Ricoh Press Release 16/03/04

Ricoh launches the Caplio RX - a slim 28mm wide-angle digital camera with both the world?s fastest shutter response* and start-up times.

Ricoh is pleased to announce the release of the Caplio RX, a slim wide-angle 28mm digital camera that combines the world?s fastest shutter response and start-up times with outstanding image quality and user-friendly functionality at an extremely competitive price point.

The Caplio RX is quicker, slimmer, lighter and even easier to use than its wide-angle lens predecessor the Caplio G4wide, which made its debut in September of 2003. Relentless in their pursuit to build faster and more versatile digital cameras, the Caplio RX marks a tremendous leap forward for the Ricoh organization that continually strive to design innovative, quality products.

Caplio RX?s 28mm-100mm (35mm film camera equivalent format) wide zoom has a superb 75-degree angle of view ? compared with just 62 degrees on conventional 35mm digital cameras. Consumers can take much improved landscape images, group photos and a host of other wide-angle opportunities that preserve more information in a single image than the limited range of 35mm cameras.

Built with incredible speed, the Caplio RX boasts the world?s fastest shutter response time of only 0.12 seconds and the world?s fastest start-up time clocked at a mere 0.9 seconds ? an impressive 50% improvement from the Caplio G4wide?s 1.8sec start-up ability. Too often conventional digital cameras disappoint consumers with their slow shutter response and start-up times ? this latest digital camera from Ricoh puts an end to all those occasions when you wish that the camera would allow you to capture that fleeting sight of a baby?s first smile, that first goal scored and so on.

The Caplio RX is also extremely portable and comfortable to hold. Weighing in at just 170 grams** and only 29mm thick, its sleek and curvy aluminium-alloy body feels comfortable in the hand and fits perfectly in a shirt pocket.  The Caplio RX is capable of taking superb images with its 3.24-megapixel CCD that includes a vastly improved image processor.  Colours look sharper and cleaner even in large printed formats. Furthermore, its 3.6x optical plus 3.4x digital zoom delivers an outstanding combination of 12.2x zoom giving photographers plenty of opportunity to zoom into the tiniest details within any image. 

Continuing to lead the field with its macro mode abilities, Ricoh?s Caplio RX takes perfect 1cm macros that bring out the very finest of sparkling jewellery and beautiful blooming flowers. Users can even operate a flash at a mere 9cm from objects without any whiteout effect.

“Clearly we have come a very long way in our digital camera making history. The release of the Caplio RX makes us all here at Ricoh extremely proud,” beams Mr. Katsunori Nakata, the General Manager of Ricoh?s Marketing Office.” The Caplio RX is an absolute pleasure to operate. With it consumers have the shooting flexibility of a 28mm wide angle lens, the world?s fastest shutter response time of just 0.12 seconds, a 3.24 megapixel CCD that delivers amazingly clear photos and on top of that it?s as slim as a typical mobile phone and can shoot over four hundred photos on a single charge!*** The Caplio RX is truly a magical digital camera that?s made for people who simply want more out of life.”

*    As of March 4th, 2004 for all auto focus digital camera
** Without battery
*** Up to 400 shots under normal usage conditions (with 50% flash and zoom usage, LCD on, 30 seconds between shots, reviews of all photos).                                                                               
                                                                 
Main Features:
28mm zoom - wide-open possibilities!
The Caplio RX digital camera?s wide-angle lens is such a joy to use.  Enjoy fitting in more friends when taking a fun group photo (without having to stand an enormous distance away from the subjects!) or capture a beautiful landscape that seems to run on forever. With Caplio RX?s 28mm-100mm wide zoom lens it?s truly amazing how much scenery can be preserved on a single image. The angle of view is an incredible 75 degrees ? compare this with just 62 degrees of conventional 35mm digital cameras and the results speak for themselves.  The Caplio RX is very practical and suitable for a huge number of situations from panoramic scenery and landscape to images of family and friends.

Super-quick shutter response and start-up time.
?Quick, quick! The baby is smiling - take a picture!? In instances like these you will be very happy to own a Caplio RX digital camera. Incredibly, in one second or less the camera is able to turn on and snap a photo. The shutter response is the world?s fastest in its class at just 0.12 seconds. This time is calculated from the time the user presses the shutter button, rather than the time when focus lock is achieved. 

