Photo Review Reviews section

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 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.

Verbatim USB 3.0 Desktop Hard Drive

8.5 Rating

High-capacity backup drives with the new SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface that is 10x faster than USB 2.0 connections. With the release of two USB 3.0 ‘Super Speed’ Desktop Hard Drives, Verbatim joins the growing number of storage product manufacturers releasing devices with high-speed interfaces. Although the USB 3.0 interface hasn’t appeared in many laptops so far, most of the latest desktop computers provide it as an option (although you may have to request it specially). For photographers who want to transfer large image and video files it has a huge advantage because it’s up to ten times as fast as existing USB 2.0 connections.

Sony HDPS-L1 Digital Photo Album

An easy way to store and display digital photos in your living room.It’s a great concept in theory: take an 80 GB hard disk drive (HDD) and stick it into a box with memory card slots and USB and A/V connections and sell it as a ‘Digital Photo Album’. In a nutshell, that’s the Sony HDPS-L1. Looking a lot like a small DVD player, with standard and component TV connections, the HDPS-L fits neatly into any home entertainment set-up. Too bad its versatility has been limited by software that is clearly targeted at everyday consumers.

Seagate FreeAgent Go

9 Rating

An attractive, easy-to-use portable backup drive that comes with an excellent software package and a five-year warranty.Creeping into the portable storage market with a smaller footprint than its main competitors, Seagate’s FreeAgent Go drives have some advantages for photographers who want high-volume, highly-portable data storage. Although they’re available for both Windows and Macintosh operating systems, the Windows drives are USB 2.0 only, while the Mac drives are available with USB and FireWire connections. The highest (500GB) capacity is only available for Windows users.