Introduction

Ease of Use

Front of the Ricoh WG-70

We live in unprecedented times; so is the reassuringly rugged and recently introduced Ricoh WG70 the destruction-proofed point-and-shoot compact for our challenging age? Last summer we reviewed Ricoh’s similarly toughened WG-6 compact, which arrived in the wake of the older WG-60 (which this more closely resembles), and by contrast featured what was trumpeted as an improved and renewed design and handling. The WG-6 was less about go-faster stripes and wacky designs and was altogether more ‘reined in’ than previous iterations.

We guess that didn’t quite work, however, as with the introduction of the WG-70, which we’re looking at here, Ricoh is back to its old tricks of ‘letting it all hang out’ externally with its very familiar sporty fascia. It makes us immediately suspect there’s not much that is all that different on the inside, either.

A glance at headline features of the Ricoh WG70 and there’s much here too we’ve seen before… and, yes, adorning the outwardly identical WG-60; returning here is a maximum 16-megapixel resolution from a back-illuminated CMOS sensor, whereas last summer’s WG-6 gave us 20MP (perhaps there is a WG-7 in the works?).

The back plate LCD screen used for composition and review in the absence of an eye level viewfinder also boasts the same size as that on the WG-60 at 2.7-inches and the same screen resolution at a so-so 230K pixels. While there is nothing technically ‘wrong’ with that, this latest generation model is hardly pushing hard at the boundaries of the technology; indeed, at initial glance it appears Ricoh is simply giving its users a shrug and asking ‘will this do?’ of this model that feels like it is recycling yesterday’s spec.

More positively though, the Ricoh WG-70’s elongated 122.5x61.5x29.5mm dimensions and 173g weight (identical to the WG-60) ensures it will fit easily within a trouser or jacket pocket, making this a camera that you can take anywhere with you.

Rear of the Ricoh WG-70

Destruction-resistant qualities include water proofing to a depth of 14 metres for up to two hours, it being shock proofed to withstand a drop from 1.6 metres in height, ‘crush proofed’ against pressure being exerted on it to an equivalent of 100kgf, and being freeze-proof down to minus 10°C – all useful if pretty run-of-the-mill in terms of specification, it has to be said.

Also identical to its predecessor is the business end of this camera – namely its 5x optical zoom and focal length the equivalent of a wide angle 28mm to 140mm in 35mm film camera terms, with an aperture range of f/3.5 to f/5.5 meaning it’s hardly class leading when it comes to low light performance.

Likewise the 9-point AF system is inherited from the WG-60, as is the ability to shoot maximum 1920x1280 pixels video at 30fps, or 1280x720 pixels video at up to 120fps for a slow motion effect upon playback.

On both cameras we get an ISO range manually selectable from ISO125 up to ISO6400 equivalent, with the ability to set the automatic functionality of the camera to only shoot within pre-defined ISO parameters. With tweak-able exposure compensation a modest +/- 2EV, it all feels a little underpowered.

With, more unusually, 68MB of internal memory on board the Ricoh WG-70, a thumbnail-sized SD card is once again the optional removable media of choice here. The supplied lithium ion battery which is inserted into the base of the camera, next to said SD card slot, is good for a modest 300 shots from a full charge according to CIPA testing (a drop from the maximum 340 pictures offered by the WG-6); pretty standard for this equally modest class of camera.

Top of the Ricoh WG-70

With no spare mains charger provided, the WG-70’s battery is charged in-camera via mini USB port. This is hidden/protected beneath a chunky cover at the side of the camera that also protects a mini HDMI port. The user has to depress a catch and slide open said cover to access the ports, thereby ensuring that neither accidentally becomes exposed if venturing underwater, out in the snow or down to the beach.

Enthusiasts are going to feel disappointed that there is only the option here to shoot JPEG files rather than Raw, but then enthusiast photographers aren’t exactly the market for this camera. Here it’s all about having a means of capturing images that you might not attempt with a smartphone; even though said smartphone may actually give you better end results in terms of images and video these days.

