July 28, 2009: Ricoh has released details of the latest model in its popular GR Digital series of compact cameras for serious photographers.
Featuring a new 28mm (35mm equivalent), f/1.9 GR prime lens and 7.6 x 5.7 mm,10-megapixel (effective) CCD image sensor, the GR Digital III comes with a new GR Engine III image processor that minimises image noise by processing the signal close to its CCD-output state. Colour and tonal reproduction is also ‘significantly improved'. Pixel interpolation technology is also included to expand the sensor's dynamic range by up to +1EV equivalent, reducing the incidence of blown highlights in outdoor shots.
The GR Digital III also comes with a new multi-pattern auto white balance setting that copes better with mixed lighting than previous technologies. Users can also adjust individual hue and saturation levels for five key colours: orange, green, sky blue, red and magenta. The vivid setting produces intense high saturation. Autofocusing has been improved to provide fast focusing speeds, even in low-light conditions and a new Full Press Snap mode provides quick shots to be taken at a set focal distance (1 metre, 2.5 metres, 5 metres or infinity). Pre-focusing further improves focusing times.
The buffer memory in the new camera has been expanded to support continuous shooting of up to five shots, even for raw file capture. The raw file card write speed has also been increased to less than three seconds per shot. The mode dial on the GR Digital III carries settings for full-auto, P, A, S and M shooting modes, a Scene mode, two My Settings memory banks and a My3 mode. The last three settings allow up to six groups of settings to be stored in a My Settings Box. Users can allocate specific pre-sets to any of the three modes.
Two function (Fn) buttons are now provided for one-touch access to frequently-used functions and users can assign different functions to each. Functions can also be assigned to the up-down dial and the ADJ. lever to further increase flexibility. The GR Digital III sports a rigid magnesium-alloy body with strong shock resistance plus protection against heat and magnetic radiation. A large 3-inch LCD monitor is provided with 920,000-dot resolution.
The GR Digital III is scheduled for local release in mid-August at an RRP of $999. You can download a 13.6MB brochure in PDF format from Ricoh's corporate website by clicking on this link: http://www.ricoh.com/r_dc/support/brochure/pdf/gr_digital3.pdf. For re-seller details, phone Tasco Sales Australia on 02 9938 3244 or visit www.tasco.com.au.
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