SixMegapixels
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Ricoh's six megapixel Caplio RR660 point-and-shoot
Aren't economies of scale just the best? For example, the same $235 that'll buy you Ricoh's six megapixel Caplio RR630 point-and-shoot camera today will soon get you its upcoming replacement which adds almost half an inch to the display but still manages to drop about 20 vital grams from the overall weight. When it ships next month, the 130-gram RR660 will offer the same resolution (actually, it's .01 megapixels lower, but close enough) and 3x zoom as the RR630, along with a 2.4-inch TFT-LCD, 16MB of internal memory (supported by an SD slot), and the usual assortment of pre-programmed scene settings for hassle-free snapshots. Doesn't sound too bad, but it still seems like you're getting a better deal from other six megapixel models like the Canon A540 or Nikon Coolpix L2. -- we'll wait until we see a review or two to pass final judgement, though.
Ricoh Caplio R4 superzoom compact reviewed
Of course the first thing you notice about the Ricoh Caplio R4 six megapixel compact is how freakin' huge that lens is -- and luckily, at least according to Digital-Lifestyles, it knows how to use it. Equally impressive at both zoom extremes, the 28-200mm equivalent, 7.1x barrel of a lens includes handy features such as optical stabilization for negating hand shake on tight shots, and even an on-screen cursor for manually selecting the focus area in macro mode. Other nice touches include a skew-correction feature that adjusts non-level shots and and histogram function for technical types, but some issues with picture quality -- most notably visible banding in a few shots and significant noise at higher ISOs -- earned this model a good-but-not-great 84%. Still, the Ricoh definitely gets a thumbs up from D-L, and the sub-$450 pricetag won't break the bank.