From the front, then, the Ricoh WG70 resembles a camera designed by a hyperactive teenager with a fistful of sharpie pens. We had the fluorescent orange and black model in for review, though there is also a more sober alternative, which, in its plain black livery more closely resembles an object you’d find on Batman’s utility belt.

Centre front is the camera’s lens, so placed to try and avoid stray fingertips coming into the corners of the frame when gripped, as at no point does the Ricoh’s internally stacked zoom lens actually protrude from the body; in being permanently shielded behind a toughened glass panel.

Unusually the Ricoh WG 70’s key specification - including the fact that it’s waterproof, crushproof, freeze-proof and shockproof – is printed in circular fashion around the lens, adding to the industrial impression here, where practicality is placed before beauty.

The Ricoh WG-70 In-hand

As with its predecessors, we also find six micro LED lights ranged in ring-light fashion for illuminating close up subjects when Digital Microscope mode has been activated.

An arguably inessential yet defining feature of this endlessly regenerated compact series, new this time around – and the only feature, along with a new Cross Processing mode – we could find that has altered since the WG-60 – is the ability to select a 2MP recording size, up to a maximum 12MP in said mode. Essentially the camera deploys its digital zoom – in effect a crop – to make it appear as if subjects have been ‘enlarged’.

With its visible screws and buzzsaw-like plastic strips, the surface of the Ricoh WG70 does give something for your fingers to find purchase on, in lieu of an actual grip. This is useful, because there is barely any space at the camera back for the thumb to rest on, due to the slightly more pronounced and chunkier controls on the camera back that we’re conventionally used to. This meant that we did on occasion find camera shake resulted in softened images.

At a push it might be possible to operate the WG-70 if wearing regular gloves – but definitely not if wearing thicker ski gloves. That said, the core top plate controls – pared back to merely an on/off button and also the shutter release – are easy to handle even with wet fingers, thanks to the slightly roughened surface to each helping to avoid slippage.

The Ricoh WG 70’s fascia also finds room for a lozenge shaped flash window, speakers and built-in microphone, making the most of the available real estate. Unfortunately this location however means that the microphone picks up the sound of your fingers moving across the camera surface as you’re recording video, so you’ll want to hold still.

A firm press of the top plate power button and the camera is ready nigh instantly, requiring another firm press of the shutter release button to actually take the shot, which is committed to memory in one to two seconds. Again the need for firm presses is all about avoiding the camera accidentally going off in your pocket. A toggle of the zoom slider on the back of the camera and the zoom glides from extreme wide-angle to maximum telephoto in just two to three seconds, which is fine.

The Ricoh WG-70

With each side of the WG70 camera offering lugs for attaching a wrist strap, and one side providing a larger loop for attaching a thicker carabiner-style strap (not provided), the back of the WG-70 offers the expected straightforward approach, our attention zero-ing in on a four way control pad with a self explanatory OK button at its centre, around which are ranged means of activating or adjusting the flash, self timer, accessing 1cm macro mode or digging into and scrolling through the camera’s cartoon icon illustrated shooting modes, in lieu of otherwise doing so via a typical shooting mode wheel (not featuring here).

We also get a dedicated red record button for filming video on the WG 70 – which kick starts recording whatever alternative mode the camera may have been set to – along with a playback button, the aforementioned rocker switch for activating the zoom, plus a further button providing a handy means of deleting images. The last button on the back is again self-explanatory, in being marked ‘menu’.

The screens shown here ensure easy navigation – being divided into folders for stills shooting, video, custom settings and set up – even if, as we’ve mentioned when looking at previous generations of the camera, they appear somewhat dated in appearance. The fact that this is a toughened camera also means that we don’t get touch screen operation here, nor do we get an articulated LCD, for obvious reasons.

The bottom of this camera features an off-centre screw thread for a tripod and a catch-operated slide and open compartment housing the WG-70’s battery and media card, as previously detailed.

