New Ricoh digital cameras unveiled

MANILA, Philippines - iDigiworld Inc., the local distributor of Ricoh, GE and Polaroid cameras, unveiled recently a new interchangeable Ricoh model from the Japanese company’s revolutionary GXR camera system.

The GXR is an interchangeable-unit camera system in which lenses are changed by using a slide-in mount system to attach camera units to the body.

In a world-first design, the lens, image sensor and image-processing engine are integrated into the camera units so the body itself does not contain an image sensor.

When released in December 2009, it was the world’s smallest and lightest interchangeable lens camera. With the innovative slide-in mount structure, camera unit changes are as quick and easy as changing a memory card.

Like its award-winning GR and GX predecessors, the GXR offers the superior image quality and advanced manual control of a DSLR with the pocketability and ease of use of a compact digital camera.

Incorporating a 10.7x optical zoom lens, a back-illuminated CMOS sensor and a newly developed noise-reduction function, the new Ricoh P10 offers 28-300-mm wide-angle shooting and continuous shooting speeds of up to 5 frames per second (fps) when shooting in RAW.

The backlit CMOS sensor serves as the eye of P10. Using an innovative structure to more efficiently capture light coming through the lens, this sensor increases sensitivity while reducing noise.

To further improve performance in varied lighting conditions – those combining light and shade – the P10 also incorporates the acclaimed dynamic range double-shot and multi-pattern auto white-balance modes offered by Ricoh’s award-winning CX series of compact digital cameras.

But while the P10 borrows these features, it goes a step further by handing photographers complete control through options such as aperture priority AE, shutter priority AE, program shift mode, flash synchro settings as well as the ability to shoot in RAW.

Advanced focus functions include Pre-AF, Multi-target AF and “full-press snap” where focus is automatically locked on subjects at a distance predetermined by the photographer, without the need for a half-press.

Ricoh also increased the shooting options with the addition of a 1280 x 720-pixel HD movie function. Adding to its cinematic appeal, the P10 offers a number of aspect ratios, including 16:9 for maximum impact on a wide-screen TV.

The P10 also offers photographers the opportunity to get up close with their subject with a macro function capable of shooting at distances as little as 1 cm.

Available from select camera specialists, the Ricoh GXR body retails for P15,000. There was no price yet for the P10 unit as of press time, but the 10-megapixel 24-72-mm S10 and 12.3-megapixel 50-mm A12 lenses for the GXR retail for P15,500 and P24,000, respectively.

Also unveiled at the launch was the Ricoh CX3, a new digital camera featuring a high-magnification 10.7x (28-300-mm) optical wide-angle zoom lens, a backlit 10-megapixel CMOS sensor, and an enhanced noise-reduction function.

It boasts a 1280 x 720-pixel HD movie function, high and low luminance priority settings for dynamic range double-shot mode, dynamic range expansion effects, and even a “pets” scene mode.

The CX3 uses the noise-reduction algorithm introduced on the GR Digital III. The noise-reduction level can be specified as Off, Auto, Weak, Strong, or Max.

Ricoh’s original retracting lens system made it possible to fit the high magnification 10.7x optical wide-angle zoom lens in a compact 29.4-mm body.

With 28-mm to 300-mm coverage, this high-magnification zoom lens can handle powerful telephoto shots as well as wide-angle shooting of both expansive landscapes and interior scenes with limited distance between camera and subject.

It is also possible to do high-speed continuous shooting at approximately 5 frames per second for still images with the maximum number of pixels.

And with ultra-high-speed continuous shooting, the CX3 shoots 120 images (120 fps) during an interval of about one second after the shutter release button is pushed, or 120 images (60 fps) during an interval of about two seconds.

Dynamic range double-shot mode makes it possible to record images with an almost naked-eye impression, and new detailed settings have been added to control the dynamic range expansion effect.

It is now possible to choose the tone range to be given priority using the following options: highlights, shadows, and off.

Residing on a customized circuit of the Smooth Imaging Engine IV image-processing engine, the pixel output interpolation algorithm reduces whiteout in high-contrast situations.

The 13 scene modes include two popular modes introduced on the CX2: “miniaturize mode,” which shoots actual scenes but records images that recreate the impression given when photographing miniatures, and “high-contrast B&W mode,” which records images with a grainy feel such as that created by using ultra-high-sensitivity film in a film camera.

The large, high-resolution three-inch 920,000-dot LCD monitor has a wide viewing angle and high contrast. The screen has a fluorine coat to prevent soiling, a hard coat to prevent scratches, and an anti-reflection coat to give excellent visibility even outdoors in bright sunshine.

The Ricoh CX3 retails for P17,000. Ricoh cameras are available at SM Appliance, SM Department Stores, Anson’s, Robinsons, Kameraworld, and Memo Express, and at girlteki.com.