| Feature |
CX3 | CX2 | CX1 | R10 | (no R9) | R8 | R7 | R6 | R5 | R4 | R3 |
| Announce Date |
3rd February 2010 | 20th August 2009 | 19th February 2009 | 19th August 2008 | | 19th February 2008 | 28th August 2007 | 5th March 2007 | 24th August 2006 | 23rd February 2006 | 7th September 2005 |
| Front View, images extracted from Ricoh or DPReview product list pages, not to scale. |
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| Rear View |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Body |
Size 101.5
mm (W) x 58.3
mm (H) x 29.4
mm (D) (excluding
projecting
parts)
So is slightly thicker than CX1 to accommodate the new lens | Size 101.5mm wide, 58.3 mm high, 27.9mm deep | It appears to be a refined R8.
Now
a "spirit level" indicators added to LCD, and Easy mode for beginners,
more in-camera image edit functions after shooting, auto levels mode
added to auto improve shots. | | Size 102mm wide, 58.3mm high, 26.1mm deep and 22.6mm at thinnest point. A bit bigger and heavier than the earlier models.
It has a Mode Dial now!
Two eyelets for proper carry strap.
More functions can be assigned to ADJ button.
"Caplio" name now dropped. | Size 99.6 wide, 55mm high, 23.3mm deep, and 20.6mm at
thinnest point. A bit longer than the R3/4/5 but a bit thinner. Zoom
lever now surrounds shutter button, at last!
Now also adds a dust cover over the USB and Video sockets. | Size 96mm wide, 55mm high, 26mm deep. Restyled slightly from
R3/R4 to help keep fingers from flash, button layout changed on rear.
Slightly wider and taller than R3/R4 due to restyled centre band.
Better design battery/card hatch. | Size 95mm wide, 53mm high, 26mm deep |
| Lens |
4.9mm to 52.5mm f/3.5~5.6 equivalent
to 28-300 mm
for 35 mm film
cameras. Optional Step Zoom is
28 mm, 35 mm,
50 mm, 85 mm,
105 mm, 135
mm, 200 mm,
and 300 mm. | 4.95mm to 35.4mm (=28mm to 200mm) f/3.3~f/5.2 | 4.6mm to 33mm (=28mm to 200mm)
f/3.3~f/5.2 but with new design to pack into a slightly smaller space when retracted. | 4.6mm to 33mm (=28mm to 200mm) f/3.3~f/4.8 |
| Macro |
Similar to CX1 | 1cm (lens to
subject) at 32mm equivalent and 250mm (lens to
subject) at 200mm equivalent Quoted as to be same as R6/7 | 1cm (lens to subject) at 4.6mm and Macro Zoom Mode and 250mm at full tele 33mm in Macro mode. | 1cm (lens to
subject) at 4.6mm and Macro Zoom Mode and 140mm at full tele 33mm in
Macro mode as quoted by manual, but in real life it's different, see my
Macro page here. |
| Resolution* |
3648 x 2736 4:3 = 9,980,928 pixels
3648 x 2432 3:2 = 8.871,936 pixels
3648 x 2048 ~16:9 = 7,471,104 pixels
2736 x 2736 1:1 = 7,485,696 pixels
| 3456x2592 = 8,957,952 pixels
1/2.3" CMOS size 6.16mm x 4.62mm
Pixel Density 33 MP/cm²
Aspect ratios of 4:3, 3:2 and 1:1 available. | 3648x2736 = 9,980,928 pixels CCD size 1/2.3" = 6.16mm x 4.62mm
Pixel Density 35 MP/cm² | 3264x2448 = 7,990,272 pixels CCD size 1/2.5" 5.75mm x 4.31mm
Pixel Density 33 MP/cm² | 3072x2304 = 7,077,888 pixels 1/2.5" CCD size 5.75mm x 4.31mm
Pixel Density 29 MP/cm² | 2816x2112 = 5,947,392 pixels
1/2.5" CCD size 5.75mm x 4.31mm
Pixel Density 24 MP/cm² | 2592x1944 = 5,038,848 pixels
1/2.5" CCD size 5.75mm x 4.31mm
Pixel Density 20 MP/cm² |
| Rear LCD |
3" at 920,000 pixels. | 3" at 460,000 pixels | | 2.7" at 460,000 pixels | | 2.7" at 230,000 pixels. Using Quick
Review or Playback, use the Disp button to toggle the displays
available, and now a "blown highlight" flashing black indicator is
included. | 2.5" at 230,000 pixels. Disp button toggles available display modes | 2.5" at 153,000 pixels. Disp button toggles available display modes. | 2.5" at 114,000 pixels. Disp button toggles available display modes. |
| Image Quality |
Expected to be good but 300mm equivalent end usually soft in this class of camera. | | Reputed 1EV better dynamic range due to enhanced interpolation techniques to help prevent highlight blowout.
Also is two-shot dynamic range mode where two quick shots are combined to yield a quoted 12EV dynamic range. | Ricoh samples look OK, need real world examples.
Still 1:1 available.
More image edit features available in camera. | | Samples seen are acceptable, but are typical of the 10 megapixels pocket cams on the market.
1:1 aspect ratio square photography now available
Some image edit features available in camera | New image processing chip now being used. | Early examples are looking good, maybe a bit
better than the R5 that uses the same sensor. My personal preference is
for the less processed of the R3/4, but that's just me.
Face recognition scene mode has been added to make those people shots more reliable. | The 7 megapixels doesMaybe ISO 400 and up getting noisy, again Noiseware etc
improve things. The 1600 ISO yields a usable but noisy image if
exposure is correct. Can't really make any real
differences in quality from the other two. In fact as other tests show the R3 at ISO 64 is better than the R5 for postcard prints. | Thorough
tests under way in June 2007 to really see if the R4 is better than the
R3. So far a tiny improvement in resolution of the R4 over the R3 can
be seen, but not a worthwhile improvement.