So, with the proof being in the proverbial pudding, how does the Ricoh WG-70’s photos match up to the specification and performance? Are we getting images here that transcend the camera’s point and shoot origins, or do they indicate that this is all about a toughened exterior and sporty looks first, and image taking and creation second?

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 20 megapixel SuperFine JPEG setting, which produces an average image size of around 7Mb.

As the Ricoh WG-70 has a relatively small 1/2.3-inch sensor and an internally stacked zoom lens we’re not expecting results comparable with a mirrorless camera or DSLR here. Nor do we get them, to be frank. In fact, some could argue that you may even get better results from a latest generation smartphone these days.

We’d suggest therefore that while this rugged camera is suitable for a range of uses, it’s not quite the master of all. So you probably only want to be considering buying it if you’re going to be using it in scenarios where you wouldn’t normally risk use of a smartphone, DSLR or mirrorless – such jumping in the swimming pool, a day at the beach or ski slope.

Colours are perfectly OK, if not quite as vivid and punchy as we might have hoped, while also average is the detail delivered. While it does have a back-lit sensor, the camera struggles to deliver sharp shots when light is failing, and even its flash doesn’t help a great deal here, in being positioned sufficiently close to the edge that the forefinger of your left hand can accidentally obscure it if you’re not sufficiently careful when gripping the camera with both hands for a steadier shot.

For alternatively trying low light shots without flash, use of the Ricoh WG70’s light sensitivity settings up to ISO1600 returns acceptable results, but naturally you’ll want to avoid ISO 3200 and ISO 6400 unless desperate.

Noise

The Ricoh WG-70 has seven sensitivity settings at full resolution, running from ISO 125-6400.

ISO 125 (100% Crop)	ISO 200 (100% Crop)
ISO 400 (100% Crop)	ISO 800 (100% Crop)
ISO 1600 (100% Crop)	ISO 3200 (100% Crop)
ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

Chromatic Aberrations

The Ricoh WG-70 handled chromatic aberrations fairly well during the review, with purple and green fringing present around the edges of objects in high-contrast situations, as shown in the examples below.

Chromatic Aberrations 1 (100% Crop)	Chromatic Aberrations 2 (100% Crop)

Macro

The close focusing of the Ricoh WG70 at wide-angle is a mere 1cm in the middle zoom position.

Flash

The Ricoh WG-70's flash has three modes: Auto, On, Off, plus a separate setting to enable or disable red-eye reduction. Whether this is active or not, the camera successfully avoids any trace of red-eye.

Flash On

Flash Red-eye Reduction

Flash Off

Flash On

Flash Off

Flash On

Night

The Ricoh WG-70's maximum shutter speed is only 4 seconds in the Night Scene mode, and sadly there's no Bulb mode for even longer exposures.

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Ricoh WG-70 camera, which were all taken using the 16 megapixel JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample Movies & Video

Product Images

Conclusion

Not quite a camera to get the heart racing and blood pumping if you know what has come before it, the Ricoh WG-70 is to all extents and purposes an ‘update’ in numerical terms only, given that core specification, functionality and even weight and dimensions are identical to its WG-60 predecessor. Indeed there’s something very ‘same old, same old’ about the ‘new’ WG70 point and shooter.

Therefore if you see the older WG-60 more keenly priced than the ‘new’ edition, and do actually need a camera that you can subject to a degree of rough and tumble usage, which is really the only true reason why you should be considering this model or its near twin, then feel justified in snapping it up. You won’t be missing out on anything and, if you’re in the market for an easy-to-use, water resistant and damage-proof compact, you may well get yourself a bargain in the process.

In all other respects, when viewed standalone, the Ricoh WG-70 is a distinctly average camera, delivering distinctly average images. There’s nothing wrong with that per se, but we do feel Ricoh could try harder next time. Innovation is what drives the market, but here we’re merely treading water; a scenario, incidentally, where you may well get the best out of this undemanding waterproof point-and-shoot.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	3.5
Features	3
Ease-of-use	4
Image quality	3
Value for money	3.5

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Ricoh WG-70.

