Ricoh Caplio RX

Review Date: May 19th 2004

Conclusion

(out of 5 stars)

The Ricoh Caplio RX builds on the strengths of the Ricoh Caplio G4 and G4wide, resulting in a camera that is exceptionally easy to use and which instantly feels "right". The 28-100mm wide lens makes it stand out from the crowd of digital cameras that only go as wide as 35mm, and the sheer speed of its operation means that the Caplio RX will never leave you waiting around. The major thing from a features and handling point of view that I would like to see added is full control over aperture and shutter speed.

Unfortunately Ricoh don't seem to have made the same strides in terms of the Caplio RX's image quality. Whilst the camera is a joy to operate, the actual images themselves are merely adequate and very similar to those from the Caplio G4. Large amounts of chromatic aberrations are present in high-contrast situations and the colours are a little on the dull side.

So although the Ricoh Caplio RX is great to use and would make a very nice pocketable camera, its lack of full photographic control and average image quality turns a potentially great camera into a near-miss for me. If you're happy with the sample images in this review, and don't mind not being able to set the aperture and shutter speed, then the Caplio RX is definitely worth considering.

Related Links

Ricoh UK: Ricoh Caplio RX

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