Ricoh has tried to make a camera for the enthusiast photographer, a camera that the pro or enthusiast could slip into his pocket for a day and make sure he can still get a great shot. Design-wise, the company has pulled it off. The tough little camera is a beauty to hold and a joy to use, and I couldn't wait to see the pictures. It's the imaging aspect that's a disappointment though, and really lets the camera and Ricoh's ambitions down. The 12MP sensor and processing combination is frankly poor.
In fact I question the wisdom of such densely populated sensors on compact cameras. The small pixels are bound to produce more noise and processing will only get you so far.
Ultimately, the camera works well at lower ISOs and does have some fantastic features, such as the best EVF and monitor yet in a compact, the b/w conversion and square format are fun and the accessories available add up to a nice little system. It's just not as good as it should be,Read full review
Overall
8/10
By Jamie Harrison
Reviewed 25 June 2008
Updated 05 February 2011