Specifications

News

The Ricoh WG-70 is a new waterproof digital compact camera that can be used in depths down to 14 meters, with enhanced features that include the Digital Microscope mode.

The Ricoh WG-70 will be available in March priced at £280 / $280.

Ricoh Press Release

Digital compact camera for underwater photography down to 14 meters,with enhanced features such as the Digital Microscope mode

February 5, 2020, －RICOH COMPANY, LTD and RICOH IMAGING EUROPE, S.A.S. announce the launch of the RICOH WG-70 digital compact camera. This new model features a compact, lightweight body design, with exceptional waterproof, shockproof and various shooting function performance.

This standard-class waterproof digital compact camera is designed so that anyone can capture severe shooting environments of outdoors more casually, effortlessly and without worries. Despite its compact, lightweight body, the WG-70 offers outstanding basic specifications that outperform ordinary digital cameras and smartphones under demanding outdoor conditions. It is waterproof to a depth of 14meters; shockproof against a fall from a height of 1.6 meters; and freeze-proof against temperatures as low as -10°C.It also comes equipped with an outdoor-friendly LCD monitor whose brightness level can be instantly adjusted to the lighting level of a shooting situation.

Main Features of the new RICOH WG-70

1. Heavy-duty construction assuring underwater shooting down to 14 meters, for up to two hours

The solid, airtight body common to the WG-70 is not only waterproof down to a depth of 14 meters for up to two hours of continuous operation (equivalent to IPX 8 or JIS Class 8), but is also shockproof against falls from a height of 1.6 meters,* dustproof (equivalent to IPX 6 or JIS Class 6), freeze-proof to temperatures as low as -10°C, and crushproof against weights up to 100kgf (kilogram force). ** Thanks to this heavy-duty construction, the cameras perform superbly and dependably even in harsh, demanding outdoor conditions.

* Measured under RICOH IMAGING-original testing standards — from a height of 1.6 meters, onto a surface of 5cm-thick plywood — conforming to Method 516.5-Shock of the MIL-Standard 810F.

** Measured under RICOH IMAGING-original testing standards.

2. Exceptional image quality

The WG-70 comes equipped with a back-illuminated CMOS image sensor, which assures excellent high-sensitivity and low-noise characteristics and high-speed readout of image data signals. Coupled with a high-performance imaging engine, this image sensor delivers a top sensitivity of ISO 6400 and super-high-resolution images with approximately 16.0 effective megapixels. These models also provide advanced image processing functions, made possible by the latest super-resolution technology, to assure sharp, clear, high-resolution images. They even offer such innovative features as Handheld Night Snap mode, which automatically captures several images of the same nighttime scene and produces a single, blur-free composite image from them.

3. Improved usability of Digital Microscope mode

The WG-70 has a Digital Microscope mode that allows the subject to be greatly enlarged.  Usability is improved as the recording size can be newly selected from 2M (1920 x 1080), which gives priority to enlargement with digital zoom, to a maximum of 12M (16: 9) (4608 x 2592), which is useful when printing or trimming with high resolution which further expands the field of shooting.

4. Six Macro Lights to assist close-up shooting, with various functions

Ideally positioned around the circumference of the lens barrel for macro shooting, six LED Macro Lights allow the WG-70 to provide bright, uniform illumination on a subject when the Digital Microscope mode is selected.*** Thanks to these Macro Lights, the user can clearly see a magnified view of the microscopic world undetectable by the naked eye on the camera’s LCD monitor, and effortlessly capture eye-catching, close-up images. In order to minimize camera shake and subject shake, the Instant Illumination Enhance function allows for the use of a higher shutter speed by automatically raising the discharge level of the Macro Lights at the moment of shutter release. The Macro Lights also provide other useful functions, such as a Self-Portrait Assist mode, which uses the blink of an LED lamp to check if the subject’s face has been safely captured within the picture frame, and the LED Lighting mode, which uses the Macro Lights as a lighting device in the dark.

