Photo Review Reviews section

Ricoh Caplio RR630

9 Rating

Excellent value for money but some functional and performance limitations.Ricoh is pushing the ‘value for money’ message with its latest camera and, at $299, the Caplio RR630 is well ahead of most competitors. With a larger than average 6.1-megapixel sensor and 3x optical zoom lens, the RR630 has an odd mix of complex controls and functional limitations. The mode dial carries auto, P, Tv, Av and M settings as well as four scene settings (Night Scene, Landscape, Portrait and Sports) but sensitivity adjustment stops at ISO 200.

Ricoh Caplio R5

8 Rating

An ultra-compact 7-megapixel digicam with a 7x optical zoom lens and CCD-shift anti-shake technology.Ricoh’s Caplio R5 is an update to the popular R4 model and offers a higher-resolution sensor, CCD-shift anti-shake technology and a new “Smooth Imaging Engine II processor and peripheral circuitry, which deliver better performance at high sensitivities. Available in silver, black and red, it also boasts a new Auto Resize Zoom that magnifies by cropping, reducing image sizes to minimise quality loss.

Ricoh GXR with GR S10 Camera Unit

8.8 Rating

A camera unit with a 1/1.75-inch CCD sensor and stabilised 3x optical zoom lenses for photographers who require versatility and pocketability.Having covered the camera body and A12 Macro camera module in our initial reviews, in this review we will focus on the Ricoh S10 camera unit, which appears to use the same sensor as the GR Digital III and GX200 and the same lens as the GX200. This unit will appeal to photographers who have been asking for a GR Digital III with a zoom lens.

Ricoh Caplio 500SE

8.5 Rating

A purpose-built digicam for the construction and resource industries that can also be used by adventurous photographers.Although neither the smallest nor sleekest-looking 8-megapixel digicam on the market, Ricoh’s Caplio 500SE is nevertheless a very interesting camera. For starters, it has been designed to meet the needs of a very specific target market: outdoor photographers who need to keep track of where shots were taken and photographers who use map-based workflows. Design features that tailor this otherwise fairly standard digicam to meet these requirements include a robust camera body with all-weather usability and the addition of a Bluetooth radio module that can receive NMEA data streams from external GPS devices.

Ricoh GXR with GR A12 Camera Unit

8.5 Rating

A camera unit with an APS-C sized CMOS sensor and 33mm f/2.5 prime lens for photographers who want high imaging performance.We’ve covered the main features of Ricoh’s GXR camera system in a separate review because it forms the basis for an entirely new system that accepts interchangeable sensor-plus-lens modules. In this review we will focus on the GR Lens A12 50mm f/2.5 Macro camera unit, which is based around a 23.6 x 15.7 mm CMOS sensor with an effective resolution of 12.3 megapixels. The other camera unit, the Ricoh Lens S10 24-72mm f/2.5-4.4 VC camera unit will be reviewed separately.

Ricoh GXR System

A radical new camera system in which lens-plus-sensor modules are changed via a slide-in mounting.Ricoh has unleased a design revolution with its new GXR system. It’s the first camera body that accepts interchangeable sensor-plus-lens modules, allowing buyers to choose the body/lens combination that suits them and providing a camera system with great flexibility for upgrading and expansion.

Ricoh GX200

8 Rating

A well-built pocketable digicam with high resolution and a wide range of adjustable controls.Replacing the 15-month old GX100 model, Ricoh’s GX200 retains most of the best features of its predecessor, including its svelte body styling and 24-72mm 3x optical zoom lens. It also supports raw file capture, sensibly using Adobe’s DNG format instead or a proprietary format. Purchasers can also count on getting the same full creative control over exposure settings and top panel hot-shoe, which accepts an electronic viewfinder or an add-on flash.

Ricoh GR Digital IV

8 Rating

An enhanced successor to the popular GR Digital III, featuring a new image engine and Hybrid AF System.The GR Digital IV arrives a little over two years since Ricoh released the GR Digital III, offering incremental improvements in features and performance. Most are internal, due to the introduction of an updated GR ENGINE IV processing chip. The body design is essentially unchanged. Because it’s small, light and inconspicuous, the GR Digital IV is well suited to candid and street photography.

Western Digital My Book Home Edition 500GB External Hard Disk Drive

9 Rating

An elegant and versatile, high-capacity external hard disk drive with an affordable price tag.As indicated by its name, the casing of Western Digital’s My Book series of external hard disk drives is shaped like a book, with cooling vent slots in the area that would contain the ‘pages’. The covers have a smooth, matte finish that resists fingermarking and scratching. Along the ‘spine’ of the drive is an LED strip that lights up as data is transferred to the drive.