Contrary to many opinions, I find that the R4 is slightly noisier at all ISO
than the R3.
With both, a properly exposed 800 ISO image yields good 4"x6" prints. |
Time Lapse Photography
(Interval Shooting) |
Same Time Lapse functionality as R3/4/5
but later cameras use
different size battery
so it must be a different AC adapter AC-4f is listed as being available
CX3 now uses new battery and new currently unlisted AC adapter. | As far as I
know all these models share exactly the
same firmware with time lapse. Only used it a couple of times so can't
comment on its
actual use. Just make sure a heavy tripod is used, and turn off the
rear LCD to help the battery last longer (Ricoh calls this 'Synchro
Monitor Mode'). Period between photos can be set from 5 seconds to 3 hours in increments of 5 seconds on all of R3/4/5/6.
In all cases a fully charged battery is
recommended, or if taking for really long periods then the AC adapter
accessory needs to be purchased, AC-4c for R3/4/5. But of course that fouls the normal tripod mount. Choose a lower
resolution to suit the end use of the images, and also to make sure
they all fit on the SD card. |
| Movie Maximum |
1280x720 | 640x480 @ 30 fps with digital zoom only | 320x240 @ 30 fps with digital zoom only |
| ISO |
80 to 3200 | 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, Auto, Auto-Hi | 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
Auto ISO can have limits set higher than 400, eg 800, 1600 | 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
Auto ISO to 400 | 64, 100, 200, 400, 800 Auto ISO to 400
|
| Memory |
?? megs internal, SD to 2 gig, SDHC to 32 gig | 88 megs internal, SD to 2 gig, SDHC to 32 gig | 54 megs internal, SD to 2 gig and SDHC | | 24 megs internal, SD to 2 gig and SDHC | 24 megs internal, SD to 2 gig and SDHC | 54 megs internal, SD to 2 gig and SDHC | 26 megs internal, SD to 2 gig and SDHC (firmware 1.6 and up) | 26 megs internal, SD to 2 gig |
| Transfer |
USB 2.0 High Speed | USB1.1 |
| Flash Range |
Approx. 20 cm - 4.0 m (Wide), approx. 28 cm - 4.0 m (Telephoto) (ISO Auto/ISO1600, from the front of the lens) | To 3.0 m wide to tele at ISO 400 | Wide 200mm - 3.0 m , Tele 250mm cm to 2.0 m with Auto ISO to 400. | Wide 200mm to 3m Tele 250mm to 2m with Auto ISO "Soft Flash" option has been added to improve macros and people shots. |
Wide, 200mm to 2.4m. Tele 140mm to 1.8m with Auto ISO
|
| Official Specs |
CX3 Specs | CX2 specs | CX1 Specs | R10 specs page | | R8 specs page | R7 specs page | R6 specs page | R5 specs page | R4 specs page | R3 specs page |
| Battery |
Battery DB-100, charger BJ-10, a new battery and charger | Battery DB-70, charger BJ-7 a
new battery and charger. The AC adapter optional accessory (replaced the internal
battery) that was available for the R3/4/5 which disappeared
for the R6, but has re-surfaced with the R7. The AC-4f AC adapter will suit. | Battery DB-60, charger BJ-6 |
Major Complaints & Faults
|
Too early | No dramas except lens stuck out occasionally when battery low. | Release in Japan 13 March 2009.
No negative feedback | No negative feedback
| | No negative comments of note | The very fast focus front sensor of the R3/R4/R5 models has
disappeared, it only uses CCD focus now. The few
early users seem to say the focus is OK, no noticeable delays, so the
CCD focus has been speeded up obviously.
Though it's the same sensor as
the R5 the tendency to over-process the image seems to have been backed
off a bit.
Some reports of excessive fuzziness in the top right corner are emerging.
Lens jams... see R3 | Mis-focus seem to be the most common ongoing
problem, but after a warranty repair(?) my R5 seems to behave better.
Maybe it needed some general calibration to get it back on track.
No that proved to be wrong, AF still bad. Now my R5 is being replaced by an R4.
Others disagree, but I don't like the sometimes over-processed look of
the R5 images.
Lens jams... see R3 | Many people have had banding problems, no clear solution to
this, usually not a worry with most shots. I have never seen banding with my R4. I have once seen minor banding on
the R3.
Lens jams... see R3 | Early reviewers criticised noise, not
a problem, easily fixed with Noiseware or Neat Image etc. They were
wrong, the R3 is not as noisy as the R4.
Lens jams...
All R and CX series have a telescoping folding lens assembly that has been
known to jam. I now make a point of keeping the lens tubes clean.
Extend the lens to full tele and gently polish the tubes with a clean
cloth to remove any dust spots. |
| Shutter Caution |
Shutter is focus priority,
that means the shutter will not fire until the focus is settled.
The
camera itself waits for focus confirmation.
In low light with all R
series the focus is slow and now with R6 and up the shot you take may
miss the moment.
Switch to Snap or Infinity or Manual focus to overcome
this. Probably the same as R6/7 | Shutter is release priority,
that means the shot will be taken even if the focus has not yet settled
properly. The shutter fires when you press it but the result may be out
of focus. Best to wait for focus confirmation (beep or green brackets)
at all times.
Be
aware that realease priority does vary, sometimes it fires regardless
of focus and other times will delay shutter release until focus is
attained, exact rules not known yet. |
|
CX3 | CX2 | CX1 | R10 | (no R9) | R8 | R7 | R6 | R5 | R4 | R3 |