5. Advanced underwater shooting mode

Specifically designed for underwater photography, the image processing of Underwater and Underwater Movie shooting modes optimize color, contrast, and white balance, based on the data of images captured under the water. These modes deliver sharp, true-to-life images by enhancing shades of red, which are lost in underwater photography, while effectively compensating for the loss of contrast caused by the diffusion of light in water. During Underwater mode, the Flash Off + Flash On option, allows the user to consecutively capture two images — with a single shutter release — one without flash and another with flash.

6. Cross Processing added to Image Tone

Cross Processing is an effect popular among our products, which allows you to enjoy unique photographic expressions. With WG-70, this mode is added to Image Tone, which can be selected with several shooting modes including, P (Program). The parameters of the image is adjusted to give a unique color-changed finish, like a cross-processed film ***.

*** A film development technique that uses unconventional film development to create a distinctive finish with dramatic, stylized colors.

7. 5X optical zoom lens with a 28mm wide-angle coverage

The WG-70 feature a high-performance, five-times optical zoom lens with a focal-length coverage from 5mm to 25mm (equivalent to approx. 28mm to 140mm in the 35mm format) to accommodate a wide range of scenes and subjects, including sweeping landscapes. They also provide other convenient shooting functions, such as a macro mode to capture dramatic close-up images from a minimum focusing distance of a mere one centimeter; an Intelligent Zoom function to extend the zoom range to approximately 36 times (equivalent to 1008mm in the 35mm format) without compromising image quality, for superior telephoto photography; and an interval shooting mode, which comes in handy for fixed-point observation.

8. Full HD movie recording for extended shooting of high-quality movies

The WG-70 provides Full HD movie recording employing the H.264 recording format. Users can capture high-quality, extended movie clips (1920 x 1080 pixels, 16:9 proportions) at a frame rate of 30 frames per second. To add some creative touches to movie recording, they also feature a high-speed camera function**** for slow-motion playback of captured movie clips, and an interval movie function. A micro-HDMI terminal (Type D) is also provided on the camera body for simultaneous output of Full HD movie clips and sound to external audio-visual devices.

**** When this function is selected, the recorded size is fixed at 1280 x 720 pixels.

9. Triple anti-shake protection to prevent blurred images in all applications

(1) Pixel Track SR mechanism

When recording still images, this advanced shake-reduction mechanism effectively compensates for camera shake by digitally processing affected images.

(2) Digital SR mode

When the camera detects low-lighting conditions in still-image shooting, this mode automatically raises the sensitivity up to as high as ISO 6400, making it possible to use a higher shutter speed and effectively minimize the adverse effect of camera shake and subject shake when dealing with poor lighting conditions.

(3) Movie SR mode

During movie recording, this mode effectively compensates for the misalignment of images caused by camera shake through the use of exclusive software to produce beautiful, blur-free movie clips.

10. 2.7-inch LCD monitor with the Outdoor View Setting mode

The WG-70 come equipped2.7-inch LCD monitor with horizontally extended 16:9 proportions and approximately 230,000 dots. The monitor’s AR (Anti-Reflection) coating minimizes annoying glare and reflections to assure a sharp, clear on-screen image even in the harsh sunshine often encountered during outdoor shooting. It also comes equipped with such convenient features as: the Outdoor View Setting mode, which easily sets the optimum monitor brightness level for a given lighting condition

11. Other features

・A range of WG-series mount accessories (optional) to accommodate diverse camera setups

・Two remote control receptors (one in front and another in the back) to widen signal coverage

・Macro stand (included) to maintain a minimum focusing distance of one centimeter to the subject during extended observation and shooting of macro images

・High-speed Face Detection function to capture as many as 32 faces in focus in approximately 0.03 seconds (minimum); Smile Capture function to automatically release the shutter when the subject’s smile is detected

・Outdoor-friendly Style Watch function to display the time on the LCD monitor, using an extended push of the OK button when the camera’s power is turned off

・Delay-free, pushbutton start of the playback mode, using an extended push of the playback button

・Auto Picture mode to automatically select the most appropriate shooting mode from 16 different scene modes

・A choice of 12 digital filters

Image Gallery

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