Crisp 3.24-megapixel CCD with 3.6x optical & 3.4x digital zoom.
The Caplio RX takes outstanding pictures with a robust 3.24-megapixel CCD that includes a vastly improved image processor. Colours therefore look sharper and cleaner even in large printed formats. Moreover, take advantage of its remarkable 3.6x optical plus 3.4x digital zoom that delivers an outstanding combination of 12.2x zoom (equivalent to a telephoto range of 28-340mm on a regular 35mm camera) ? this gives photographers plenty of opportunity to zoom into the tiniest details within any image.  The Caplio RX has also added 64 and 100 to its ISO for a total ISO light-sensitivity range of 64-800, which all translates into better quality image taking opportunities. 

Best of breed ?superb 1cm ?wide? macros.
When it comes to macro photography, the Ricoh Caplio digital camera series are in a league of their own - and the leader has just raised the standard yet again!  The Caplio RX now boasts the ability to capture objects of 18mm(H) x 24mm (W) at a distance of just 1cm.  Keep the camera still at this distance and take advantage of its auto-focus target functionality that allows the user to conveniently pan around the image in order to find the desired focus point.  The practical applications of Caplio RX?s advanced 1cm macro capabilities are simply innumerable to count; gorgeous flowers, sparkling jewellery, literally grab the tiniest of details of any object. There is even a built-in flash for shots as close as 9cm that highlights objects while protecting against any unwanted whiteout effects.

Power that lives on and on!
Amass 400 shots* between recharges when using the optional rechargeable lithium-ion battery or take advantage of a nearby power source and use the optional AC adapter. The Caplio RX also has the ability to switch to two AA alkaline (included) or nickel metal hydride batteries and a synchro monitor mode that conserves energy by turning the monitor on automatically only when the shutter button is pressed to preview a shot or operate the zoom. All this makes the Caplio RX ideal for the discerning consumer who demands the highest level of power flexibility, performance and efficiency.
* Up to 400 shots under normal usage conditions (with 50% flash and zoom usage, LCD on, 30 seconds between shots, reviews of all photos).

Slim, sleek and built for life.
At just 29mm thick, the Caplio RX?s curved aluminium-alloy body is designed to fit perfectly in a shirt pocket and perfectly in the hand. The Ricoh trademark ?Quick Review? function, positioned next to the bright 1.8 TFT LCD monitor, conveniently displays the most recent picture taken at a simple press of a button.

Movie and sound functionality.
The Caplio RX encourages creativity by enabling users to take up to 120 seconds of AVI video action clips in a video size of 160x120 and even records convenient “voice memo” stamps of up to eight seconds to photos taken. Caplio RX can also be used as a multipurpose voice recorder that comes in handy during a school lecture, important business meetings and taking verbal notes in situations when pen and paper are not the most practical.
                                                                 
Six scene modes.
The Caplio RX comes equipped with six very useful scene modes (portrait, sports, landscape, night scene, text and high-sensitivity) that are intended to help the photographer capture various shooting situations in their best light. In high-sensitivity mode, the screen automatically illuminates subjects to aid in framing the picture in dim lighting environments such as a candlelit dinner or trendy nightclub.

Shoot, analyse and improve.
Perfect a golf swing and analyse other action sequences by taking advantage of the Caplio RX’s various continuous modes. In M-continuous mode, with the shutter button held down the camera memorises the last 16 shots in one file for two seconds of footage. This comes in handy when uncertain about the start or finish of a particular action. In S-continuous mode, it can take a series of 16 shots in one file for two seconds of footage with just one press of the shutter button. When reviewing the 16 shots during playback, each frame can be enlarged individually, and can be quickly browsed back and forth through all 16 shots creating the feel of an animated movie.

Exposure, balance practicality. 
In tricky lighting situations, the convenient auto-bracket function allows the photographer to take three individual shots at one time at three different exposure settings. White balance bracket, on the other hand, applies tones of red, normal white, and blue to three separate images. 

Internal 8MB memory and SD card.
The Caplio RX comes equipped with an 8MB internal memory chip and can use optional Secure Digital memory cards that store plenty more information. These next-generation multimedia storage devices are quick, reliable and are compatible with an array of mobile and communications equipment. The Caplio RX is also compatible with Multimedia Cards.

Instant PC transfers.
Transferring files to a PC is extremely easy. Simply turn off the camera and link the Caplio RX up via an USB cable. The Ricoh Gate software installed on the computer will then instantly start transferring images to an automatically created folder at a rate of three megabytes per second.