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The GX100 is just such an oddity, combining compact looks and a respectable 10-megapixel resolution with full manual controls
Wide-angle zoom
The most striking specification of the Ricoh GX100 is the zoom range. It starts at 24mm (35mm equivalent). This is a true wide-angle! Although there are a few other cameras with this kind of wide-angle, the Ricoh Caplio GX100 is rather unique. The tele-range goes up to 72mm, which is reasonable. The focal length is long enough for a head-shoulder portrait, but you will not be able to record the uncommon bird in your yard. If 24mm is not sufficient as wide-angle, you can screw an optional converter lens via an adapter on the camera. This way you will have a wide-angle equivalent to 19mm, amazing! To compensate jitter, the Ricoh Caplio GX100 has been equipped with an optical image stabilizer. With that, Ricoh follows the current trend.
10 Megapixels
The Ricoh GX100 is Ricoh's first digital compact camera that has been equipped with a 10 Megapixel CCD image sensor. With this, the producer now also matches the competition. With ten million pixels you will have more than enough information to print a large picture. Imagine a scenery photographed with the 24mm and printed on A2. Something like that is possible with the Ricoh Caplio GX100.
RAW format
While the largest part of camera manufacturers ignores the RAW format in compact cameras, Ricoh upholds this feature. With that, the Ricoh Caplio GX100 becomes an interesting camera for the photographer who wants to have ultimate control over the image. Wisely, Ricoh has chosen not to develop their own RAW format but uses DNG, Adobe's open standard. In theory, it should be possible to open it with most RAW converters. In practice this is a bit more wayward, but with Photoshop and the latest Camera RAW plug-in you will have no problems whatsoever to work with the photos of the Ricoh GX100.
Metal casing
The casing of the 10 Megapixel Ricoh Caplio GX100 is compact, even though the wide-angle was tough to design. Ricoh has chosen to use a metal frame, which definitely insures stability. It is one of the few compact cameras that has not been made completely out of synthetics. The accessories also make the Ricoh GX100 unique. Not only the optional wide-angle converter, but also the optional viewfinder is one of a kind. Because there is no space for an optical viewfinder, you have the possibility to purchase a stick-on viewfinder with the Ricoh GX100. You will get an electronic viewfinder image, which is exceptional. In addition, you can turn the viewfinder so you can view the image in an angle.
