shock-resistant chassis that also turns a cold shoulder to dust and water. Those in a pinch can swap in a set of AAA cells should the rechargeable Li-ion run out of juice, and though we can't imagine it getting much use, there's even an accessory shoe included for an external flash. Apparently all that toughness doesn't come cheap, as Ricoh's set to demand £349.99 ($693) for this thing when it lands in May.

Ricoh's 10 megapixel R8 and R50 are ready to dance

by Thomas Ricker posted Feb 19th 2008 at 4:45AM

Meet Ricoh's latest compact shooters. The aluminum R8 -- Ricoh's R7 followup -- drops the Caplio moniker while bumping the specs with a 10 megapixel, 1/2.3-inch CCD covered with a 7.1x optical zoom lens. Around back you'll find a 2.7-inch LCD with CCD-shift image stabilization and Smooth Imaging Engine III processing on the inside. Expected to roll in Japan for ¥50,000 or about $460 in backs of green. The ¥30,000 (about $280) R50 maintains that 10 megapixel sensor, processing engine, and stabilization but rolls back the zoom to 5x. Both should pop in March. Oodles of R8 pics in the gallery.

Gallery: Ricoh's 10 megapixel R8 and R50 are ready to dance

Read -- R50
Read -- R8

Ricoh rolls out mobile HotSpot series laser printers

by Donald Melanson posted Jan 16th 2008 at 1:29PM

There's already plenty of wireless printer options out there, but those looking for a few more capabilities than your standard offerings provide may want to keep an eye out for Ricoh's new HotSpot series models, which the company says are the first printers that let users "print documents from any Wi-Fi enabled location or device." That, however, is done is a rather roundabout way, with users required to either upload the file to a website associated with the printer or forward the file to the printer's own email address. On the upside, that means you won't have to install any drivers, and you'll be able to print from a handheld or cellphone in addition to a computer. No official word on a price from Ricoh just yet, it seems, but CDW already has the monochrome SP 4100N-KP listed for a cool $1,700, with the color SP C410DN-KP model undoubtedly set to demand a good deal more.

Ricoh's new Caplio RR770 sports 3-inch LCD

by Evan Blass posted Nov 22nd 2007 at 10:56AM

Continuing its trend of pushing out evolutionary -- rather than revolutionary -- digital cameras, Ricoh has just introduced the new Caplio RR770, a model barely distinguishable from the now two-generations-old RR730. Just as the move from the 730 to the RR750 brought with it little more than a minor resolution bump, the 7.16 megapixel RR770 improves upon its predecessor by simply upgrading the LCD to a 3-incher -- but retaining the ho hum 3x optical zoom and limited scene selections of Caplios past. Price and release are currently shrouded in mystery, but don't expect to spend much more than $250 on this unremarkable shooter.

Ricoh Caplio R7 gets reviewed

by Donald Melanson posted Nov 12th 2007 at 2:54PM

Ricoh's recently-released Caplio R7 digital camera certainly has the specs to get the job done and, judging from Photography Blog's new review, it looks like the camera as a whole stacks up pretty nicely as well. While it's apparently not a huge leap over the previous R6 model, the Photography Blog folks nonetheless found a few welcome improvements, including a four-way "joystick" that apparently works particularly well with the updated interface, and a new "vibration correction system" that should lead to some better pictures even in difficult shooting situations. Otherwise, it appears to be pretty much in line with the R6, including that same 7x wide-angle optical zoom lens, and the same speedy performance that Photography Blog says "easily beats the competition."