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Ricoh GX200
| Author | Jamie Harrison |
| Published | 24th Jun 2008 |
| Manufacturer | Ricoh |
| Price | £303.48 (Exc VAT) |
| as reviewed | £349.00 (Inc VAT) |
| Latest Price | Click here |
| Build Quality |  |
| Features | |
| Image Quality |  |
| Value |  |
| Overall |  |
17 comments
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TrustedReviews NewslettersRicoh hasn't strayed too far from the GX100 design path. This is a small but traditionally styled camera. It is very well made and feels solid and robust. The black finish and rubberised grip maintain the 35mm tradition, while the manual mode and viewfinder options, together with the square format mode, are sure to appeal to purists and experimentalists alike. I especially liked using the square format with in black and white mode.
The camera is slim so it easily fits in a pocket, though less so with the viewfinder attached, and the lens protrudes once the camera is powered up. Start up time (and power down) is around a second, which includes the time for the lens to extend into position, and the auto focus is fast and accurate. While it's not as fast as a DSLR in operational speed, it's still a pretty nifty number compared to other compacts. One slow-down factor is the time it takes to remove the lens cap - something DSLR users are familiar with but if your migrating from a lower end compact, with an automatic lens cover (or no lens cover) this may take some getting used to (and remembering!).
Changing shooting modes is via a wheel on the top plate - another traditional aspect - while the menu is navigated through the familiar four-way controller. This also offers quick access to macro mode, flash modes and self-timer. Other adjustments can be made through the ‘adj' switch. This button offers left and right rocking for changing shutter speeds in manual mode. Pressing this switch will bring up commonly used settings such as white balance options, ISO speeds, ±2EV exposure compensation and image size and quality. It also lets you pick a combination of AE and AF lock options, which I discovered to be very useful.
If you have the viewfinder kit, then you can switch between viewing images and menu on the EVF or monitor via a dedicated button. A separate display button adds EVF/monitor information such as a nine square grid, histogram, the electronic level and shooting information. The monitor itself knocks spots off most compacts and is a selling point in itself.
The menu system is easy to read with a yellow and white on black interface and clear typeface, and the various options and menus are clearly labelled. It can be a bit laborious though when switching through the menu pages - there's three for the shooting menu and five for the set up menu.
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holger said on 15th July 2008
Ted Orland said on 4th August 2008
I'm specifically interested in a camera that can shoot in square format, and the GX-200 (and GX-100) are the only cameras I've found that can do that.
Does anyone... more
Image4u said on 18th October 2008
sedentary_male said on 25th June 2008
The 1st curtain flash is on the start of the release time of the shutter, the 2nd curtain flash is on the end of the (long) release ti... more
Mike Bell said on 1st December 2008
Having looked at a number of reviews of high end compacts the GX200 seems to tick all the boxes as far as I'm concerned. I agree with the comments about pixel cramming and won... more
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I cant wait to get my hands on this one! I already own a GX100, and even though is slow as a turtle in RAW mode, the flash sucks and noice over 400 ASA is terrible, its still one o... more